NOTHING TO DO
3rd of
7 devotions in Labor Day Rest series
John 6:28-29
“Then they asked Him, ‘What must we do
to do the works that God requires?’
Jesus answered, ‘The
work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.’”
Awed
by miraculous healings the people witnessed Jesus do—then feed everyone in the
multitude with two fish and five loads of bread—people wondered how they might also
do God’s work. God’s work sure must be
hard labor! This series hopes to show
that God’s work is best achieved by rest.
Rest
in Jesus. Rest in Jesus’ finished work
at the cross. He does the work. He’s the One who performs miracles.
Work
is hard-wired in people’s DNA. We’re satisfied
after finishing tasks. We also expect a
reward of rest after a day’s work, not during it. But God has a tendency to flip human reason
upside down.
I
think that Jesus’ answer is just the beginning.
Everyone
needs to stand on a sure foundation. God
instructs belief in Jesus—the One He sent.
What could be a more firm foundation than standing on the sovereign
Creator of the universe? The Father
holds up His Son and says, “Believe in Him.
Jesus came to show you who I am.
He fulfilled every law and prophecy.
His finished work on the cross is everything you need.”
Now
we’re growing! Believing in Jesus sounds
simple. But believing in Jesus isn’t
easy. Jesus challenges us to believe in
Him. He says, “Follow
Me.” Then He adds, almost as an
afterthought, “Deny yourself. …Take up your cross.” (Luke 9:23).
“Whoa,
I didn’t agree to this!” I hear you
protest.
Oh,
but you did. Spiritual growth is how
people “work out salvation.” Grow
in Christ could have been Jesus’ expanded answer in the opening Scripture. No one earns salvation. Believers’ job is to simply rest and grow in Christ.
The
greatest miracle in your life didn’t happen by you trying to save yourself. Simply believing in Jesus—Who died to forgive
your sins and save you for eternal life is His miraculous work. God’s kids have reason to expect other
miracles from believing in Jesus.
Take Home Nugget
New
Christians are often told that they must study the Bible, fast from eating,
pray and love others. But Jesus would
simply say, “Believe in Me. You and your household will be saved. Believe in Me.
I heal your sickness, I provide you abundance, I restore your family.” Check out the lesson linked below.
If
you need a miracle today, there is nothing for you to do except to ask, then believe
in Jesus for that miracle.
Simply
believing in Jesus is really that simple!
Adapted from a
”Daily Grace Ministries” devotion by Joseph Prince. www.josephprinceministries@josephprince.org.
June 2015.
J.D. Griffith
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