Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
With a new look
Your Works of Love
You may have read some of my books about salvation and gotten the idea that I was saying that salvation is acquired by works. That’s not true and that’s also not what I was talking about. Eternal salvation (your ticket to heaven) is a free gift of God given by grace through faith. So, what we do need to acquire this salvation is faith, which comes by hearing the word of God concerning salvation.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast,” (Ephesians 2:8-9 New King James Version).
​
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 6:23 New Living Translation).
However, as a friend said it, there is something we must do, actually two things. Now, don’t throw any rocks. We must speak our faith in order for it to work (Romans 10:10) and we must receive it (Mark 11:24). But most people don’t consider those things as work.
​
Now, after you have acquired this free gift of grace, this living salvation: Nothing about Jesus is dead, He is alive and so is redemption and salvation.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live,’” (John 11:25 New King James Version).
​
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8 Good News Translation).
Now, the works that I talk about are not works in order to acquire this amazing gift. What these works are. are the works that Jesus, our Lord, said that the one who truly believes in Him would do. Why should we do those works? Well, there are two reasons that I know of, there may be more; reason 1) He told us to; reason 2) they are our expressions of His love. When He was on this Earth as one man Jesus was the very representation of the Father, He was God in the flesh. He said, many times, that the works that He did were not His own (not of Himself) (John 10:25).
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father,” (John 14:12 New King James Version).
Jesus was Love, the omnipotent God, on Earth (the representation in the flesh), God’s representative. He did and said all that the Father, whom He was representing, did and told Him to do and say. So, the works that Jesus did were expressions of Love, God is Love.
​
We are representatives of Jesus, we should all be anointed with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38, Acts 1:8); the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God (Gen. 1:2) (the Spirit of God is God). So, you should be anointed (baptized) with God. And then the works that you do are expressions of Love, just like what Jesus did, the works of the Father. By doing those works in the name of Jesus you are lifting up the name of Jesus in praise.
“When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me,” (John 12:32 Good News Translation). Son of Earth, that’s us, me and you, you are Earth.
Remember: How are you going to love that one who is sick? How are you going to love that one who is demon-possessed or troubled by demons? He will be there to help you if you will act, but will you act?
​
There are soup kitchen, homeless shelters, and food pantries; these are things that people volunteer for to help those who are less fortunate. People visit jails, prisons and hospitals, and that is good.
“‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
​
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me,” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40 New King James Version).
People do these things plus they will give cool water or hot chocolate, or whatever drink, to the thirsty. But, the people of the world can do these things too. Those other things, the things that Jesus did, only the God baptized disciple, the true believer (John 14:12), can do. “You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former,” something Jesus said in Matthew 23:23. He was actually talking about tithing and obeying; but the statement holds true for this issue also. You could also say, ‘You should practice the former, without neglecting the latter.’ In other words, both are expressions of God’s love.