Believing God by Rocky FlemingSample

DAY ONE

Believing God by Rocky Fleming

There was an interesting answer by Jesus when they asked Him a question about doing work for God. Here is what He said:

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28-29 NIV)

What a fascinating answer Jesus gave. He could have told them many things to do that were activity and program driven. There were certainly enough poor people, lepers, and people in need of knowledge about God and His commandments to go around. He could have mentioned many of those people who needed to be served and things that needed to be done “for God.” But He surprised them by declaring the major work of God is to believe and receive the Gospel, which is Him. As was the case with many of His answers, the followers of Christ at the time didn’t understand the completeness of His answer. It would require the complete picture of the Gospel with His death, burial and resurrection as the atonement for our sins for them to connect the dots. It would require the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to empower them to do supernatural works. Then the work of God would manifest in and out of their life. However as was then and remains today, many believers struggle with understanding how belief, trust and connection with the Vine will invite them into the work of God. Instead of this connection process with God, they try to do their work for God in their own power. Before long they either become methodical, activity-driven Christians who eventually just go through the motions, or they burn out and drop out and look for something new to occupy their time. For that reason, I think Jesus’ answer to the question needs to be understood on a deeper level as we try to make it a practical part of carrying out our sacred responsibility as His disciples.

This week we will explore how far reaching it is to “believe in the One God has sent.” It goes beyond an intellectual, theological acknowledgement of our belief in Christ. We can say all the right words and quote correct liturgy, and still miss the far-reaching effects of believing Jesus. To believe Jesus will challenge our sense of fairness when being mistreated, our instinct for survival when being threatened, and our sense of direction when we follow the ways of the world. To believe Jesus becomes a tension that a Christian must live with every day as we ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do in this? Will I follow His lead?”

As I grow older and process a life change that must adapt in an ever-changing world around me, I find great benefit in having a “Compass” to help me navigate through life. I have found this Compass to be Jesus. Early on I had to decide if I would believe my Compass or would I trust my instincts. If you have ever been in a boat surrounded by a fog so thick that you cannot see the bow, you will understand how one’s instincts battle against the compass reading. We simply cannot believe what we are reading and that the boat is on the heading the compass declares. Many a sailor has gone wrong by not trusting his compass. It is the same with Jesus. Will we believe Him when He tells us we are headed in the wrong direction, or will we believe the world, or even our own instincts?