Contrary to popular religious opinion, WORKS is not a dirty word. So says the Lord. In First Thessalonians 1:2,3 Paul gives thanks always for the church at Thessalonica, remembering their WORK OF FAITH and LABOR of love. God, through him, reminds us that work, faith and love go hand-in-hand-in hand. Notice that WORK, FAITH and LOVE are conjoined. “Work of faith” means that we must obey the Word from which faith comes: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Without the Word there can be no faith–trust in the Word of God. The work God requires is belief in and obedience to His Word. Every religious person has faith of some sort. Most faith is faith on Jesus Christ, meaning faith in Who He is and what He did for mankind. Satan has this kind of faith. The demons have this  faith–and tremble, knowing that it will not save them from their fate (Jam. 2:19). That this faith does not save is brought out in Philippeans 2:12 where we are told to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. This shows that there is more to salvation than believing in Jesus Christ. “Work of faith” means we must manifest God’s Word in our lives until the end in order to receive eternal life (Mat. 10:22). Among church people, faith does not include God’s Word–the basis of God-level faith. If it did, she would not alter, twist and discard it as she so readily does. Church faith is based on the life and work of Jesus. God-commanded faith is based on the Words written in His Holy Bible which must be obeyed. Man’s concept of Jesus varies, therefore man’s faith in Jesus varies. The Word does not vary, which is why God gave us His Word and commanded that we believe and obey it, not our concept of Jesus. This is what makes the church’s rejection of so much of God’s Word so deadly. Man is saved by faith in God’s Word. Man rejects the very Words he must have faith in and obey in order to be saved. Not believing God’s Word precludes the possibility of obeying it, thereby condemning the faithless churchite who has been deceived by Satan into believing that he/she is already saved. In sum: No works based on faith based on God’s Word=no possibility of salvation.

Second Thessalonians 1:11–Paul reminds the church, then and now, that God’s calling is for her to fulfill His good pleasure by performing WORKS OF FAITH WITH POWER. Again, work and faith are spiritual twins. “Work of faith” meaning obedience to God’s Word, we must do such works in order to fulfill God’s good pleasure. Doubting any part of His Word renders this command impossible.

First Timothy 2:8-10–Men are commanded to conduct themselves with utmost holiness. Women, in like manner, are to adorn themselves in ways that are appropriate for those professing godliness. This constitutes good works on the part of females.

Second Timothy 2:20,21–A saint must keep himself free of sin in order to be a vessel of honor, sanctified, fit for God’s use and prepared for EVERY GOOD WORK. “Every” indicates several types of work. As we go about our daily business we find ourselves in various situations dealing with several different types of people. Each situation and person is different, demanding a different response to each. However, within those responses (words, acts and thoughts) there is a common standard by which we must operate, a singular foundation upon which we must stand–God’s Word. Works done according to God’s word constitutes works of faith. The problem within professing Christendom is that both faith and the Word vary greatly. A few years ago the church went through a “What Would Jesus Do?” phase. This motto was written on wrist bands, necklaces, etc. and worn by millions of church people. The sentiment was good, the execution was not, for each sect within professing Christendom had its own version of what Jesus would do in each situation. I recently heard a church pastor say that those practicing sexual perversion must be accepted as equals by the whole of Christendom in order to “… fulfill the will of Jesus Christ.” In other words, unrepentant, unchanged, unconverted sex perverts are the same as everyone else; the unchangeable God has in fact changed; sex perversion is no longer sin, meaning that God’s Words concerning the former sin have been discarded and replaced by man’s words. This is the wave of the future within professing Christendom. See The Ingathering for a look at the church of the future. To be continued. L.J.