The Only Work God Wants from You

Jesus traveled across the Sea of Galilee with his disciples, and a large number of people followed Him because He had been healing the sick.  There was about 5,000 men in the multitude, and they were probably accompanied by women and children.  The crowd had nothing to eat, and Jesus miraculously fed them with five barley loaves and two fish. Afterward He withdrew to be alone because the people wanted to make Him king by force.  Evening came, and His twelve disciples started back across the lake without Him.  He joined them by walking on the water.  After He got in the boat, they were instantly transported to their destination. 

When they saw that Jesus had departed, the throngs pursued Him. Then, when they found Him, the following exchange took place: 

They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.  But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” 

They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 

Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” 

They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?  After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven.  The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 

 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” 

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.  But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me.  However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.  And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day.  For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:25-40 NLT) * 

All that we must do to be saved is to believe in Jesus.  Everything after that is done through Him living in us and empowering us to do it.  Believe in Jesus Christ today, and you will be raised up bodily when He returns to take His true followers to be with Him forever. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18)

  

*  https://biblehub.com/nlt/john/6.htm

 

All Jesus, All the Time

The only way we are able to walk as Jesus walked is to remain in Him.  He creates us anew (2Corinthians 5:17) and gives us the strength and ability to keep His commands and do the things that He has prepared for us to do.
(Ephesians 2:10)

Jesus said:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 
(John 14:6 ESV)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  (John 15:1-5 ESV)

So, let us all say with the Apostle Paul:

 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 (Philippians 4:13 NKJV)

Note: all verses are copied from,  https://biblehub.com/

Believe, Be Born Again, and Be Saved

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 

Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 

 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
(John 3:1-21 NKJV) *

*  https://biblehub.com/nkjv/john/3.htm