From the desk of Pastor Ben.
The Response of False Disciples – Part 2

Therefore, they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”     (John 6:28-29)

People in the crowd processed Jesus’ words through the prism of their sinful minds and concluded that the Lord wanted them to do something to get eternal life. This was a parallel to the rich young ruler’s question, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16), or the lawyer who “stood up and put Him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” (Luke 10:25). Questions like these were fairly common for the Jews who pursued eternal life through the duties and rituals of their religion.

Of course, we know authentic salvation does not come through good works (Titus 3:5). Therefore, Jesus told the people that the only work God accepted was for them to “believe in Him who He has sent.” Salvation comes by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), through faith alone (Romans 3:28), in Christ alone (Acts 4:12), “because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16). Salvation is truly a divine gift (John 4:10; Romans 6:23), thus it does not come from any human striving or morality, but from a sincere faith that results in good works (Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 7:16-20; Luke 6:43-46). So-called faith, without any spiritual fruit, is dead and was never biblical faith at all (James 2:14-26).

Unlike the apostles, who responded to Christ’s power with faith, the crowd was initially curious but ultimately unwilling to repent and abandon its unrighteousness, proving they were never true disciples of Jesus.

Ask Yourself:
It is hard for us to grasp that “where there is no law, there also is no violation” (Romans 4:15), that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). But it’s true. How does this saving grace become the living grace that keeps us resting in His righteousness?