Is belief a work?

JM · Jan 19, 2005

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

It seems our Lord is telling us it is...how do you view 'the work of God?' Is Jesus saying belief is a work of God in the life of a sinner? I've been looking into the Greek meaning of the work 'faith' and found that it is translated as 'faithfulness.' 'Faithfulness' in it's root form, 'faith' is listed as a gift of the Holy Spirit, any thoughts?

ZiSunka · Jan 19, 2005

God does the work of giving us faith. We don't do the work, and it's not "a work" in the sense of something done by humans to make them worthy to approach God.

TwinCrier · Jan 19, 2005

I suppose if it takes you great effort to believe, then it may be considered 'work.' I know where your going with this is probably the Calvinist doctrine that man cannot even believe in Christ for salvation but must be elected, am I right?

2Timothy2 · Jan 19, 2005

Contrary to some teaching, faith, or belief, can not be a work, since over and over again the Bible contrasts the two. You can not contrast something with itself.

theseed · Jan 19, 2005

I say yes. Faith is a work in of itself, and a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5.22-23). Like other fruits, it shows that we are sealed by the Spirit. And as the Catholics say, real faith is an action too.

BTW, Yes, I'm Calvinist.

CFoster · Jan 19, 2005

I agree with Timothy, I don't think Paul would have gone to the trouble of contrasting them if faith was a work.

Joh 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

I believe they were asking Jesus what they could do to deserve the gift of eternal life, and he simply told them that they would have to have faith in Him to receive it, that it couldn't be earned in any earthly manner.

SonOfThunder · Jan 19, 2005

God did work toward our salvation. His desire was that we should believe on His Son whom He sent for us to be the ransome sacrifice.

Oh boy, you must be so secure to think on such words and wonder about them.

Food for thought isn't it?

James

Matthan · Jan 19, 2005

The faith to believe in Jesus as the Son of God is truly a gift from God. Once He gives it to us, we are to use it to glorify Him. How? By strengthing our belief in Jesus through the study of God's Truth, the Holy Bible. Amen!

Matthan <J><

unimportantbuthisnameis · Jan 19, 2005

I cast my vote with 2Timothy2 and CFoster, there are to many contrasts of faith and works to consider them the same.

SumTinWong · Jan 20, 2005

SonOfThunder said:
God did work toward our salvation. His desire was that we should believe on His Son whom He sent for us to be the ransome sacrifice.

Oh boy, you must be so secure to think on such words and wonder about them.

Food for thought isn't it?

James

It is very incredible to consider that the creator would willingly die to save His creation.

JM · Jan 20, 2005

TwinCrier said:
I suppose if it takes you great effort to believe, then it may be considered 'work.' I know where your going with this is probably the Calvinist doctrine that man cannot even believe in Christ for salvation but must be elected, am I right?

Nope. I am a so-called 'Calvinist' but my honest intention was to know what my fellow baptists believe this passage to mean. I'll make no defence or apology at all in this thread, I've learned the hard way, I'm too harsh without meaning to be and it's just not worth it. I'll let the more learned do so.

BT (if you read this), if you can find it in your heart, I'm sorry for the comments I've made, forgive me.

seebs · Jan 21, 2005

I think the word "work" gets used very vaguely in many cases, and I don't think it's always the same concept. Consider the huge difference between a man who, while angry at someone, decides to treat that person charitably, because he knows he is called to kindness and obedience, and a man who, while angry at someone, decides to treat that person charitably, because he wants to be rewarded for his good behavior.

I think the second is trying to achieve salvation by works, but the first is showing his salvation through his works.

I tend not to care much what people believe. In Matthew 25, contrasting the sheep and the goats, Jesus never even uses the word "belief" once. I care more about faithfulness than empty intellectual assent.

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