Obviously the Apostle Paul was a man of action! He used more present and future tense verbs in the active voice than any other writer in the New Testament. Look at these verbs from the list above:
The message of Paul's letters is clear: there is a job to be done. We should get out and do it!
Christians should be busy people. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph. 2:10) Good works are why we're here. It's what God wants us to do with our time, talents, gifts, and personal resources. Imagine what would be accomplished if every Christian worked hard to serve God and others!
Let's be more specific. Imagine what would be accomplished if every Grace believer worked hard to serve God and the Gospel of God's Grace. The possibilities are wonderful! More people saved; more churches established; more souls encouraged; more homes united; more lives changed; more problems solved; more questions answered. Most importantly, Christ would be glorified!
I'm convinced that the majority of believers want to serve God. But years of failure, hard knocks, and poor direction have just about wiped many of them out. Too many pastors and elders seem to spend up to half their ministry time helping Christians fallen by the wayside. That's part of a shepherd's ministry, but there's so much more to do. Plus, it would be great if most of the "wayside" Christians were strong and vital and involved in meeting the needs of others. Paul writes that pastor-teachers are given to the churches:
Eph. 4:12-13
There's that word again. Works! God wants His people prepared for work. That's a major reason why God created us.
I believe much of the sadness and impotency of Christianity comes from lack of involvement in "works of service." The Bible appeals to church leaders to prepare or "equip" the people for fulfilling service. Notice the benefits:
Eph. 4:14-16
List to what the Apostle Paul is telling us. We want our families and churches built up. We want unity. We want Christians to know more. We want Christians to become mature. We want Christians to reach the full measure of perfection found in Christ. Paul tells us how to do it! Church leaders are to prepare, equip, and train Christians for their works of service. Sounds simple. So, why don't we do it?
You say, "I want to work. I want to serve God. I want to do great things for God. But where do I start?"
2 Tim. 2:15 (KJV)
Find out what God wants you to do in His Dispensation of Grace. See how the program is supposed to work. Then work! Too many of us are trying to make things happen before we even know what's going on. Much of the "work" of Christians today isn't dispensationally sound. They're barking up the wrong trees. Time spent in careful study is time saved from the failure of spinning our wheels and knocking our heads against the wall.
Talk to others about God's Grace. Look around you. Count the number of people you know who are unsaved. Each of us must know at least five unsaved people. Some are in our own family. Others are neighbors, friends and people with whom we work. Imagine the impact of every Grace believer in the world explaining the Grace of God to at least five people this year!
Walk in love toward fellow believers. Care for them. Pray for them. Support them. Encourage them. What a ministry awaits every believer who shows God's love to a brother or sister! Each of us knows at least five Christians. Imagine the impact of Grace believers in the world reaching out to care for at least five fellow-believers this year!
Good works are as close as the telephone, a letter, a visit, a smile, or a prayer. Get involved. Use your talents and gifts wherever you live; whatever you do. Pray for Christian leaders. Jump into the middle of the battle and wage holy war with other believers! Paul often describes Christians as "fellow workers" and "workers together." We need God and we need each other.
I left the best for last! Get to know God better this year. Love Him. Praise Him. Serve Him. Obey Him. Enjoy Him. He saved us to have fellowship with Him. Make Him your number one priority.
Let's go over our "Believer's Action List" once more:
Remember Paul's own example. He was a man of action! Let's be people of action!
This study first appeared in Grace Truth Magazine in 1986.
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"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
Last Updated: 12/20/1999
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"...to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
"Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."