Work It Out
Jesus returned to Jerusalem to finish the work for which he had been called. When he met with his twelve disciples in the upper room, they were not prepared for the events that would unfold in the next few days. In John 13, Jesus instituted the memorial of the Lord’s Supper. He said in John 16:7, I need to leave so that I can leave you the comforter of the Holy Spirit. In the upper room, he washed their feet and showed them what it means to be a servant leader…for he that is chiefest among you must be servant of all. Then he predicted his betrayal. He said to Judas, “whatsoever thou doest, do quickly.” Jesus told them, “where I’m going you cannot come.” Peter objected to this and said, I’ll go wherever you go.” Then Jesus reminded him of the weakness of the flesh, “before the cock crows twice you shall deny me thrice.”
John 14 starts with Jesus quoting from a wedding ceremony: “LET not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
Jesus had told his disciples that he is the good shepherd, the bread of life and the light of the world. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the father except by me.” Everything other than Jesus Christ is a false religion. The truth of Jesus Christ is a gospel of “exclusiveness.” He is the only way to God.
People often ask, “If God is love, then why would he allow condemnation to those who never accepted the gospel of Christ?” Those who ask this question often want to justify following their own will instead of God’s will. Holiness starts with exclusion. It means to “set apart for the purpose intended by the designer.”
Inclusiveness means all-embracing or universal. There is a broad way that leads to destruction. However there is a narrow way through the narrow gate. According to John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” He is both the narrow gate and the narrow way. Jesus Christ is the only way to approach a holy God. He said, “apart from me you can do nothing.” For there is one God and one mediator between man and God, the man Christ Jesus.
The world teaches men to be “self sufficient.” However, as Oswald Chambers said, “when the crisis comes and courage is required, God expects his men to have such confidence in him that they will be the reliable ones.” Through the power of Christ we are confident and rely on God’s promise that he will keep within us his gift of the Holy Spirit whereby we have been sealed for the day of redemption…for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that (holy spirt) which he’s committed to me against that day of righteous judgement.
Jesus said, I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. The abundance of life is in the spirit of God in Christ in you the hope of glory. Those who are born again of God’s spirt have life more abundantly. When confronted about his faith, Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.”
As individual fittings within the body of Christ, we’re harmoniously fitted together as individual parts of God’s greater plan. In whom the whole body fitly framed together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working of every part to the edifying of itself in love. Even though in this life we can not understand God’s plan for our lives because his ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts higher than our thoughts, when that which is perfect is come at Christ’s return, then face to face we shall know even also as we are known.
In the meantime, he has called believers as watchmen on the wall to spread the gospel of the good news of salvation. Repentance unto salvation is about being born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible seed by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever…for he who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.
He made a way where there was no way. We could not approach a holy God because we were spiritually dead. The man of body and soul cannot inherit eternal life. However, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. He came that we could be born again of the spirit of life in Christ…that we may be holy and without blame before him in love. This is amazing grace! For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast.”
Having received the gift of the holy spirt of Christ in us the hope of glory, what shall we do? The answer is in Philippians 2:12-13. Even though we were saved by grace and not of works, this verse says “work out your own salvation with awe, respect and reverence.” We work out our salvation as we make God’s will our will and his good pleasure our good pleasure. Then it is God who worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure. Ephesians 2:9 says that even though we are saved by grace and not of works, We are God’s workmanship, his great work, his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus unto good works wherein he has foreordained that we should walk. The out-working of the Holy Spirit is Christ’s eyes behind our eyes, his hands behind our hands, his heart behind our heart, and his tongue behind our tongue. When we follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are God’s living epistles, His love letters known and read of all men.
May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael