[… advancing God’s work] — which is by faith.
Summary: Advancing God’s work by faith might sound simple, but some aspects of this task can be incredibly hard.
When we talk about “God’s work,” we are talking about something very different from what we normally think of as “work.”
The work we normally think of requires effort. It also often requires knowledge, skills, strength, endurance, and to get through the day … coffee.
God’s work is very different. Belief in Jesus is not a skill set we learn, nor does it depend on our strength or endurance. Faith in Jesus requires submitting to … [Wait for it] … Jesus!
Yes, that is the “work.”
The thing that gets us in trouble with God in the first place is doing what we want instead of doing what God wants. Remember the Prodigal Son? (Luke 15:11-32) What got him in trouble was thinking only of himself.
First, he insults his dad and demands his inheritance while “Dad” is still alive. Then, when he gets title to the property, he cashes in his chips and heads for party-ville. His goal is to indulge himself. He is not concerned about his family or his friends back home. He is only concerned about “Me.”
When he finally comes to his senses, he is all out of “cents.” Broke, starving, friendless, he remembers his dad. Maybe, if he apologizes, Dad would at least give him a job. He doesn’t dare hope for anything more.
So what does he do?
He swallows his pride, humbles himself, and comes back to his Father.
This is the work Paul is talking about. Each of us has to come to the same place as the Prodigal. We have to swallow our pride, humble ourselves, and submit to our Father.*
In the story of the Prodigal, when the son is on his way home, his father sees him from a distance and runs to him. In the story, we can “see” both father and son play their parts in our minds. In reality, our vision is limited to the physical realm. We can’t “see” our heavenly Father running to embrace us. Instead, we have to trust God’s Word and the quiet voice of God inside our hearts.
There are many aspects to the “work” God has for us, but the beginning of everything is the work of humbling ourselves before God. Since we cannot see God, “we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Application: How is your standing before God? Are you standing in pride or in humility?
Food for Thought: How did the Prodigal Son demonstrate faith?
*We are not suggesting that crawling back to God, hat in hand, ensures our salvation. Without Jesus, we would be stuck in the same place the Prodigal Son was — starving while slopping the pigs.
By going home he understood that his life was with his father. He understood that his father was what he needed more than anything else. His father was his provider, protector and healer.
Thank you, Rich!
Yes … and like him, we need our Father, too!
How did the Prodigal Son demonstrate faith?
Recently I heard on the radio a little blurb about faith that I liked. Faith is driving through the green light. We believe the other cars will stop at their red light, so we drive through the green without stopping first to make sure the others are stopped. Our faith is demonstrated in our actions.
So in that context, we have the prodigal son who in v18 says “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say,” and the in v20 “And he arose and came to his father,” and in v21 “And the son said to him.” This demonstrates that the son had faith in his father’s response. Not that the son had faith in his ability to say or do, or that his action and words would “create” in his father grace, but that if he confessed in repentant humility, his father would respond with grace.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Romans 5:2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Thank you, Chris!
“Our faith is demonstrated in our actions.”
Well said. I think Paul and James would both agree.
How did the Prodigal Son demonstrate faith?
He returned to his father, believing his father would at some level receive him and provide for him. Even the slaves of his father received better treatment than he was living.
His Father saw him coming, ran to him, he confessed his sins to his father who restored him to his previous position as His son, and held a feast to celebrated his son’s return.
Thank you Ron!
Faith in action is a beautiful thing!