Man and woman as created was intended to work. One of his and her primary tasks in the Garden of Eden was to "till [work] the soil" - Gen. 2:5 -

Although work was ordained by God as a blessing, it became a curse as a result of the FALL.

To the man he said, 'Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,
'Accursed be the soil because of you.
With suffering shall you get your food from it
everyday of your life.
It shall yield you brambles and thistles,
and you shall eat wild plants.

With sweat on your brow
shall you eat your bread,
until you return to the soil,
as you were taken from it.
For dust you are
and to dust you shall return. - Gen. 3:17-19 -

Nevertheless, through redemption, work finds meaning. God ordained that six days be spent on work with one day of rest. - Exodus 20:9 -

The people of God in the Old Testament are frequently encountered performing works in service to God, for instance, in the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness - Ex. 26 - and the Temple - 1Chr. 28:10 -

Much of the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament praises hard work, while it condemns and ridicules laziness. - Prov. 14:23; 31:27; 6:6-11; 21:25 -

The same attitude is found in the New Testament, Saint Paul and his associates worked and they expected other believers to work and earn their own support. - 1Cor. 4:12; 9:6; 2Thess. 3:10 -

In the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible God's mighty acts are called works. Creation, redemptive acts in history like the Exodus and even wrath are referred to as God's work. God's works are praised often in the Book of Psalms.

Christ's works are thoroughly discussed in the Gospel of John.

Jesus replied:
'I have told you, but you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father's name are my witness;
but you do not believe,
because you are no sheep of mine.
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone.
and no one can steal them from the Father,
The Father and I are one'.

The Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, I have done many good works for you to see, works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me? The Jews answered him, 'We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for blasphemy: you are a man and you claim to be God'.

Jesus answered:
Is it not written in your Law:
I said, you are gods?'
So the Law uses the word gods
of those to whom the word of God was addressed,
and scripture cannot be rejected.
Yet you say to someone the Father has consecrated and sent into the world.

"You are blaspheming",
because he says, "I am the Son of God".
If I am not doing my Father's work,
there is no need to believe me;
but if I am doing it,
then even if you refuse to believe in me,
at least believe in the work I do;
then you will know for sure
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father'. - John 10:25-38 -

Jesus Christ's work was given to Him by His Father. His task was to accomplish redemption for man on the Cross. Christians are taught to display good works.

In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven. - Matt.5:16 -

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -