“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” [1]
The necessity of going to work Monday morning despite being exhausted from the “rest and relaxation” pursued throughout the weekend, is the stuff of legend in our modern world. Though this view of life seems to predominate throughout the working years, it is startling to realise how many people die shortly after retirement. And the deaths of those recently retired are not solely the result of age! While few death certificates will list boredom as a cause of death, boredom, and a loss of purpose for those who have ceased working at some daily job, must surely be a major contributor, if not the primary cause, of death in those who are retired. When we no longer have a purpose for our day, we lose the desire to continue living.
I know Canadians work hard. We are producers, willingly working to produce goods and to harvest commodities the world requires to move and to build and to feed itself. Here in the Peace Country where we are privileged to live, we are especially noted for our energetic population. I count it an honour to pastor a church that is populated with industrious people. However, even a cursory reflection on the lives of our forebears compels us to acknowledge that those who preceded us in this life had far fewer days for recreation, far fewer days to rest and recuperate amid their exhausting weeks. Our grandparents, and even our parents, worked far more hours each day and worked harder during their days than what is required in this present day.
Our lives are made easier through the availability of modern conveniences. Big screen televisions allow us to amuse ourselves for hours, or to get a head start on sleep, each evening. Microwave ovens and convection ovens that can be programmed and controlled from the phones we carry in our pockets ensure that we can cook more quickly and with greater ease than what our grandparents, or even our parents, could have known. Freezers and refrigerators ensure that we do not need to work as hard as did our forebears to have food safely stored and always available to feed our families. Kitchen utensils ensure that food preparation is not the arduous chore that faced our parents. And this is only the situation concerning food preparation.
Modern transportation, at least until politicians begin to plan our travel, allows us to visit distant locations, often on a whim! We are no longer confined to our little region of the country, or even restricted to travel within the borders of our own nation. Travel to distant locations for yearly holidays would have been an unthinkable luxury in an earlier era. When missionaries are sent out by our churches, we anticipate that they will return on deputation in a few years because the travel between their site of service and the supporting churches has become so convenient. In an earlier day, missionaries went to their field of service, remaining there providing their service until they died or until they retired. Not many years ago, even visiting relatives or friends living in distant provinces would have been difficult if not impossible. Things are quite different today.
Some things haven’t changed. While we are blessed with conveniences that were unknown to, and at best were, but a gauzy dream for those living in earlier generations, it nevertheless remains true that we are compelled to eat our bread by the sweat of our face [see GENESIS 3:19]. And it is still true that if you are a follower of the Risen Saviour, you are responsible to honour Him with the labours you perform. Christ Jesus is to be central to your life and to your service, as witnessed when the Apostle instructs the saints gathered in the assembly located in Colossae. Together, let’s study that passage so that we will firmly establish what is pleasing in the sight of the Lord.
THE SCOPE OF THE DIVINE DICTUM — “Whatever you do…” [COLOSSIANS 3:23a]. I have attested on multiple occasions, “Either Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.” Either the Risen Son of God reigns over your life— every facet, or He has no place in your life. Either Jesus is sovereign over every choice in your life, or He has no place in your life. There is no ability for us to present one aspect of life as being under the reign of Christ while attempting to preserve our personal control over another facet of life. To say that Jesus is sovereign requires that we have allowed Him to assume the reign over every aspect of life. And that includes the physical labours of our body!
Jesus is a gentleman; He will never impose His will on anyone in this present age. A day is coming when Jesus shall reign over all the earth, but this is not that day. Today, we either voluntarily submit to Christ’s reign over our life, or we refuse to allow Him to be Master over life. If we wish to be followers of the Risen Lord, we must never imagine that we can selectively surrender control over whatever aspect of life we decide is of no importance to us while attempting to maintain control over the remainder of our life. It still holds true that either Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.
The choice of words employed by the Apostle might lead one to say that Paul is urging Christians to work with their whole heart. We are to put our soul into whatever it is that we are doing. We might even say, “Work as though your life depends on it.” Though your physical life is not necessarily dependent upon whatever work you may be performing, you are to see that what you are doing reflects upon Him Whom you call “Master.” Thus, your testimony certainly depends upon the work you perform.
The Apostle is able to state that for anyone who is a follower of the Risen Lord of Glory, Jesus is Master over even the work in which you are engaged. Because He is Lord, you are obligated to perform your work knowing that no facet of your daily activity is excluded from His reign. Let’s expand this a bit by stating that every activity in which you engage will be performed in the knowledge that the work you are doing reflects on Christ and your relationship with Him. Thus, every activity in which you engage must reflect your understanding that He is Master. Whatever you do…
It is understood by followers of the Christ that the labours rendered by the elder, or the work exerted by the evangelist, or the efforts of those who serve in the various offices of the church are duties that are performed by the grace of the Lord. What may be overlooked is that the preacher may excuse his sloth because he doesn’t need to exert himself. There are always sermons others have preached that can be used so he appears diligent. The evangelist can always string together a series of platitudes that appear to reflect wisdom, and never win a soul; he can always create stories of his efforts without going to the trouble of visiting the lost. The deacon can simply attend meetings and make executive decisions without performing even a single ministry of mercy.
However, wouldn’t you think it is important for us to consider that the work a mother performs to ensure that her children are educated in the Faith falls under this divine rubric? Her work requires diligence if the Lord is to be honoured and if her children are not only to hear the message of life but are to witness the impact of the Faith in her daily life. Again, the rancher must tend his livestock and ensure that he provides for his livestock during the winter months; the care required in fulfilling this task is not solely so he can make a profit. In providing for his animals that rancher can reveal the difference Christ makes in his life. The farmer tends his crops so he can reveal that Christ blesses those who serve Him. The businessman or businesswoman conducts their affairs so that all who know them can see that they are serving the Living God. The business owner is responsible and reliable, honest, and hardworking, and thus the Lord is seen through how she conducts her life. The craftsman doesn’t just produce a product, he demonstrates that Christ is the source of beauty and utility through the items created.
Earlier in this same letter, you will recall how the Apostle spoke in a similar manner to ensure that readers will grasp the scope of the dictum pronounced. Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” [COLOSSIANS 3:17]. Therefore, it is not only the labours of your hands, or the work generated through your thoughts and planning, but even the words you speak that are to be seen as revealing God’s grace working in your life. Moreover, it is not only the words that may be spoken in a conversation, but even the pattern of your speech that is in view.
What each follower of the Master must understand is that the sum of our actions reveals the presence of the Spirit of Christ. If we are under the control of the Spirit Whom God has placed in us, we will be conscious of the impact of our actions on those about us. People see either the reign of the old nature in the way we conduct our lives, or they see the growing reflection of Christ the Lord shining through every action.
Professing Christians in this day have forgotten, if they ever knew, the emphasis on work as a calling. You may have heard the story of three stone masons working on building a cathedral in England in days long since past. A man watching the masons hard at their labours asked one of the men, “What are you doing?” He received the response, “I’m working hard carrying mortar and stone to earn money so I can feed my family.” The man gave an accurate statement of his activity; but his answer demonstrated that he didn’t really understand the significance of what he was doing.
The man watching the progress of the work, eventually asked another of the masons, “What are you doing?” The man whom he asked paused before saying, “I’m putting mortar on the bottom layer of stone and then placing another row of stones so this building can be erected as planned. I’m a mason; I’m building a building.” Again, this was an accurate statement, though it demonstrated that this man didn’t really comprehend the significance of his labour.
At last, the watcher asked a third mason what he was doing. This time, when the mason paused to answer the man, he was told, “I am building a great cathedral to the glory of God. Here, people will come to worship the True and Living God; He shall be glorified, and they shall be taught how to so live that they honour Him.”
Who, of these three masons, understood what they were doing? Each of the men gave an accurate answer. Which of the three men grasped the significance of their work? I suggest that only the last mason truly understood what he was doing.
It is easy to say that you are just a welder, or that you are just a rancher, or that you are just a housewife. Scripture will urge you to see the divine significance of what you do. You are a welder, stringing beads and securing metal to the glory of God. You are a rancher, raising livestock to feed a nation; and you are doing your work to the glory of the Living God. You are a housewife, maintaining a household and raising a family to the glory of Christ the Saviour. In other words, you are doing Heaven’s work on earth.
Diligence in the labours you perform reflects your view of God Himself. If you see God as Ruler over your life, you will honour Him through your own diligence displayed in whatever work you do. If you understand that how you see your work, you will not treat the product of your labours—the moneys with which you are paid—in a frivolous manner. You will understand that thrift is essential. Among the reasons for this care is the teaching we are given when the Apostle writes, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” [EPHESIANS 4:28].
Let’s break this down so that we have a fuller understanding of what is written. Note that the Apostle says that regardless of past background, we are to labour, we are to be diligent in what we do. Paul didn’t merely admonish those who heard him how they were to live, he demonstrated how a Christian was to labour. Speaking to the elders of this Ephesian congregation, Paul said, “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” [ACTS 20:34-35].
Moreover, the work that is offered up before the Lord is to be honest work. What we do in the line of labour is to reflect our understanding of our relationship to the Lord Christ. In this regard, recall the specific instructions concerning work that Paul included in his first Letter to the Thessalonian Christians. The Apostle wrote, “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” [1 THESSALONIANS 4:9-12].
We who follow Christ are to work with our hands, especially so that we ensure that outsiders see us as honest and honourable in all things. Even in the day in which Paul wrote, some among the churches were sluggards. Therefore, Paul wrote, “We command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living” [2 THESSALONIANS 3:6-12].
Perhaps the Apostle had the words of Solomon in mind when he penned the above instructions. Solomon taught those who would honour the Lord,
“The desire of the sluggard kills him,
for his hands refuse to labor.
All day long he craves and craves,
but the righteous gives and does not hold back.”
[PROVERBS 21:25-26]
You will have noticed throughout these verses a thought that is iterated: followers of the Christ are to be generous, especially toward fellow believers. Writing the churches scattered throughout the Roman Province of Galatia, Paul admonished Christians, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” [GALATIANS 6:10].
Some may hear what is said and scoff, saying that this sounds Puritanical. Others will note that the emphases are found in the roots of Protestantism, especially in the writings of Luther and Calvin. I plead guilty on these counts, offering only this caveat, the position I’m advocating is Biblical, as I’ve endeavoured to illustrate. The biblical view of work is that we, as Christians, are to work hard, knowing that the work we perform reveals our view of God. In working diligently, we provide for ourselves and for our families, ensuring that we have something to share with those in need, especially those who are brothers and sisters in the Faith.
Let me take just a moment to address a serious political issue, an issue that is often neglected in this day. Christian pulpits fail to speak of the biblical foundation for the system of economics enjoyed in the western world. This biblical understanding reveals the reason Communists hate the Faith with such virulence. Many sociologists and political scientists hold the opinion that this biblical view of work and generosity is the foundation for Capitalism. Those nations that have adopted the biblical view of work, rejecting the modern view of redistributing wealth, have prospered in the world. They are simply putting into practise the teachings provided in the Word of God that we who follow the Risen Saviour are to be diligent in our work, thrifty in what we acquire through our labour, honest in every endeavour, and generous toward those in need. This understanding alone is sufficient for Christians to reject the thought of Socialism and Communism which stifles personal initiative and generosity.
FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST ARE TO BE DILIGENT AND INDUSTRIOUS — “Work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” [COLOSSIANS 3:23]. “Work heartily”—anyone who follows the Saviour is expected to be a worker and not a shirker. Diligence and industriousness do not make one a Christian, but it is certain that laziness and sloth demonstrate that one has no understanding of God or of His will that His people are to worship Him in every case. Christians are taught that whatever we may do, we are to reveal the grace of God at work through us. If we have a job, we must know that the labour we are exerting gives evidence of the grace of God working in our life. If we rest, we must know that we do so to the glory of God since He has given us the capacity and the ability to restore ourselves through rest. And our rest must not become the centre of our being. Rather, we are to be diligent and industrious—we are to work heartily, with vigour and eagerness.
What may be overlooked is that we are to labour, not merely to produce a product, but we are to work heartily because we know that the task in which we are engaged is an offering to the Lord God. We are glorifying our Saviour through the work we perform. As one who follows the Son of God, you do not merely earn a paycheque; you demonstrate the presence of Christ in your life through the manner in which you perform the tasks that are assigned to you.
It is vital that we recognise that hard work of itself is not the focus of the Apostle’s instruction. It is that our work is offered up to the Lord, and not merely for men. We understand that through the performance of our labours we reveal our understanding of the Lord and our relationship to Him. This is a theme of our life and our labours that is too often absent from our thinking of this subject in this day.
We have already seen that the Apostle was not above working hard. He testified, and among those present who were familiar with his conduct no one corrected him, “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” [ACTS 20:34-35].
Reviewing his life in his Letter to the Corinthian Christians, you will no doubt recall that Paul testified, “I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things” [1 CORINTHIANS 4:9-13].
Notice in particular that Paul emphasises that he worked with his own hands. Moreover, he claims what he did was toil. The word translated “labour” is often translated “toil,” and in at least one instance, it is translated “hard-working.” Writing Timothy in the second missive to be included in the canon of Scripture, the Apostle writes, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything” [2 TIMOTHY 2:1-7].
Paul laboured at the task of preaching, and he did not run from working with his own hands. At one point in his defense of his service before the Lord, he challenged the Corinthians, “This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
“Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.’ Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you” [1 CORINTHIANS 9:3-11]?
Of course, Paul was speaking of the right to expect support from those who benefitted from his service. However, in his defense, he asked the question whether he had a right to refrain from physical labour. It is indicative of what is expected of all Christians, including those who preach and teach the Word. As a Christian, you are taught to work diligently; you are taught to be industrious whatever occupation you have.
A REASON FOR CHRISTIANS TO WORK HEARTILY — “[You know] that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward” [COLOSSIANS 3:24]. We work for the Lord, and we will be rewarded by the Lord. Whatever I do in this life will either redound to the glory of God, or the work I perform will dishonour His Name. Since it is certain that I will always be working at some task, even when I don’t think of what I am doing as work, as a Christian I must approach every task as an opportunity to glorify the Saviour.
Each of us has at one time or another spoken of physical labour of one sort or another as “real work.” If we haven’t spoken in this fashion, we’ve no doubt thought it. Others, with experience in labours involving mental work, will understand that thinking, mental organisation of tasks, can be exhausting. I know that the work performed during my days in the research laboratory was exhausting. I felt far more tired at the conclusion of such a day than I ever felt at the conclusion of a day working as a pipe fitter or a plumber. It is of little consequence what type of work you may do—whether tending to the household and training your children, or whether working at a bench with your tools, or sitting at a desk writing on a computer, the work is labour. And regardless of how much you enjoy your work, eventually it will become work. In time, you will realise that you do indeed eat your bread by the sweat of your face. The thing that the follower of Christ must always keep in the forefront of his or her mind is that whatever the work may be, that labour must be offered up as to the Lord.
What is encouraging for us as followers of the Risen Lord of Glory is the knowledge that God takes note of what we do. And He has promised a reward for the labour we exert during the days of this present life! In our text, Paul speaks of “the inheritance” that is anticipated as the reward Christians can expect. That should make us wonder what the inheritance is. We who are redeemed know that we have an inheritance, but we aren’t always certain how we should describe what we anticipate.
I know that we may sometimes feel as if we are slaves to the work we are responsible to perform. If you are paid a regular wage, it may feel at times as if your employer is a slave driver. However, I know that the owner of a business sometimes will feel as if he or she is a slave to the one who will receive the goods produced or services performed. And if that is not the case, it is a certainty that the one who owns a business will often feel as if he is a slave to the government. This is especially true when politicians that have no practical experience in producing a product impose onerous regulations on a business, or when they insist that the owner of the business “pay his fair share,” though no politician has ever been able to define what a fair share might be.
Consider what the Word says about your work, especially when you feel as if you are a slave to the job. Paul writes, “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him” [EPHESIANS 6:5-9].
In our text, Paul reminds us who follow the Risen Lord of Glory, “that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.” And that should raise the question of what is the inheritance? For what are we working? Why are we working hard? We are heirs with Christ, and we are therefore destined to inherit “the kingdom prepared … from the foundation of the world” [see MATTHEW 25:34]. Repeatedly, throughout the Word, we who are born from above are designated joint-heirs with Jesus, promised to receive all that God can give because of the richness of His provision and out of His grace. Do you not recall the words of the Apostle meant to encourage us who believe? “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” [ROMANS 8:16-17].
Of course, Paul continues in that same chapter, writing, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” [ROMANS 8:28-30].
Already, the inheritance promised to those who are the heirs of life is being realised. Already, we are receiving the promise that the Father gives. We have access to the Throne of Grace. We have access into the presence of the Living God, Who is our Father. We have an Advocate, Christ the Righteous, Who stands before the Father pleading for us as His own beloved children. We now enjoy the peace of God that passes all understanding. We stand in the grace of God. We are forgiven every sin and delivered from the coming wrath. We now possess salvation that can never be taken from us. We have all this, and the promise of heaven. We labour, working heartily, because Christ has redeemed us and given us these rich and glorious promises. Amen.
THE NOBLE NATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE — “You are serving the Lord Christ” [COLOSSIANS 3:24b]. It is import that we recognise that whatever work we may be engaged in, as followers of the Risen Christ we are serving Him Who is our Master. This affirmative statement written by the Apostle ensures that each of us should see that our work has a spiritual quality, regardless of what that work may be. We are sometimes prone to classify work as secular or as spiritual. However, if we take the words Paul has written at face value, all work reflects a spiritual component. It should not need to be said that this statement assumes that the work we are performing is not immoral or against the will of the Lord. We cannot expect an immoral act will be pleasing to the Master. Neither can we anticipate that a rebellious act will be pleasing to the Master.
Before indulging in an exploration of this concept, let’s take a moment to think about some forms of work that do dishonour God. You would understand that theft and robbery cannot honour God. That such acts are disqualified becomes evident when we consider that certain actions are proscribed throughout the Word of God. Under the Law, and later iterated by Jesus Himself, those acts that are proscribed are impermissible to be considered as work that honours the Living God. As an example, we can be certain that directing or participating in worship of false gods dishonours the Living God. This is evident from the fact that having false gods [e.g. EXODUS 20:3], making idolatrous images or using them as objects of or accoutrements to worship [e.g. EXODUS 20:4-6], or conducting worship that demeans God [e.g. EXODUS 20:7] are labours that could not fall under this proviso of work to be recognised as serving the Lord Christ.
It should be obvious that serving as a priest or religious leader in any religion that utilises idols as an adjunct to worship dishonours the Risen Son of God. Making idols or marketing idols is clearly not work that a follower of Christ can promote. Making icons or religious images meant to be used as objects of veneration is at best a questionable occupation. Participating in any religion that promotes or tolerates wickedness is clearly proscribed by the will of God. Advancing any religion that promotes or tolerates immoral behaviour—compelling sexual deviation or coercing sexual acts, approving of theft from those that differ from you, advancing evil against people who disagree with your religious views, dishonours the Living God.
Looking beyond this as we consider what is written in the Ten Words, it should be evident that any work that leads to or encourages people to murder [e.g. EXODUS 20:13], work leading one to engage in or to approve of adultery [e.g. EXODUS 20:14], any work that promotes or approves of theft [e.g. EXODUS 20:15], or any work that requires one to engage in lying [e.g. EXODUS 20:16], would likewise be excluded from qualifying as work that honours Christ the Lord. God expects His people to be holy. Have you never read God’s demand of His people when He says, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” [1 PETER 1:14-16]? To be holy simply means that one is set apart to do what pleases God.
This leaves a vast number of occupations and labours that can be honouring to God. Effectively, any work you can imagine that allows you to be productive and industrious can honour God if that work is not proscribed by the Word of God. What is important to recognise is that whatever you do becomes an opportunity for you to honour God Who gives you strength. It is the Lord God Who enables you to work, giving you opportunity to glorify His Name through demonstrating a willingness to work heartily and by being industrious in the work which He has given. As we work with such an attitude, we are revealing that we understand that God has given us the opportunity to be productive, and He has given us the capacity to perform the work that now lies before us. We see God as the One blessing us with health and strength, with the ability to think and to perform, and by providing opportunity to demonstrate His grace working in our life.
What do we learn from all this? Those who name the Name of the Lord Jesus reveal their relationship with Him through how they conduct their lives. And in particular, we who are saved are expected to be diligent in the labours performed, showing ourselves to be industrious. In doing this, we honour God, demonstrating that we seek His glory in all things.
We don’t work heartily in order to be saved, but because we are saved we would not wish to do anything that dishonours God our Saviour. We Christians are to practise diligence and thrift in order to participate in the advancement of the Kingdom of God. To be certain, we are to be diligent in fulfilling the command of our Master to make disciples, bringing those who are saved into the fellowship of our assemblies where we instruct them in the things of God. This is work that is to be performed with diligence and industry until the Saviour returns, as He promised.
But I have perhaps spoken to someone who has never been born from above. You wonder why your work can’t be considered honouring to the Lord. The answer to that question is that you have no vital, vibrant relationship with the Father. Until you are born from above and into the Kingdom of God, you are lost and under sentence of death. You are warned in Scripture, “Whoever believes in [the Christ] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” [JOHN 3:18].
And again, Scripture urges you, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” [JOHN 3:36].
If you will avoid the wrath of God, if you will be saved, this is what you must do. “If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with his heart and is justified, and declares with his mouth and is saved” [ROMANS 10:9-10 ISV]. Believe this message and be saved, even this hour. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
