If a brother or sister in the Lord asked you what they could do to live a life that is pleasing to God, what would you tell them? For most, the answer would likely be related to behavior: read the Bible more; spend more time in your prayer closet; show up to church every Sunday; increase your service to the church; expand the reach of your fellowship with other believers. Yet the key in drawing near to the Lord is found not in behavior, but in belief! So what are you believing about Jesus today?
In a remarkable passage in Scripture, the crowds asked our Lord, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus’ answer just might surprise you! It certainly did me when I first studied this passage years ago. As a coach for many years, my default mode is to increase my discipline in order to improve my results, whether physical or spiritual. A runner needs to run more. A cyclist needs to cycle more. A swimmer needs to swim more. When my spiritual gas tank starts running low, the first thing I think of doing is doing . . . not believing. But what do the Scriptures say?
They said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.” (John 6:28-36)
Notice how Jesus tells the people that living a life that is pleasing to God is not about their behavior but their belief! It would serve us all well if we understood the Christian life is more about what we believe than what we do. To be sure, we must actively engage in performing the spiritual disciplines. The desire to do these things is one of God’s great gifts to His people. But the key to living a life that is pleasing to God is rooted in what we believe about God.
This is the point of preaching the gospel to ourselves every day. What we believe about the person and work of Jesus Christ is the key to heart transformation, which ultimately works itself out into living a transformed life that is pleasing to God. Here are just a few things the gospel promises to those who believe:
- You are loved
- You are forgiven
- You are adopted
- You are set apart
The gospel promises a life of unimaginable joy to those who believe, because everything your heart desires—affection, approval, acceptance—has been given you in Jesus. You were sought, caught, and bought by the blood of the Lamb, and have been freely welcomed into the family of faith. Every sin has been nailed to that dirty tree, having been paid for in full by the life and death of Jesus Christ. Believe it and live a better life. Believe it and be blessed by God. Believe it and your behavior will follow.
This is the gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 