What must we do?

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28‑29, NIV)

Our acknowledgement of the fact that Jesus is God and that he took on humanity, bore the penalty of our sin and rose from the dead for our justification is the foundation of our faith.

As we grow in grace we become increasingly aware of the glories of our inheritance in Christ in which he has already given us “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3), that it is Christ who has "become for us wisdom from God" (1 Corinthians 1:30), that he has made us "the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21) having freely given to us the “gift of righteousness” by which we are to “reign in life" (Romans 5:17), who is transforming us into his image (2 Corinthians 3:18) and who lives within us to strengthen us with all might and power in our inner being that we might be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16‑19).

Even beyond that we are told that we have been called into a life of intimate and personal fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3).

The growth in our understanding and experience of the reality of these glorious truths, establishes and strengthens our ability to “believe in the one he has sent.” This is what is preparing the “good soil” which will bring forth fruit “thirty, sixty or a hundred-fold” (Mark 4:20).

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18‑19, NIV)

The degree of believing required by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that you continue to eat of His Flesh AND drink of His Blood daily, or there is no life in you. The scripture says that many of His Disciples walked no more. John 6:53-71

Question, how do we do what Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is asking us to do?

Ephesians 1:17-19

You ought to know if you believe or not.........that is the work you need to do.

MessageOfTheCross said:

The degree of believing required by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that you continue to eat of His Flesh AND drink of His Blood daily, or there is no life in you. The scripture says that many of His Disciples walked no more. John 6:53-71

Click to expand...

The words in bold are not in the Scripture passage. Beware of "teachers" who add to the word of God.

We yield ourselves to the work that God is doing within us.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2‑4, NIV)

The Lord then produces from within us the work that he is asking us to do.

…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13, NIV)

Most Christians know that Jesus died for me on the Cross. That is about all they know.

If the Word of God is not dipped in the Blood of God, that points us to the One who said, “that the Volume of the Book is written about Me (Hebrews 10:7),”which is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, then you are not hearing the Gospel in its Righteous context that is revealed from faith to faith, that allows us to be Servants of Righteousness (if Faith is maintained in the Cross). Exodus 24: 6-8, Romans 1:16-17, Romans 6:18

Without our Faith placed and maintained exclusively in Christ and the Cross, the works of the flesh will manifest (the sin nature). Paul teaches this in Romans chapters 6, 7, and 8.

The Believer must understand that it is possible for the eyes you were giving to see upon being born-again can and will go blind (Spiritual speaking).

Only through faith in the Cross of Christ does the Holy Spirit give one eyes to see (John 3:3-5), therefore when we begin trusting in anything other, we go blind (2 Peter 1:9) once again. Peter wrote that because he experienced it first hand, Gal. 2.

To think we need something other than what God has provided for us in Christ and His atoning work at Calvary, is to tell God, “The Cross was not enough.” Until the Church returns to faith in the Cross alone, there will be no repentance granted, for repentance can only take place as one acknowledges the Truth (2 Timothy 2:24-26), which is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. The Cross is what God did in Christ to save and to transform all who will believe upon Him. Anything else is a self transformational ministry and is of Satan (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Trust Christ and HIS WORK at the Cross and you will find the power of God you need daily, as it is called Grace!

John 6:40- Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:54 - Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:47 - Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
John 6:58 - He who eats this bread will live forever.

"He who believes" in Christ is equivalent to "he who eats this bread and drinks My blood" because the result is the same, eternal life.

Jesus is the Bread of Life; we eat of Him and are satisfied when we believe in Him. Bread represents the "staff of life." Sustenance. That which essential to sustain life. Just as bread or sustenance is necessary to maintain physical life, Jesus is all the sustenance necessary for spiritual life. The source of physical life is blood -- "life is in the blood." As with the bread, just as blood is the empowering or source of life physically, Jesus is all the source of spiritual life necessary.

we put all of our Hope in The Owner of the universe -
we believe and prove it with our actions...

Don’t forget about John 6:66
“66 From that time many of His Disciples went back, and walked no more with Him (the claims of Christ were so profoundly different from what they anticipated that they now refused to accept Him at all!).”

JSM

Remember, it is always whosoever! Which means you have a choice. Jesus said, “AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT.” Matthew 7:14

I thank you for this thread. You've answered the question I've been praying about. "Believing" is the key, faith is the proof, keep the faith every day, keep it strongly.

Encouraging thread, thank You for your walk!!!

In John chapter 6, we see that many of Jesus' so called disciples complained and were offended (verses 60-61) about what Jesus said in verses 51-59. These are the very so called "disciples" who Jesus says “do not believe” (John 6:64). They also walked with Him no more.

So apparently, these alleged disciples of Jesus set out to be learners and followers of Him (based on their own expectations) of Jesus, then as soon as Jesus said something that was hard for them to understand and did not line up with their expectations, they left Him.

There are “FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT” because there are few who genuinely trust in Jesus Christ as the ALL-sufficient means of their salvation.

John 6 KJV

“53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you (instead of softening or modifying this seemingly harsh Doctrine, He instead intensified it by declaring it indispensable to Salvation), Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, you have no life in you (this terminology addresses the Cross; Christ would give Himself on the Cross for the Salvation of mankind; to fully believe in Him and what He did for us is what He means here; however, this Verse tells us the degree of believing that is required; it refers to the Cross being the total Object of one’s belief; failing that, there is no Life in you).

54 Whoso eats My Flesh, and drinks My Blood, has Eternal Life (once again, Christ reiterates the fact that if the Cross is the total Object of one’s Faith, such a person has “Eternal Life”); and I will raise him up at the last day (constitutes the fourth time this is spoken by Christ; consequently, the Believer has a fourfold assurance of the Resurrection).

“55 For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed (the idea is that one must continue eating and drinking even on a daily basis, which speaks of bearing the Cross daily [Lk. 9:23]).

56 He who eats My Flesh, and drinks My Blood, dwells in Me, and I in him (the only way that one can dwell in Christ and Christ in him, which guarantees a victorious, overcoming life, is for the Cross to ever be the Object of Faith and, as stated, on a daily basis).

57 As the Living Father has sent Me (“Life-giving Father”), and I live by the Father (speaks of the Incarnation): so he who eats Me, even he shall Live by Me (proclaims the Truth that as Jesus did not live an independent life apart from the Father, so the Believer does not, and in fact cannot, live an independent life apart from Christ; we obtain and maintain this “Life” by ever looking to the Cross; the Believer never departs from the Cross; to do so is to invite spiritual wreckage [Gal. 2:20]).

“58 This is that Bread which came down from Heaven (once again points to Himself, and extols the outsized superiority over the Law, etc.): not as your fathers did eat Manna, and are dead (makes the comparison between that bread, a mere symbol of the True Bread which was to come, and the True Bread which now has come): he who eats of this Bread shall live for ever (He Alone, as the True Bread of Life, could give Eternal Life, but one had to “eat of this Bread” in order to have this Life, which means to accept Him as for Who He is and What He would do, which speaks of Calvary).

59 These things said He in the Synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum.

60 Many therefore of His Disciples, when they had heard this (spoke of those other than the Twelve), said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? (They were unwilling to accept the bloody death of their Messiah, or to entrust themselves to a Divine Personality Whose most distinctive act would be His Sacrifice of Himself. This was the gross and terrible offence which made the Cross a stumblingblock to the “to the Jews [Mat. 16:21; I Cor. 1:23; Gal. 5:11].)

61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His Disciples murmured at it (registered unbelief), He said unto them, Does this offend you? (In fact, the Cross is an offence to the entirety of the world, and regrettably even most of the Church [Gal. 5:11].)

62 What and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before? (Jesus points out that if His Death were a stumblingblock to them, how much more would be His Resurrection? But would not that prove the reality and value of His Death, and the depth of their unbelief?)

“63 It is the Spirit Who quickens (the Holy Spirit); the flesh profits nothing (in effect, says, “If you could literally eat My Flesh, and drink My Blood, it would not save your souls”; the word “flesh” as it is used here speaks of man’s efforts, whatever they might be, apart from Christ and the Cross): the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are Life (of the Holy Spirit, Who gives Life by and through the Finished Work of Christ).

64 But there are some of you who believe not (they did not believe what He said about Himself, which referred to the Cross; millions presently in the Church fall into the same category). For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who believed not (not the individuals per se, but rather that which would occasion their unbelief), and who should betray Him (it is speaking here of Judas Iscariot and the occasion of his betrayal, which was the Cross).”

“65 And He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father (the invitation is to “whosoever will”; however, if the person rejects the Cross, the Father Commands the Holy Spirit to bar all entrance [Eph. 2:18]).

66 From that time many of His Disciples went back, and walked no more with Him (the claims of Christ were so profoundly different from what they anticipated that they now refused to accept Him at all!).”

JSM

All you know about "most Christians" is what you're told by Jimmy Swaggart's disciples, and you believe it without question. You really need to learn to think for yourself.

What you quoted is EITHER the KJV OR it is from JSM, but it cannot be both.

At the moment of the New Birth we receive everything we need. Jesus has provided it all for us through the blood of the new covenant (1 Corinthians 11:25).

…To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27, NIV)

Growing in our understanding and experience of the provisions of that covenant is a process which lasts all our lives.

…so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, (Colossians 1:10, NIV)

Even then we see “only a reflection as in a mirror.”

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12, NIV)

But we set our sights higher every day because we “believe in the one he has sent.”

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,… (Ephesians 3:20, NIV)

Our "Temples" are built only by Grace through Faith in Christ and the Finished work at Calvary Cross where the victory was won (Col. 2:13-15). This "ACT of Faith" allows the Holy Spirit to carry out "both the will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13)," that always delivers us unto the Death of Christ, which guarantees us the benefits of Calvary (Rom. 6:3-5, Psalms 103:2) so that the life of Christ can manifest Himself through us (2 Cor. 4:10-12).

The flesh cannot carry out the will of God (what the scriptures ask of us to do).

Any Believer who tries or attempts to do what the scriptures ask of us to do in their own ability, strength, will power, or any other self-sufficiency way, becomes a "transgressor" - Gal. 2:18, Grace stops immediately (Gal. 2:21). The works of the flesh will manifest (the sin nature will come alive - the Law of sin and death). Gal. 5:19-21, Rom. 8:2

Only through faith in the Cross of Christ does the Holy Spirit give one eyes to see (John 3:3-5), therefore when we begin trusting in anything other, we go blind (2 Peter 1:9) once again. Peter wrote that because he experienced it first hand, Gal. 2.