So often, we act as if there is still something for us to do for God. Regardless of how much we talk about grace, regardless of how much we refer to Christ's finished work on the Cross, we still feel like we need "to do something for God." We are inveterate "do'ers." We want to earn our salvation.
THIS IS HERETICAL.
Most divisions in the church have to do with whether we still have to "do something for God." Just yesterday, a friend at church told me that one of his dear friends from seminary had fallen away from the faith. Yes, he still claims to be a Christian, but he has fallen in with a group of "Christians" who have come up with another theological title for earning, or at least keeping, our salvation.
But this fellow is not unique. Sadly, given my 43 years in church, this is what 99% of all "Christians" believe. We may be saved by grace, but now we need to get on with God's work. Our salvation is assured, but if our lives don't look "Christian" enough, then maybe we were never saved. Or some say that you can lose your salvation.
Each of these beliefs puts the burden of the law, of doing, of working for God right back on our shoulders. When we are subject to these burdens, a couple of things happen. First, it destroys our rest. We are not able to simply be in "communion" with God--we have to work at it. When we have to work at it, we either avoid God, or we throw ourselves into boundless "Christian merit badge" projects--short-term mission trips, soup kitchens, Bible studies, prayer, etc. These may be good things, but only when they flow out of thankfulness for what God has done, not out of our thinking we have things to do for God.
Second, it either creates in us self-righteousness (because we are getting it done for God) or despair (because we aren't getting it done for God). And how do we decide whether we are getting it done for God--we compare ourselves to others. This is DEATH. Jesus railed against this.
I'm not saying that work is bad--work should be good. But it all depends upon where our hearts are vis a vis work. Does work define us? Does it define our relationship with God? Or is our work an outpouring of thankfulness to God? Are we grateful to be able to provide for our families? Are we grateful that our status with God is one of being able to rest since Christ has already done the heavy lifting?
WHEN WE THINK THAT WE STILL HAVE TO DO SOMETHING FOR GOD, WE ARE DENIGRATING CHRIST'S WORK ON THE CROSS. TALK ABOUT BLASPHEMING GOD!
As David Zahl said in a recent sermon:
"We are not employees of God; we are His children."
And perhaps even more poignantly:
"Jesus only had three years to get His ministry done. He sure seems to have taken too many vacation days."
One of my favorite stories about Adam & Eve has to do with the "thorns and thistles." Some say that God cursed us with work--that work was a punishment for sin. But they're wrong. Work pre-dated the fall. Adam & Eve tended the garden, but they did so when they were in an unmediated relationship with God--they walked with Him in the cool of the garden. So, God did not curse them with work.
Instead, God cursed the work with "thorns and thistles." This sounds like God is being retributive, but He's actually being gracious. God knows that, left to ourselves, we make work our god! We value ourselves by how much we work (whether for man or ostensibly for God). But God didn't want us to value ourselves this way. He wants us to value ourselves as He does, as beloved children, not employees, "worker-bees," or slaves. So, God cursed work so that we wouldn't make it God, it wouldn't be our ultimate joy, it wouldn't be our god.
All praise to the God who has done it all so that now our days can be filled with not only rest, but work that is borne out of thankfulness.
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