Working for God

God has done so much for us.  It’s immeasurable.  And, often we wonder just what we can do for Him.  Actually, Jesus was once asked the very thing:

John 6:28 (ESV) ²⁸  Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

Jesus answer was simple:

John 6:29 (ESV) ²⁹  Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Well, that’s easy enough, isn’t it?  We just need to believe in Jesus.  Romans 10:9 tells us just what that means:

Romans 10:9 (ESV) ⁹  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

So, a belief in Jesus includes believing He is the Lord God and that He was raised from the dead.  But, then what? 

A belief of this sort in Jesus causes a change in those who follow Him.  God’s Spirit comes to dwell in us.  Our minds and hearts are changed in so many areas.  The faith we gain encourages “sanctification”, the process of God moving in our lives to make us more like Him.  James talks about it in James chapter 2:

James 2:14 (ESV) ¹⁴  What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

If we read the entire passage in James, we see James isn’t saying works are required for salvation.  He’s saying that a faith that saves us, a belief in Jesus as we saw above, making Jesus Lord of our lives, naturally produces works that please God.

It all comes full circle, then.  The work that pleases God is a belief in Jesus, but a belief in Jesus produces works that please God.  So, is God super excited when we climb that mountain of faith for Him?  Do we get a star on our report card if we help that lady across the street, work in a homeless shelter, or go on the mission field?  Jesus addressed that, too.

Luke 17:7-10 (ESV) ⁷  “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? ⁸  Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? ⁹  Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
¹⁰  So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

I think we see where the rewards come in, though, when Jesus speaks of His kingdom in the parable of the talents:

Matthew 25:23 (ESV)  ²³  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Our reward is not here on earth.  Through God’s grace, we have joys, pleasures, provision, and love here.  Those are ours because of God’s love for His children.  But, our real reward will be to look into His eyes and to hear, “Well done!”