II Thessalonians 3:10 NKJV
For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
Beloved,
To “work” is to exert mental and /or physical effort in order to achieve a purpose or obtain a specific result. Beloved, all work is not equal work. For the believer in Christ Jesus, your work must be in line with the finished work of the cross. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourself and , at best only toiling. In this series, we look at various kinds of work in order to highlight the kind of work that is truly profitable for kingdom living. Let us look at some areas of work that the average believer will be involved in to determine if such a work will be profitable or mere toiling.
The Work of Righteousness
Titus 3:5 NKJV
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
God does not want you to get involved in this type of work. This is because righteousness is a free gift of Christ to you. It can’t be improved upon; it can only be obtained. While you must not engage in the work of righteousness, you must work righteousness. This means doing the right thing wherever you find yourself.
The Work of Human Responsibility.
II Thessalonians 3:10 NKJV
For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
This is the level most people are. Our pursuit in life must not be about putting food on the table alone. We must also find ourselves in God’s program as we do our regular jobs. God provides, yes. But we are made in His image and we have a part to play as well.
The Adamic Mandate
Genesis 2:15 NKJV
Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
This type of work is what we do to continue the work of creation. This is when we are working to solve life’s problems. We are charged with having dominion, being fruitful, and multiplication. These will be our responsibility as long as we are on this side of eternity. How we carry it out is dependent on our decision to receive and operate in accordance with the finished work of Christ Jesus.
The Work of Faith
I Thessalonians 1:3 NKJV
remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,
This is the work of obedience that pleases God our Father. Why? Because it reflects our teaming up with His Holy Spirit by releasing our faith to do what is beyond us.
The Work of Ministry
The mandate for this is received by one of the following ways:
• Direct instruction from God, Acts 26:14-19.
• You may step into your assignment while doing the good works your hand find to do, Hebrews 10:24.
• Instructions from fathers. An example is how David instructed Solomon before he passed.
Beloved, allow all these areas of work to be reflected in your life, and your life will reflect the glory of God.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
I call you blessed. I call you NATIONS.
