Sow Diligence Reap Prosperity

John 6:26–29 KJV 1900

26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Diligence and its results are commended

Proverbs 21:5 KJV 1900

The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; But of every one that is hasty only to want.

Diligence will be rewarded

1 Kings 11:28 KJV 1900

And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.

Jeremiah 31:16 KJV 1900

Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, And thine eyes from tears: For thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; And they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

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Diligence contrasted with laziness

Proverbs 10:4 KJV 1900

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Proverbs 12:24 KJV 1900

The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: But the slothful shall be under tribute.

Proverbs 13:4 KJV 1900

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

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Diligence is important in the outworking of one’s relationship with God

1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV 1900

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Timothy 4:15–16 KJV 1900

Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

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Because of Judah’s diligence God blessed them.

2 Chronicles 15:10–15 KJV 1900

10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 And they offered unto the Lord the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. 12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; 13 That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets. 15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.

Those that are diligent to keep the words of Jesus will be blessed.

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Luke 8:9–15 KJV 1900

9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

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; the Levites; ; ; ; the Bereans

The apostle Paul diligently preached the word of God.

1 Corinthians 4:9–13 KJV 1900

9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

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Diligence was a characteristic of Jesus Christ’s mission

Luke 9:51 KJV 1900

51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

Hebrews 12:1–2 KJV 1900

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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We must Diligently do the work of God

The New American Commentary: John 1–11 (6) Two Discourses on Bread, Sign, and Eternal Life (6:26–40)

The interplay between working and believing is crucial to the concept of salvation in John. On the one hand, a person cannot earn acceptability with God by working for it. On the other hand, acceptability with God cannot be on the basis of “belief” in a mere theological formulation about God. Thus the noun “faith” (pistis) does not occur in John’s Gospel. He chose instead to use only the verb “believe” (pisteuein), and he almost equated it with “obey” (cf. 3:36). Acceptability with God is a relationship God gives (6:27), therefore, and both believing and obeying are parallel ways one acknowledges dependence on God. As the Son always responded appropriately to the Father, people are to respond to the Son, who was sent by the Father (6:29). That is precisely the way John understood the call of Jesus to the Jews here.

The New American Commentary: John 1–11 (6) Two Discourses on Bread, Sign, and Eternal Life (6:26–40)

The interplay between working and believing is crucial to the concept of salvation in John. On the one hand, a person cannot earn acceptability with God by working for it. On the other hand, acceptability with God cannot be on the basis of “belief” in a mere theological formulation about God. Thus the noun “faith” (pistis) does not occur in John’s Gospel. He chose instead to use only the verb “believe” (pisteuein), and he almost equated it with “obey” (cf. 3:36). Acceptability with God is a relationship God gives (6:27), therefore, and both believing and obeying are parallel ways one acknowledges dependence on God. As the Son always responded appropriately to the Father, people are to respond to the Son, who was sent by the Father (6:29). That is precisely the way John understood the call of Jesus to the Jews here.

John 6:29 KJV 1900

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

The New American Commentary: John 1–11 (6) Two Discourses on Bread, Sign, and Eternal Life (6:26–40)

The interplay between working and believing is crucial to the concept of salvation in John. On the one hand, a person cannot earn acceptability with God by working for it. On the other hand, acceptability with God cannot be on the basis of “belief” in a mere theological formulation about God. Thus the noun “faith” (pistis) does not occur in John’s Gospel. He chose instead to use only the verb “believe” (pisteuein), and he almost equated it with “obey” (cf. 3:36). Acceptability with God is a relationship God gives (6:27), therefore, and both believing and obeying are parallel ways one acknowledges dependence on God. As the Son always responded appropriately to the Father, people are to respond to the Son, who was sent by the Father (6:29). That is precisely the way John understood the call of Jesus to the Jews here.

God sent His son, His son died for our sins, we must believe His words, by obeying what He says.

John 5:39–40 KJV 1900

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Jo 6 29

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John Jesus Teaches About the Work of God (6:25–29)

Jesus goes to the heart of the matter, to the source from which all of these vital aspects of eternal life flow—belief in the one sent by God. Without this faith none of these activities benefit us. Our primary work is being receptive to God. All our actions and plans are dependent on the most important action—union with God in Christ by the Spirit.

Luke 6:46–48 KJV 1900

46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John Jesus Teaches About the Work of God (6:25–29)

Jesus goes to the heart of the matter, to the source from which all of these vital aspects of eternal life flow—belief in the one sent by God. Without this faith none of these activities benefit us. Our primary work is being receptive to God. All our actions and plans are dependent on the most important action—union with God in Christ by the Spirit.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John Jesus Teaches About the Work of God (6:25–29)

Many would think of God’s work as acting morally or doing evangelism or apologetics or even worship. As important as all of these are, Jesus goes to the heart of the matter, to the source from which all of these vital aspects of eternal life flow—belief in the one sent by God. Without this faith none of these activities benefit us. Our primary work is being receptive to God. All our actions and plans are dependent on the most important action—union with God in Christ by the Spirit. Ultimately it is not a matter of our working for God, but a matter of God’s living his life and doing his work through us as we trust him and align ourselves with him by his grace

Diligent disobedience will be rewarded also.

Romans 6:23 KJV 1900

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Hebrews 2:1–4 KJV 1900

1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John Jesus Teaches About the Work of God (6:25–29)

Somewhere in the midst of trying to please God it is easy to lose sight of, and lose trust in, God’s own sovereign graciousness.

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Acceptance of the free gift, and subscription to obedience will ensure eternal happiness with God.

John 3:15–18 KJV 1900

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:14–18 KJV 1900

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

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Diligence Towards God Through Jesus Will be Rewarded.

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