Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior,
Please read this OP before answering.
Serious question looking for some answers. Thought maybe I could find some here. I want to post two scriptures and see what people conclude. I’ll post the KJV.
My question is this: is faith in Christ a work?
John 6:28,29 KJV
28Then said they unto him,
What shall we do, that
we might work the works of God?
29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the
work of God, that
ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Hi, Runningman.
In order to properly understand these words of Jesus, we need to look at them in the context of what was then transpiring and who he was speaking to at that time.
The day before he made this comment, Jesus had fed the multitudes by multiplying the loaves and fishes, and having perceived that the people were going to try to take him by force to make him their king after witnessing this provisional miracle, he departed into a mountain alone (John 6:1-15). That evening, Jesus' disciples entered into a ship in order to cross over the sea towards Capernaum, and Jesus met them, while walking on the water, and they collectively reached their destination across the sea (John 6:16-21).
We'll pick up the story starting in the next verse:
John chapter 6
[
22] The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
[
23] (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks)
[
24] When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
[
25]
And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
[
26]
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
[
27]
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
[
28]
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
[
29]
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
[
30]
They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
[
31]
Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
[
32] Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
[
33] For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
[
34] Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
[
35] And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
[
36]
But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
[
37] All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
[
38] For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
[
39] And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
[
40] And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
[
41] The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
Jesus rightly perceived that these people to whom he was then speaking took shipping to find him NOT because they saw his miracle which pointed to his Messiahship, but solely because they did eat of the loaves and were filled (vs. 26). In other words, their "labor" or efforts to find Jesus were totally carnal and self-centered in nature, and Jesus therefore told them to "LABOR NOT for the meat that perishes (natural bread), but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you" (vs. 27).
Their response?
Well, they feignedly asked him, "What shall we do that we might work the works of God?" (vs. 28). I'll tell you why I said "feignedly" in a moment, but it certainly seems to me that, in context, they asked about "working the works of God" in response to what Jesus had just said about "laboring".
Anyhow, Jesus responded with your opening quote or by saying "This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent" (vs. 29). In other words, THIS is what you ought to be LABORING FOR, or WORKING TOWARDS, or EXPENDING YOUR ENERGY IN PURSUIT OF, and NOT just natural provisions like bread. Again, they expended quite a bit of energy and effort to find Jesus after his provisional miracle, but their motives were all wrong while doing so.
Listen now to their response to what Jesus said:
"They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat." (John 6:30-31)
Do you see what they did there?
They asked Jesus for a sign, and then they conveniently chose the "sign" of the manna which was given to the children of Israel in their wilderness journeys BECAUSE THEY WERE STILL LABORING OR WORKING TOWARDS THE WRONG THING...NAMELY, NATURAL BREAD TO FULFILL THEIR CARNAL DESIRES WHILE HAVING NO REAL DESIRE FOR CHRIST HIMSELF.
Anyhow, I could say so much more about what transpired there that day and why, but the point that I'm trying to make to you is this:
In context, it seems that the type of "work" that Jesus was speaking of here was a LABORING towards knowing him and, consequently, towards following him. This following of him would, of necessity, include seeking to do the works of God themselves, even as Jesus regularly not only sought to do the works of God himself, but actually did so.
Which brings us to your next scriptural reference:
Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV
8For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
If I understand correctly, Jesus is saying that the work God wants us to do to have salvation of our soul is to believe on His Son Jesus Christ.
However, Paul says that we are given a gift of being saved because of our faith and that it has nothing to do with our works or self-effort.
Can someone explain this to me? Thank you.
When it comes to our salvation, it is not obtained via any "work" of righteousness that we have done, but rather via our faith in Christ's sacrificial death, burial, resurrection from the dead, ascension back to heaven, and consequential glorification at the Father's right hand in heaven.
However, and this is a BIG HOWEVER, let's not forget to read the very next verse:
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)
Although we haven't been saved due to any work of righteousness which we have done, we have most certainly been saved so that we can now do "good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them" via the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.
Basically, what I'm saying here is this:
Our initial "work" is to LABOR earnestly to find and embrace Christ.
Once we have found and embraced him, we should be regularly doing good works, via the power of God's indwelling Spirit, even as God has foreordained.
Hopefully, this makes sense and helps to answer your questions.
Titus chapter 2
[
11] For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
[
12]
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
[
13] Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
[
14]
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
[
15]
These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
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