JDS,
"This is the work of God, that you believe on him...."
Yes it is the work of God. Which means it is God's work. Which means it is only God's work. Which means it is not your work.Here you go again! Insinuating that faith is a work.
Here you go again! Insinuating that faith is a work.
Eh......what is the 4th word in the first sentence above, which was written by you?
The 4th word is the word "work" and the 6th word is "God". The word "man" is not in the sentence anywhere. Your contention is that faith is a work of man if he exercises it in obedience to God to receive the gift of God, eternal life, the Holy Ghost, salvation, all synonyms.
The Jews asked Jesus what they could do to work the works of God. But, here, let me just quote some of the context for you:
Jn 6:24 When the people (The people are most always Jews in the scriptures) therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. (Something that Calvinists say lost men cannot do)
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labour (Labour means work) not for the meat which perisheth, but (Labour) for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which (eternal life) the Son of man shall give (Future tense) unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
So, what have we learned here so far? We have learned that Jesus Christ has instructed the Jews to labour for something that has to do with eternal life! That cannot be denied by anyone with common reasoning and the ability to read.
What was the response of the Jews who understood this language? They knew that "labour" meant to do something, henceforth their question:
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.
THERE IT IS!!!!!
1) Jesus said for them to Labour!
2) The Jews asked him what labour they should do?
3) Jesus said TO BELIEVE ON HIM!
The work necessary for eternal life has already been done by the Father by sending his eternal life giving and eternal life sustaining son in the same way that the manna sustained the life in the wilderness in the physical realm. One must understand the types of scripture. It was God who sent the manna but they must gather it. He did not send it to the kitchen table!
Both the manna and the son were the work of God and the one typified the other!