Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled. Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed. They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. John 6:26–29.
The context of this passage is very simple. Jesus had fed the five thousand only the day before. That night the people observed the disciples in a little boat going across the Sea of Galilee. They did not see where Jesus went. During the night there was a big storm. Jesus came to the disciples, walking on the sea. When they arrived at the other side, the people finally found them. They were impressed with the miracle of His feeding everyone with those little barley loaves and fishes, and they wanted more of that food. The Lord made the point very clearly: you do not work for the food that perishes, but you are laboring for the food which endures unto eternal life.
This raises a question that every religion is faced with answering: “How do we work for God? What do we do to work the works of God?” It is surprising that even though they have the Bible, the Christian churches still miss it. They are so occupied with dead works, with works which glorify themselves and give themselves a sense of importance, that they forget that the real work that God demands is something entirely different. They give stained-glass windows and donate organs in the name of a dead aunt or uncle or grandfather, seeking honor from man, instead of knowing that there is a better reason for giving.
No one should give a dime to a church unless he is in that church in the will of God and is doing it with faith. The churches that succeed in securing only the people’s money, and nothing more, are as guilty as the people. Both stand before the Lord condemned. God is never concerned with getting only people’s money. He wants them, and their time, and their money—everything. He wants nothing less than that. You are aiming for too small a goal when you just go after a man’s money. Strive to see him become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. In total, absolute commitment, from the ground up, he is to belong to the Lord.
The Jews asked Jesus, “What should we do? Should we give generous gifts to the synagogues?” He pointed out a very important truth that you and I should know: “To work the works of God, you must believe on Him whom He has sent.”
Believe? Yes, believe! Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. You cannot please God unless you believe Him. Regardless of who you are, or what you do, or what you give, you cannot please Him if you do not believe Him. When everything else is said and done, the one basic thing that counts is that you believe. Your life becomes an expression of that faith. Believing and living it out with all faith, you tackle the impossible.
There are many illustrations in the Scriptures where something was done that had no merit in itself. For instance, what merit would there be in going around from house to house, borrowing vessels and pots and pans, bringing them into the kitchen and closing the door? Well—you borrowed a lot of dishes. There is no merit in that unless it was done in obedience to a command from God. The prophet said, “Take the little bottle of oil that you have and start pouring it out.” The widow poured and poured and poured until every vessel was filled. The marvelous miracle of that cruse of oil was the result of an act of faith (II Kings 4:2–6).
Is there any value in serving tables at a wedding? No, but there is great value when someone takes a pitcher of water to the governor of the feast and pours into his wine goblet the water which has turned into wine. That kind of action is based upon faith—audacious, reckless faith.
At the Communion Table recently, one of our young men spoke to me with great trembling and much apprehension. He said, “I’m determined to be a real believer. Keep an eye on me, and if I get off base and become fanatical, you tell me. I’m going to be a believer and try to do things that are impossible.” I like to hear that kind of talk. He may be shaking and trembling, but he is going to try. He is determined to believe and reach into the impossible.
When I see people who are reaching in, who are determined, who are worshiping with anticipation, who are studying and praying, I know they will have only one regret five years from now: “Oh, I regret every minute I wasted when I could have been studying the Word, because now I need it so much. I need it hidden away in my heart. I feel as if I need to know more.” I think about that often when time becomes rare as I am ministering in the flow of the Spirit. Then I yearn for the years that have passed when I could spend hour after hour in the Word. Now it has become a discipline as I salvage every available minute to read and study the Word. The demands are so great upon my time. The people need and want ministry, and they cannot be denied. It is difficult to get a day free.
Those days are coming for you, too, though you may not think so now. Then you will wish for these days of preparation. With anticipation, do everything you can. As a young man or a young woman, you may be wondering what place you will have. The prospects for a young person walking with God now are far better than they were thirty years ago. I remember the handicaps and the hardships we faced, the difficult living situations, what it meant to travel around the country with two little babies. It was disheartening to live at a time when there was so much apostasy and deadness in the whole church world. We tried to preach messages and have revivals, but it was very difficult to keep our own spirits right. It was easy to become bitter and discouraged. In spite of all our efforts, the churches would not respond. We could not get them to pray. We could not break the impasse. And so we had to walk on.
You have a much better chance today. You were born in the living Body of Christ that is coming forth. You have many to help you and to keep you alive. Many things are opening up. No longer is there a need of running around, trying to find an open door. There are open doors everywhere. The need will be for ministries. Soon there will be available only about one percent of the ministries that are needed to fill the areas calling for churches and Bible studies. The situation is reversed now, but soon it will change. The people who have had their training in a Spiritled walk with God, who have learned the Word, who have prepared their hearts to minister, who know how to discern and how to perceive, who know what they are doing, are extremely rare in the earth.
What a need there is to believe. Believe! Do not become a victim of your circumstances. If you are a person who sits back and thinks he has nothing, you are guilty of gross unbelief. You cannot say that you believe in God when you do not believe in that which is the closest thing to you, that which God has done in the earth. And I do not mean the blessing of your brother and the blessing of your sister. You are being blessed. If you cannot believe in what He has done in your own life, if you cannot believe what He is to you, if you cannot believe in the ministry He has given you and the times He has quickened the Word to your own heart, and you still sit there thinking that you are nothing and you cannot do anything, then you are guilty of the worst kind of unbelief. How can you respect the Lord if you do not respect and honor what He is trying to become in your life? Christ dwells within you. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Give it honor. Give it faith.
This does not mean that you regard the flesh as anything, for then you would be guilty of vainglory and pride. But you must have a deep faith in what God has done in your own heart and in your own life. Have faith that what He has begun in you, He is able to perform unto the day of the Lord. Have faith that He will perfect that which concerneth you. Have faith that He is the author and the finisher of your faith. Have faith that it is God who works within you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Believing that, go forth rejoicing and worshiping the Lord.
What shall we do that we might work the works of God? This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent. Your faith in Christ and in what Christ is bringing forth in the earth is the absolute basis of all works. There are many illustrations in the Bible showing how this actually works—experiences of those who went through tests and trials, and the only thing that God required of them did not seem to have any merit in itself to accomplish a certain end, but was an expression of faith. Do you remember the account of the blind man in John, chapter nine? Jesus spit on the ground and made a little clay. He put it on the man’s eyes and told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam (a reservoir for the city’s water supply, which had been built in the days of Solomon). With every step, the blind man had to feel his way through the streets. Every danger and hazard he was exposed to along the way had to be an expression of his faith. He washed his eyes and came back seeing. He was a believer, and because he believed, a mighty miracle was worked in his life.
When the woman came and touched the hem of His garment, Jesus turned around to look at her and said, “Woman, thy faith hath made thee whole.” Her faith had made her whole. We must understand that the things of God are put in action in our lives because we believe. Paul expresses this truth very clearly, that now, in this glorious hour, it is not circumcision nor uncircumcision that avails anything, but faith which works by love (Galatians 5:6). As you believe God with all of your heart, the actions come forth. Faith working by love—this is what counts now. This God blesses.
A number of times God required men to do things, and only when they expressed faith and acted with faith, did it please the Lord. It is not important that we review a lot of Bible stories, for you can bring them to mind yourself. Many times God simply said, “The battle is not yours, but the Lord’s. Only stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. You do not need to fight in this battle; just trust the Lord.” He tries to impress upon us continually that the struggle and the battle is His, that the provision is made by divine grace. All you have to do is believe and step out to accept it with faith.
Let us pursue this a little further. What do you have to do in order to be healed? Believe. What does God have to do in order for you to be healed? Nothing—He has done it. By His stripes you were healed (I Peter 2:24).
What do you have to do to become a saved Christian, serving God? Just believe. What does God have to do to save you? Nothing—He has done it. He gave up His own Son for you. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6).
What do you have to do in order to be perfected? Believe. What does God have to do for your perfection? By one sacrifice He has forever perfected them that are sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). God does not have to do anything. He has done it.
What do you have to do to become a partaker of the divine nature? Believe the promises. What does God have to do? He has already given you exceedingly great and precious promises, that by these you might become partakers of the divine nature (II Peter 1:4). He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things (Romans 8:32)? No good thing will the Lord withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11). You are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3).
These things are yours. God has made that provision for you. It is finished. What do you have to do? You have to believe. Every great thing that is to come forth in the earth will come forth in a time described by the Lord in Luke 18:8: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, will He find faith upon the earth?” Let us be determined that we are going to be believers, a remnant that will believe the Lord. They that know their God will be strong and do exploits (Daniel 11:32). This is the day of the exploits.