Resurrection. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jesus’ followers once asked Him this question,
“What must we do to do the works God requires ?” John 6:28
“Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.” John 6:29
Someone in that crowd had the courage and honesty to admit they did not have the will and desire to do the works God requires of them.
Jesus’s answer is clear, that until we believe in Him, whom God sent to die for the sins of the world, we cannot even think about anything else.
Salvation must come first because our good works are the result of genuine salvation, not a condition for our salvation.
Only Jesus Christ works of sacrifice for you and I on the cross can save us because only He was perfect and Holy and without sin.
And as if Jesus’ sacrifice for us was not enough, God then does something wonderful, He comes into our hearts to live there forever.
Philippians 2:13 states, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
They asked “What must we do to do…?”
God answered, “Believe,…”
Then God , who is love ,and His Spirit that He places in you is love, will begin to win over our desires because nothing in the universe is more desirable, more beautiful, more majestic, more wonderful and beyond description than Him.
As we grow we will trade more and more of our selfish desires for more and more of Him because we realize those things come between our relationship to each other.
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5
If you know you need Christ’s salvation just come to Him in prayer now, without regard for the current state of your heart or the things you know are not right in your life.
Jesus will win over your desires.
He is the Hope that does not disappoint.
Simply pray to Him,
“Save me, come into my heart ! “, and He will abide with you forever.
“That if you confess with your mouth and believe with your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10: 9,10
Then tell someone, anyone, that you have trusted Jesus as your savior.
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him will I confess before My father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32
Until we believe in Christ Jesus as our savior, nothing else matters.
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:36
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia in an effort to correct a similar misconception.
“Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Galatians 3:3
Both before and after salvation, our work is to believe, and then take action based on that hope alone, with faith in Christ Spirit in us alone.
” because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:” 1 John 1:2
Related articles
- The Exclusive Claims of Christianity (pilgrimpassing.com)
- Galatians 2:11-21 (vesselsofclay.org)
December 29, 2011
Christ Centered Teaching
Christ Centered Teaching 
6 responses to “What Must We Do To Do The Works God Requires ?”
newgenesisres
December 29th, 2011 at 11:02
Hello,
In defining what God requires of us to do his work, in addition to “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.” John 6:29, I’d like to add: Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do , if God permit…..John 14:12 I— Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do ; because I go unto my Father. All God’s commandments hang on love, and love is defined by us obeying God’s word where he says believe on Jesus is foundational, but beond that we must go on to perfection and do all the works that Jesus modeled for us to do in the ministry of reconciling the world.
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Christ Centered Teaching
December 30th, 2011 at 07:13
Thanks for your comment Tony.
Jesus said, “apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
If anyone had faith and works it was Paul, and he wrote this late in his ministry:
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained by the law, Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2 : 20-21
Jesus said, “you will know them by their fruit. The same analogy implies that there must be a root to supply nourishment to bare fruit.
Confusion comes when some put their faith for salvation in their fruit instead of the root, Christ is the root.
That is the first work and continuing work for believers. First to have faith in Christ for salvation. Then to grow in faith and works as Christians filled with the Holy Spirit’s power.
That is why Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14. That is why Paul wrote the letter to the Galatains.
That is why Christ says ,”Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” “Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Jesus said, “Many”, will mistakenly trust their own works and ,”never,” know Him.
Good works are the result of genuine salvation, not a condition for genuine salvation.
I hope that helps clarify why my emphasis on belief first and foremost.
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newgenesisres
December 30th, 2011 at 08:12
I would reference your first scripture where being crucified with Christ it is no longer I, but Christ that lives in me doing the works. That being the case where it is no longer I, but Christ; how is it that I being Christ doing the works that Jesus in “red lettered” commandments told me to do makes me an evil doer?
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Christ Centered Teaching
December 30th, 2011 at 20:14
Obviously both your and my references are red letter, words of Christ, therefore both are true and do not exclude each other.
Perhaps the issue is deeper. May I ask how do you interpret Ephesians 1:13-14 ? Most of my friends who emphasize miraculous works also do not believe once saved always saved.
Why do you suppose that is almost always true?
Our answer to that question makes all the difference in our relationship to Christ.
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newgenesisres
December 31st, 2011 at 21:44
I experience that truth in Ephesians 1:13-14 much like others before me have done; I also have heard that which was presented to me of the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, thereupon I put my trust in God’s finished work. So doing God validates my faith by sending into my heart the spirit of his son by whom I now call God my Father. God thus justifies me according to my faith of the son of God, and coming into the general assembly and church of the first born which are written in heaven, to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, I hold firmly till the end, the beginning of my faith confession in Christ for salvation. Because I believe on this Jesus I agree to do all the works in God in reconciling the world which he started to do in Jesus and now commits that work to us to continue until the day of Jesus Christ, even to do such greater works that he shall show to we who are comforted together in him.
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Christ Centered Teaching
March 9th, 2012 at 05:34
Jesus is everything.
Glad you think so too!
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