There is an urgency in the Spirit stirring in me, almost like I need to share this while there is time to go into action. This is a physical action and a spiritual action both. Love God by loving one another by working the gospel, or some may prefer obeying the gospel. How do you obey the gospel? Spiritually by believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior sent by God’s love to rescue us, and love one another as Jesus has commanded us. The physical action is to serve out of love, and teach speaking the gospel message in love. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit and pray for those who are sick and in prison, show kindness to the strangers among you, and care for the homeless.
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15). Do not let anyone teach you not to pray for the spiritually or physically sick! You prayers of faith will save the sick, but it is the Lord who will raise them up (the work is the Lord’s). Do not let anyone teach you to use the name or teaching of Christ Jesus to hate! Love your enemy and pray for them that God will raise them up in the way they should go, being careful not to be captured by the same snare that binds them – judge not or be judged in the same manor.
Do not be fooled, we are still sinners fallen short of the glory of God! Jesus fulfilled the requirements for us to give us salvation, and God has honored the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus and given us of His glory. Grace is a free gift already paid for by our Lord and King, the Prince of Peace, to make peace between God and mankind. The gift of grace has an activation, to believe in Jesus the Christ as our Savior. The road to salvation has a commandment, love one another not according to your understanding but as Jesus has loved us. To love in that fashion Jesus has given us a Spirit of love, another gift of grace. If it is a requirement of salvation, it is included in grace.
God’s expectations of you is not that you work in gifts He has not given you. If you desire a gift of the Spirit, ask God for the gift. If you desire a ministry gift given to the church (us) by Jesus, asked expecting to receive training (trails and tests) in the area of the giftings. God has created you with a purpose that is not a secret you have to spend your life searching out. In the quest for your identity start with the identity we all have in common; sons of God in Christ Jesus and the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Now pray with a listening ear for God to reveal your purpose among the creation. Not what title you will ware on your name tag, but what you are in the deepest part of your being.
There are many looking for the work without first acknowledging their purpose in Jesus or in the creation. Again there are those who deny the work of being who they are in Christ or the creation. What you are in the creation is what you are in Christ, for all things were created by Him, for Him, and in Him. But I say in the creation to say you are unique among the created things. There are things in common and things that are unique in your being. Salvation is by grace alone so that we may be free in the work of being who we were created to be, both in those things in common and those things unique to you. These things do not lead us to salvation, but are born out of God’s love and grace. Love is the fruit of the Spirit and good works are born out of the Spirit given to those who believe.