The Work of God

“Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent”(John 6:29).

           Tomorrow is Labor Day.  Labor Day is a “workers holiday”.  It is a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.  Today, as we celebrate the Labor Day, I would like to think about “The work of God” that Jesus mentioned in John 6:29.  

            First, the work of God is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

           This is what Jesus said in John 6:29 - “…  The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”  We must set our priority straight.  What we must do first is not to serve the Lord our God and His church.  Rather, what we must do first is “the work of God”.  And that work of God is to believe in the One God has sent, Jesus Christ.  Then, what must we do to believe in Jesus Christ?  We must hear the word of Christ. This is what Apostle Paul said in Romans 10:17 - “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”  The Bible says that faith comes from hearing the word of Christ.  Therefore, we must hear His words diligently.  As a result, there should be progress of our faith (Phil. 1:25).

            Second, the work of God is to obey the Jesus’ command.

          Jesus said that those who love God, they obey His words (Jn. 14:21).  Then, what are His commands?  (1) There is the Jesus’ double command of love.  This is what Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-39 - “Jesus replied: "’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  Jesus’ double command is to love God and to love our neighbor.  Let us obey His double command.  Let us love our God and our neighbor.  Let us pray that the indwelling Holy Spirit to bear the fruit of love so that we may be able to love our God and our neighbor with His love.  As a result, we will please our God and His joy will be ours as well.  (2) Another command is Jesus’ Great Commission.  This is what Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20 – “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  Jesus’ great commission is to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Triune God’s Name.  And His great commission is to teaching them to obey everything the Lord commanded us.  But first of all, we who are Jesus’ disciples must obey everything the Lord commanded us.  As we do so, we must go to the people who God sent into our life and make them disciples of Jesus Christ.

               Let me conclude this message.  As we celebrate the Labor Day, let us commit ourselves to do the work of God.  Let us commit ourselves in believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let us commit ourselves in hearing the words of God for the progress of our faith.  Let us commit our lives in obeying Jesus’s double command and His Great Commission.  May God use us all as His instruments to fulfill His will.

May God continually enable me to do His work for His glory alone!

James Kim