What I Have Learned at Bethlehem

Works?

It took me a while to understand works as a Christian. I was always told to do right, but I didn't know why because it says in the Bible that we aren't saved by works.

Galatians 2:16 ESV

yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

So it didn't seem important to me to worry about works because I didn't see that works were actually important… until I saw passages like this one in James 2.

James 2:18–21 ESV

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

It almost seemed like a contradiction to me. I didn't understand if good works were actually important in my life.

One day a light bulb clicked in Sunday School one day, though. Let’s continue to read.

The next few verses in James 2 says this.

James 2:22–26 ESV

You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

[What do y'all think this means?]

We are saved by faith alone. This was never in question. But as a result of that faith we produce fruit in our life in the form of works.

Paul says mentions this in his letter to the Ephesians as well.

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

So we see again that we are not saved by works, but whenever we are saved in Christ Jesus, we are made to new life to produce good works.

This was put in place because it was too easy in the Old Testament to boast in good works instead of boasting in God.

Moses did this and he was the most revered prophet in the Old Testament. It was because he took credit for God’s work that he did not go into the promise land.

“Pull up Numbers 20”

Numbers 20:2–12 ESV

Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

This perfect system that God has given us allows us to continue in life in free will, whlie also being guided by the Holy Spirit to do what is right through our convictions.

Being a Part of the Will of God

About a year ago, my discipleship group went through a bible study called Expreriencing God. This was quite possibly the most eye-opening bible study I have ever Been a part of.

The study is essentially about learning how to experience God in your day-to-day life.

This study taught me that I don't do the will of God. I am completely unworthy to do the will of God. God does God’s will. I only get to be a part of that will.

In this study, there are seven realities of experiencing God that is meant to illustrate how we are to respond to God’s initiative in our lives. The seven realities are:

1. God is always at work around you.

2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.

3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.

4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.

5. God's invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.

6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing,

7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you.

I want to specifically focus on point four: God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.

In our lives as Christians, we don't just live a life where we do the occasional good gesture, we are called to join in God’s will.

There are various ways that God can speak to you to show you what you need to be doing to join in that will.

The first thing is reading the Bible. In reading the Bible, God can show you how you are to live your life and what you need to be doing. An example of this is how the Bible showed me in what we talked about earlier that I am called to bear fruit to show my faith by my works.

Another example is being in prayer. In prayer, you are literally talking to the God of the universe. Sometimes he responds by showing you the answer. I cannot tell you how many times I have brought a concern to God and the answer just popped in my mind.

The third example is your circumstances in life. [Has someone ever walked up to you and asked you about God?] This is an obvious example of how God can use your circumstances to show you where He is working, but it is an example nonetheless. If someone is asking about God, that means He is doing something in their heart. This may not mean that they get saved right away, but He is working there. It is our duty as disciples to answer that call. There are also more subtle ways that God can use what's going on around you in your day-to-day life to show you where he is working. That's why its important to always be looking for where God is working.

And lastly, God can use the church to reveal where He is working. There are ministries, positions in the church, hurt people in need of discipling, and countless other ways God can use the church to show you where He is working and how you can join.

God begins to show you more ways in which you can join in His will as you grow in your relationship with Him through reading the Bible and praying. So its crucial to consistently be in the Word and to consistently pray to God. As you begin to grow in that relationship, you begin to understand a bit better what the will of God is. It's not always something you can understand completely, but you can see ways in which you can be a part of that will.

I want to end by showing you a huge, but simple realization I had when I was going through Experiencing God.

“Turn to John 14”

In John 14:1-7, it says:

John 14:1–7 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus will prepare the way for you. God is working all around you, so He will prepare a way for you to be a part of that. Where He is working, we will be also. He will show us the way of which He is going. Thomas responds, “How do we know the way?” Jesus responds, “I am the way.” He respends, “I am the truth.” If you want to know the way, seek God. Read His Word and pray to Him. If you want to know the truth, seek God.

Activity

[Write down where God may have been moving in your life recently. Then write down what you can do to join in that]