A man studies hard for an interview, gets the job, but continually hits the snooze alarm instead of going to work. How long would he be employed? Yet, how often Christians have such joy in obeying the gospel but hit the spiritual snooze alarm in the months and years that follow! Even Jesus told us that we must maintain our relationship with Him by DO-ing something to live eternally.
I. Luke 10:25-28. In the lead-in to “The Good Samaritan” story, the expert in the Law asked Jesus what he must DO to inherit eternal life. Rather than tell him that he couldn’t work his way to heaven or that nothing else was required, Jesus confirmed that loving God with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind and loving his neighbor as himself were all that the man had to DO.
II. John 15:9-14. Jesus’ definition of DO-ing is action that proceeds from obedience. That’s why faith is not just a mental affirmation that God exists and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross forgives our sins. Rather, faith is the actions that come from obedience, the maintaining of our relationship in Christ. Love for God and our neighbor is the perfect “DO” we must do and reconciles Romans 4 and James 2.
III. Philippians 2:12-16. We are told to work our our salvation with fear and trembling. Our salvation, then, is not something we can put on a shelf to collect dust after we’ve obeyed the gospel. It is something we must constantly (do I dare use the word?) “work” on, but it is not a “works salvation” but actions that come from obedience that maintains it. Love is the fufillment of what Jesus says we must DO to live eternally.
So, examine your daily walk with Christ. Are you at your job you interviewed so hard to get … or are you hitting the snooze alarm over and over?