Measuring Up to God's Standard

John 6: 28 - 30, Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent." Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? NKJV

When a person comes to faith in Christ as the Son of God, God gives that person a new heart and a new nature. Faith gives God the ability to change us from the inside out. Nevertheless, in today's scripture, we can see how men try to measure up to God's standard through their own good works. These men asked Jesus what good things they could do that would please God. Jesus told them that it wasn't about their good works; the true work of God is done in our hearts through faith in Jesus as His only-begotten Son.

Good works can never make an evil heart just or right in God's sight. God didn't give the Law so that man could show himself as "good to God." He gave His Law to reveal the evil that was hidden in our hearts and hopefully bring us to repentance and faith in Christ. 

Instead of the people in today's story becoming humble and placing faith in Jesus as their Messiah, the sin in their hearts tempted Jesus to prove to them that He was indeed God's sent One. Now think about what you've read for just a moment. Unbelief caused these men to think that they could do something in their flesh that would please God. However, it kept them from believing that Jesus was really God's Son. We see, then, how sin and unbelief in our hearts can make us think more highly of ourselves and less of Jesus.

The only way to convert a heart that has been perverted by sin is through faith. Faith in Jesus will complete us so that we no longer try to measure up to God's standard of righteousness. The need to be righteous is met in the person of Jesus... not in our own works.

However, once we come to faith, we can focus on walking out God's plan for our new life in Christ. Without faith, we can't please God. Nevertheless, now that we walk by faith, we can enter the rest of God and enjoy our new lives. Are you working to earn God's approval or are you resting in the work of Christ? If you sense that you're still working to earn the FREE gift of God, which is your soul's salvation, then begin to confess that Jesus is your Savior and Lord until it gets into your heart and becomes real to you.

Liberated From Dead Works,
Pastor Asa Dockery