Every Sunday, without fail, I hear Paul's admonition "For by grace ye are saved; and that not of yourselves: it is the free gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." It should be self evident that the problem lies in the boasting and not in the works rendering Jesus call for laborers to be a contradiction. The pastor that offers up this biblical mandate is one of the hardest working people I've ever known. "For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them." The "free gift" Paul is eluding to is Christ's sacrificial work on the cross, through which we gain our redemption. When I hear people stop at the free gift, it makes me shudder. Our society is being immersed in an entitled mindset that creates an illusion that there should be a free paycheck for just existing. God opened the door; that's the free gift; and that at a horrific painful cost. Is there a cost for us, for discipleship? Maybe we should ask a Christian in a Muslim country or maybe take a deeper look at the cost for Christ's apostles. Jesus call was for laborers. When I think about the training and the hardship soldiers may encounter; it occurs to me that for the most part we resemble, at times, children armed with squirt guns. When or how do we grow? When do we take off our costumes and put our hands to the plow? Where does the freedom we have in Christ come to some semblance of endurance and the working out of our faith with fear and trembling.
James 2:17,18 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."
This verse paints a picture that should make one's self uneasy. That picture should conjure up a picture of a scissors with only one blade. James continues with "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But will thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" I had to take note that the last verse was in the form of a question. I've asked myself that same question. Where or is there a limit to God's expectations? Where does obedience come into play? Be honest! In my mind, I immediately go to, "What could I ever give back to God that he hasn't already given me?" Well, Jesus told his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all men. He's already given us the free gift of life and that of life more abundantly. What responsibility does He impart to us? That would be to do as He does. Easy to say, harder to follow through, and an impossibility without ..... "faith." Life can be easy to be hard; but that can only be true with choice. "Choose this day whom you will serve." I believe it is truly an illusion that faith comes without perseverance and hard work. It is united by a single vision, sealed by God's word and promise, that he's prepared a place for me. The place at God's table requires that the invitation must be accepted and, I believe, received by the resplendent marriage of works and faith.
Mathew 25:31-46
"When the son of man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep and goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: Naked and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying Lord, when saw we thee an hungry and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, verily I say unto you, Inasmuch, as thee have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger and ye took me not in: naked and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, Ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.
I don't believe I'm mistaken in the belief that faith alone, devoid of work, is an illusion fostering serious concerns not only about salvation, but a gross misunderstanding of the righteousness and holiness of my Lord and Savior. We need a realistic understanding that faith and works are inseparable, as are forgiveness and repentance. We desire mercy, but that also is wedded to truth. That's why we fall on our knees; that's why we have to pick up our cross daily. That's why Jesus picked up his cross; to do what we couldn't. I'll never be perfect, but thank God I'm redeemable by the washing of His blood.
One last question; and one that we should all contemplate: What has been sacrificial in my life? If I'm always employing a two step dance routine to avoid need, physical or spiritual, "I'm not dancing with the right partner." Jesus loves "them" this I know for the Bible tells me so. The path may well be narrower than we understand. The scripture above is one of the scariest, "for me", in the bible.
I need to find something to do! My faith needs something to marry!
