The Ingredient of Works
What Kind of Works?
Paul said we are not saved by works.
Galatians 3:2 says, "This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"
James said that faith without works is dead.
James 2:17-20 says, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"
What is God's truth?
Some error on the side of sitting back and waiting on God. Others error on the side of taking things into their own hand.
Humans of all cultures and nations have this inner battle of knowing or doing, especially in Christian circles. Knowing, as it is Scripturally defined, is intimacy with God and/or your spouse. Doing, means an action. Some cultures error on the side of relationships, knowing, while others error on the side of doing. Many Christians are confused. The answer lies in what I call the works of faith as opposed to the works of the "flesh."
The Bible tells us that we are to be "doers of the Word." However it also warns that we need to be "knowers" before we can be doers.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-23).
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall" (Matthew 7:24-27).
Notice in the first story above that Jesus did not respect the work of the "doers" who did not first "know" Him. He said they would be destroyed.
In the second story, He warned the "knowers" that if they did not follow up their knowing with doing that they would be destroyed.
Mary and Martha.
"And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.' And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her'" (Luke 10:39-42).
Here in the Mary and Martha story I believe Jesus was not rejecting the perfectionist and worker personality of Martha, but He was making a point that before you can do any works that are valuable, you must first become intimate with Him.
Why?
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13, KJV).
When you have spent time knowing Jesus in quiet meditation on Him, His Word, fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit, getting yourself into a position to hear Him, then He takes over your "doing." It is Him in you that does the works of faith. Your responsibility is hearing and obeying. With that, then God will do the work in partnership with you. There is a mystery that takes place. The only way I can describe it is that you are the "glove," and God is the "hand in the glove." Who is doing the work? Is it God or you? The answer is "Yes."
Perfectionists and people who are driven to works have a difficult time converting their priorities.
In the Kingdom of God, relationships are His priority.
My advice to you is, change! It's worth every pain. A friend of mine said, "When the pain that you are in exceeds the pain of change, then you will change."
For some guidance into the disciplines of knowing Him, you may download or read our Flowing River lesson online at http://www.isob-bible.org/flowingriver.htm.
I can describe works of faith in two main categories. Speaking the Word and obedience to His voice.
1. One of the most important works of faith is speaking the Word.
Romans 10:8-10 says, "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
2 Corinthians 4:13 says, "And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 'I believed and therefore I spoke,' we also believe and therefore speak."
I will devote an entire chapter to this later in the book.
Briefly, speaking the Word:
a. Renews your mind and keeps it in order.
b. Resists Satan.
c. Brings angels on the scene.
d. "Waters" the seed planted in your heart.
e. Pleases God as He hears your faith.
2. Works also have to do with obedience to His voice.
Why does God give so much emphasis to our works, and at times He seems to emphasize His works are the things that are important? I submit that there is a very simple, but extremely powerful concept in our relationship with God that is often overlooked.
Our obedience to His voice has tremendous power. Faith, by its definition, requires an action on your part.
Recall, in Chapter one we gave the definition of faith:
What does the word faith mean?
The Greek word for faith is pistis (pie-stis). First it means the conviction of the truth of divine things. When you hear God's Word, or in some other way hear God speak, you are convinced it is true, that it came from the conviction that the creator spoke.
Second, it means the faithfulness and fidelity of the person who has been exposed to the truth described above. God tests our faith. He can only trust faithful people; those who will with fidelity and faithfulness obey Him so that He may rely upon them. Real faith will culminate into works.
Obedience.
Obedience to God's voice is more powerful than I have time to expand upon in this chapter, but be aware, that it is the key to your spiritual growth, your relationship to Jesus, and to your becoming the recipient of abundant life. It is the key to allowing God to use you in His work.
I have observed many Christians since 1979, including myself. I have concluded by experience and by the Word of God, that obedience to God's voice makes the difference between success and failure. I have read books from many authors who are much more experienced and qualified than myself who confirm this idea.
It is important to be passionate to discover God's voice to you and to be equally passionate to find what obedience to Him you can do in the everyday, even small and apparently mundane issues in your life. A life consisting of mini steps of obedience leads to a life that is transformed into His image, and a life that glorifies Him.
John 14:15-26 is loaded with the power of this idea.
It states that Jesus will manifest Himself, make Himself real to the one who hears and obeys. This is what lordship is all about. When you make Jesus lord, you will be saved, i.e., delivered from danger and be made whole. When you surrender your rights to your own decisions and determine to only do those things that Jesus says and commands, then your relationship with Him will skyrocket! Most people must reach the end of themselves and become aware of their own weakness, and the weakness of the world system in order to really rely on hearing and obeying God. This took place in my life in a radical way the very day I got saved in 1979, then on a new and broader level ten months later.
Some of your obedience will be to the conviction of the Holy Spirit of your sin with a gentle admonition (most of the time) to confess and repent.
John 14:15-26 (Amplified Bible).
15 If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever--
17 The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]; I will come [back] to you.
19 just a little while now, and the world will not see Me any more, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
20 At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you.
21 The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]
22 Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world?
23 Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.
24 Anyone who does not [really] love Me does not observe and obey My teaching. And the teaching which you hear and heed is not Mine, but [comes] from the Father Who sent Me.
25 I have told you these things while I am still with you.
26 But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.
Abraham obeyed the voice of God with works that made no sense to him at all. He was asked to sacrifice, kill, his own son, the son promised to him by God. God greatly blessed his obedience.
"Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: 'By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son -- blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies'" (Genesis 22:15-17).
Years before, Abraham and Sarah attempted some "works" but it did not produce God's fruit. It was their own idea conceived in their own minds without hearing God's voice on the matter. They set up an offspring between Abraham and Sarah's maid Hagar. The result was that Ishmael was born. Later, God agreed with Sarah that Ishmael was to be cast out, for in Isaac was the covenant to be passed down.
Genesis 21:10-12 says, "Therefore she said to Abraham, 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.' And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham's sight because of his son. But God said to Abraham, 'Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.'"
You can only obey God to the degree you are able to hear His voice.
At first, you may not think you are truly hearing His voice, as a real "voice." It may just be an intuitive sense that you have inside of you that is in response to your reading the Word, something God is convicting you of or about. It may also be a very positive voice in your spirit and/or in the Word as a rhema that jumps off the page. Often His voice comes in the form of a "mosaic." He paints a mosaic picture by giving you several small events and/or words that seem to paint a picture. He may bring people around you that have something to say or remind you of something in your past. The more you practice hearing His voice the clearer it becomes for you. The more you hear and obey Him, the more you are able to hear and obey.
Become God's slave.
"Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" (Romans 6:16).
Spend a lot of time meditating in His Word.
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