Work After Salvation

Proverbs 4:23 Keep [Guard] thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 

 

One of the great issues of life proceeding from the heart is believing. Believing rather than works is God’s way for man to receive his righteousness and salvation.

 

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

 

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

It’s that simple to us, believe unto righteousness and eternal life is yours. However, man and his

ego wants great works to do to add to what Christ accomplished so he can boast. They are not needed. He was a complete saviour.

 

John 6:26 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?

 

What shall we do? They had missed the whole point. In verse 27 Jesus said, “which the Son of man shall GIVE unto you.” Jesus wanted to give it to them. They wanted to work for it.

 

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

 

The great work of God was to believe regarding his son. Jesus said that the only work they needed to do was to believe regarding him. Believe who he was, and what he had to say.

 

Too many people want that list of things “to do” to attain salvation. There is only one action to take, believe him, make him lord, believe he rose from the dead. He earned salvation on our behalf.

 

Romans 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

 

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

 

28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

 

God imparts his righteousness to man not on the basis of man’s works, but rather on the basis of believing.

 

James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

 

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

 

If you want to be justified by works, then you must do the whole law which is the curse.

 

11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

 

12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

 

So if we are saved by grace, not by works what do we do?

 

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

 

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

 

When it comes to Christian service, we need to realize that God has prepared the works for us to de. The burden of finding out what work to do is not depended on us, but rather on the master. The master initiates, the servant obeys.

 

There is a great illustration of this recorded in the book of Acts.

 

Acts 9:10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

 

11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

 

12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

 

13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

 

14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

 

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

 

17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

 

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

 

Ananias, just a certain disciple, was needed to do a work. He was prepared and executed it properly once he understood what his mission was.

 

II Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

 

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

 

8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

 

Would you like to “abound to every good work?” God’s declared will for a believer’s prosperity involves giving bountifully and cheerfully from the heart. We don’t give just so God will take care of us.

 

The believer has every need met so that he “may abound to every good work.” Our lives are not to lived just to have our own needs met but that we may carry out the work God intended for us to do.

 

Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

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22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

 

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

 

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

 

We carry out the work of our Lord Jesus Christ in his name. The Gospel of John clarifies what work is available to the believer.

 

John 14:12 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.

 

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

 

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

 

What works did Jesus do? The works his Father gave him to do. Our Lord Jesus Christ only sought to do his Father’s works.

 

John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

 

Jesus always did His Father’s work. He also spoke what His Father wanted spoken. 

 

John 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

 

50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

 

If we desire to do the same works and the greater works-getting people born again of God’s Spirit- we must seek to do God’s will and not our own. We must get into alignment with God’s purposes and will.

 

Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

 

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  

 

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

 

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

 

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 

God’s Word accomplishes what He wants it to. God’s Word was not given to make our own ways and thoughts more successful but God’s. The great key to our believing is getting our own thoughts and ways in harmony with God ‘s thoughts and ways.

 

No matter how much we confess, pray, visualize success, maintain a positive mental attitude, or act on our believing, all is in vain if we are outside the will of God.

 

Lamentations 3:37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?