Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent. - John 6:28-29 Oftentimes, we think of miracles, the preaching of God's word, or the provision of a need as being used by God, and in such instances, that is the case. But, we sort of dismiss or disregard the effectiveness or the impact we make by simply trusting and obeying God. Our belief in God is very tremendous because God means what he says and says what he means. We are wisely, powerfully, and significantly being used by God in us simply believing or following his word in doing just as he has given us to do. We discount the glory, magnificence, the saving grace that is in simply believing in God. Therefore, he says,
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16
Light stands out. It is vivid amongst the darkness, so salvation is a matter of one becoming separated.
The separation between light and darkness is so distinct that the scripture says, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17). Salvation brings about newness. So, there is a radical difference between the life one lives in unbelief and the life one lives, now, of belief in God. However, in today’s Church, the difference is vaguely remarkable in the lives of believers in most instances, for we do not wholly embrace the teachings of Christ Jesus. His commands and doctrine have no place in the lives of many of today’s Body, and those who do wholly embrace, believe, and receive Christ’s teaching become estranged even among their own.
Christ began his ministry preaching the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). Repent, and believe the gospel. Those are the instructions for us in this day to receive Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord—repent, and believe the gospel. It is relevant to the kingdom. Repentance is the start, but the belief in the gospel or the good news is life-long. And the gospel or the good news is as follows:
As believers of God in this day, we mildly acknowledge that GOD has called us. We don’t know him, so the fact that we have confessed the Lord Jesus with our mouths and believe in our hearts that God has raised the Lord Jesus from the dead does not go very far. It goes only as far as church attendance, trying to do right, and to not do wrong anymore. But this goodness only consists of our knowledge of the Savior Jesus Christ. And that’s good, but it becomes bad when we ALLOW it to stop there. The command of God’s holy word to us is: “Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). And the apostle’s Doctrine is of our Lord’s because the Savior said also to them that believed also on him: “If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31). So, our belief in God should not be stagnant but ever growing in him. And this stagnancy is nothing new. It was an issue even in Christ’s day; for he says, “Why call ye me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not the things which I say?" He says, “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like” (Luke 6:46-47). That’s a three-part event. Our coming to God is one, hearing his word is two, and doing what he said makes three. The Belief that God desires of us CANNOT be stagnant, although it grossly is.
The word of God continues to speak to this, saying, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (II Peter 1:2). No man can come unto the Father except by the Son, Jesus Christ. He is the great High Priest. Without the Son, we cannot learn of the Father (John 6:45) nor approach him (Hebrews 4:14-16). We can only come to know the Father by way of the Son. The Son has made a way for us that we can be saved (John 10:9; 5:24; 17:3). For, through our belief, we come to know God, and by way of this knowledge, grace and peace become multiplied unto us. Our belief in the Son, receiving him and his words, which is the gospel, brings us to knowing God the Father.
If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loves me not keeps not my sayings: and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. John 14:23-24
Saving grace is God’s unmerited favor but through our continuity in the Son through faith, we gain further access to more grace (Romans 5:1-2; I Peter 5:10).
In knowing God the Father, we enter into what God has called us or saved our souls for. The salvation was for more than what we can see—just so that we can stop sinning and go to heaven and not hell. But when God becomes our Lord, referring back to II Peter 1:2, and not just our Savior, we are believing the gospel: and to wholly embrace Christ’s word is to live by your faith (Luke 17:5).
Repentance is our reception of him unto salvation, where he becomes our Savior: but to believe the gospel is to obey his commands, to receive his words, to live what he came to preach and teach: that is when he becomes our Lord. He came to deliver us from the power of darkness for the purpose of bringing us into his marvelous light. Thus, the scripture says, “You should shew forth praise unto him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). Just as the Father called the world back to order and structure in Genesis 1, the Son calls us, by way of the gospel, unto him (John 5:19), wherein our knowledge of both the Father and the Son begins to have relevance and significance.
And so, the scriptures continue concerning this call, saying, “According as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3). Therefore, again, if there be no multiplication of grace unto us (II Peter 1:2), or if there be no growth (II Peter 3:18), we stunt our production of fruit-bearing where God does not become glorified (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23; John 15:8), or we shall show no good works as Christ words it on the mount (Matthew 5:16).
Many Saints never come into God’s will for their lives. They come somewhat out of sin, but they never come to living the life that Christ came preaching and teaching. They only stopped the sin in their lives and partially accepted Christ.
When we wholly embrace Christ’s word, we begin to have both the Father and the Son. We will then begin to live totally separate from others in this world.
Our living will be of the kingdom of His Dear Son. The Holy Ghost, the Comforter, Helper, Spirit of Truth, or Spirit of Grace will be with us and in us leading us into this good pleasure. The scripture says, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (I John 1:3). Amen
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