1. Philippians 2:12 ~ Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
First off, you must understand that you don't work to get saved; you work BECAUSE YOU ARE SAVED! We must constantly work toward being fruitful for the kingdom of God. Being by the pastor's side, planning church functions, being in the church everytime the doors open is NOT working out your soul's salvation! Not saying that stuff isn't good in its place, but anything can happen that can prohibit you from being able to continue doing them. Then what? What will your "work" be then? Not to mention, how does any of that profit God? Do any of those things seal your fate? Do any of those things ENSURE your salvation? These are all things that can & will, at some point, cease to exist.
2. John 6:27-29 ~ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
As mentioned in #1, those things are "foods that spoil". Spoil means to "perish" or to be lost, ruined, destroyed". Why would we ever want to work for things which can be lost or destroyed? Salvation, which only comes from Jesus, cannot be destroyed! The work is believing in Jesus & what He did for us!
3. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ~ So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
God has given us everything we need to succeed. We must do the work of the kingdom regardless of our circumstances & situations. Even when we are overtaken in a fault (Galatians 6:1 ~ Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.), we must carry on in Christ. There's nothing that God will allow us to go through that we aren't able to handle. If you are faced with a situation, know that God has already provided a way out for you. Remember, He doesn't want us to fail (Romans 10:11 ~ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”) Even if the screw-up is our own fault, it's not to the point of no return! Repent, get up, dust yourself off & keep being an effective tool for God!
4. Hebrews 13:20-21 ~ Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Again, here the Scriptures tell us that God gives us everything we need to do His work & His will!
5. Philippians 2:14-15 ~ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky...
We cannot do the work of God with a frown! We must serve Him without complaining. God is peace, love, joy (these are the fruits of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22 - & that means if the spirit of Christ is IN you, you should too have these same characteristics). God is NOT the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), so why should we attempt to serve Him with an ugly attitude & a disruptive spirit? The bible says that God has made us glad (Psalm 92:4)! He loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7)! If He loved us so much to have given Jesus Christ, His ONLY son, to die for us it shouldn't be a problem for you to serve Him with a smile, not only on your face, but in your heart! Then & ONLY THEN, can we shine like stars` in this sinful world!
6. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 ~ May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
When we serve God, doing the work, with joy, we will be found blameless & holy when Jesus returns!
7. Matthew 10:16 ~ "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."
Doing the work of God means that we will be going out into dangerous water, in harsh territory, among people who may not want to hear what we have to say & will be as cruel to us as they were to Christ. However, remember, God has equipped us with everything good for doing his will (Hebrews 13:20-21), therefore, we are to be clever, yet operate in love! You will be talked about, laughed at, ridiculed but the bible says that a gentle answer will turn away wrath, but a harsh word will stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1). In other words, if you are kind to those who aren't so kind to you (Romans 12:14, Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27-31), you will win them over at some point... and even if you don't, you have still done your job because some plant, some water, but ONLY God gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:5-9)!
8. Romans 8:14 ~ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Doing the work of God, draws us closer to Him. When we are drawn closer to Him, we begin to be led by His spirit because we have a true reverential fear of Him. Only when we are led by His spirit, can we effectively produce fruit for His kingdom!
9. Matthew 5:14-16 ~ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
When you obey God, His glory shines in your so bright, that it can light up the world, drawing men to God through you! The more we fear God, the more we will keep His commandments (John 14:15) & the more we do that, the more we find ourselves in obedience. We obey God because of our hunger & thirst for Him. This makes our light shine BRIGHT!
10. 2 Corinthians 4 ~ This whole chapter tells us that this ministry we have - performing the work of God which is proclaiming Jesus Christ & salvation through Him is only given to us through God’s mercy. We don't do things the way the world does it, with evil intent & by committing shameful acts. We don't pervert the Word of God for selfish gain! We give people the unaltered truth, no matter what we go through. Even when they shut their ears, eyes & hearts to the truth we bring to them, it is not our fault because the enemy has blinded their minds. Therefore we should not give up because we know that God is still in control! Though persecuted, we are not abandoned by God. We have, within our mortal bodies, the spirit of Christ! We have the spirit of faith in God, who raised Jesus from the dead, within us & since we know He raised Jesus, we also know He will raise us up! We can rejoice in that the grace of God is reaching more and more people; this is reason enough for us to have an overflow of thanksgiving to the glory of God! Do not ever give up; be strong & of good courage (Joshua 1:6). Outwardly, we might appear to be in trouble, but inwardly, our spirits are renewed daily by the joy of the Lord, which is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)! These troubles we face are only temporary, but the unseen - the glorious goodness of God that awaits us - is eternal!
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