John 6:29

Jesus answered, “This is the work of God: that you believe [adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent.”

 

            There was a problem back in Jesus day that still exists today. “Many are seeking to earn their way to heaven by good works. But before they can do good works for God, they must first believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Good works do not precede salvation; they follow it. The only good work a sinner can do is to confess his sins and receive Christ as Lord and Savior.” ^[1]

            Isn’t it interesting that Jesus is having to explain what the work of God is even after the miracle of the loaves and fish. The number 5000 didn’t include the women and children, so there were more than twice that number in attendance. Feeding all those people as much as they wanted from 5 loaves and 2 fish. I don’t know about you but that seems like a mega miracle to me. Yet they still sought ways to please God thru what they did.

            “The crowd misunderstood what Jesus was saying in v.27 [“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of God will give to you, ....”], which prompted Jesus to remind them that an exclusive focus on material blessings is wrong. The only “work” God desired was faith and trust in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God.” ^[2]

            Doing good, while admirable, means nothing without the acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. You cannot EARN your way into heaven. A wholesale change needs to take place on the inside. Without that you are just spinning your wheels. Not to mention the fact that God knows every motivation for why you are doing what you’re doing. All glory should go to God and Him alone. Not you, not me, not anyone other than Almighty God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] The Believer’s Bible Commentary

^[2] The MacArthur Study Bible