Works and Faith

Written May 14, 2008

1Cr 15:10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."

Bottom Line. Once a man receives Christ by faith and Christ enters that man there will be works.

In 1997 God Almighty saved me through His Son Jesus the Christ. I had lived a life of riotous sin for about 12 years prior. God began convicting my soul of sin at this time and God very powerfully showed me how I may be forgiven. The blood of Jesus.

I accepted the blood and acknowledged that Christ died in my stead on the cross of Calvary. At that moment I was a cleansed vessel whereby the Spirit of God was able to dwell within me. I then opened the door of my heart and invited Jesus into my heart, and He did just that. At that moment I received that Spirit of adoption "whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Romans 8:15

Faith in itself is "works". It is the Work of God, which once has been given to man it matures and grows and is very active. The Work of Faith caused me to cry out to God in repentance.

That is where the "works" began. And then immediately after, The "work" of prayer. My condemned soul within me cried out to God for mercy.

It's not a matter or argument of if "our works will get us to heaven" or not. It's a matter of if we truly have been called into the ministry, washed in the blood of Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit. If Jesus is in you, He will be actively working. That is "justification by Faith".

Jesus is not inactive!

People who have a head knowledge of the Bible will begin to argue this point over and over because they have not yet been saved and know there is no Jesus within them and thus, no works. Then, instead of repenting of their sins and acknowledging their spiritual bankruptcy before God, they allow satanic pride to work through them and attempt to twist the bible Scriptures to facilitate their spiritually dead life and therefore attempt to justify themselves.

Immediately following conversion, Jesus then begins telling others what He did for us. Through us. Jesus, joined to our spirit, begins the "works" of witnessing to others. Telling lost souls of the hope that we now have through Christ. In essence it is the Lord telling people that He saved our souls and that they are offered this same gift as well. God is stretching out His hand to all man kind. Who will accept? God knows.

The works of a Christian will always be that of the Lord working within our yielded spirit. This is the work of the Comforter (or legal advocate).

Jesus will have entered our body by the faith God has given us. And He will then begin guiding us in all things as we "acknowledge Him in all our ways" (Proverbs 3:5, 6). How do we know if we are walking in truth? By studying God's written Word.

Lots of Bible verses about labouring in the Lord;

Matthew 11:28, 29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Rest from your own fruitless works and allow the Lord to lead the real work within you. He will do the works. But we have to be willing participants. He says, "Take" ... "my yoke upon you..." Why would Jesus tell us to "Take" His yoke upon us is we didn't have a choice? Then we yoke up with Christ and work TOGETHER.

"Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 1:11, 12

Romans 16:6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.

Romans 16:12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

Galatians 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Phillipians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Phillipians 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and [with] other my fellowlabourers, whose names [are] in the book of life.

Revelation 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Passages regarding Physical Labour. How it is godly, biblical and commanded:

Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

1 Corinthians 4:12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

2 Thessolonians 3:10 "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat."

Another message on Works

You can be saved!

God loves the people in the world so much that He came down to die for us. If God is opening your heart to His message and you feel convicted for your sins which have separated you from a holy God and you feel the need to be forgiven, then say this prayer. This is how I was powerfully converted to the Christ in 1997!

Say, "My Lord and my God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I believe Jesus the Christ died on the cross and shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of all my sins. I believe Jesus raised from the dead and ascended into heaven and is now on the right-hand side of God listening to this prayer. I open up the door of my heart and I invite You in, Lord Jesus. Thank you, God, for saving my soul and I vow to serve you with all my heart which is the first and greatest commandment. Amen."