THE WORK OF FAITH

“…faith without works is dead”, James 2:20

There is no slighting the fact that Job, as a man, was a servant of God. He served God by serving his fellow man, and in his own way tried to honor God in his life. He used his talents and wealth in the service of others less fortunate. There was none like him in all the earth, a man among men, but still a man. He did that which was everyman’s duty to do—all men are created to be the servants of their Master, the Creator God; and all men will be judged according to what we have done with what God has given to us. The parable of the talents does not just concern Christians, but mankind in general. What have we done with what God has given to us? Have we selfishly hoarded everything for ourselves, or have we reached out to help those in need—those whom God has put in our path to help? Whether we want to be our not, we are our “brother's keeper”; and “as we have therefore opportunity,” we are to “do good unto all men.”

Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Matt 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Matt 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Gen 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

The real question to be answered in Job’s life, and in ours, is why do we do what we do? The question is not—should I serve God? The answer to that has already been made plain. The real issue is—why should I serve God? To answer that question we must first understand what drives the natural man to do so-called good works.

This world is the battleground between the forces of God and the forces of the Wicked One. Satan tempts us with a desire to be self-glorified—to stand out, to be noticed by others, and looked up to because of the things which we do — for that is basis of his rebellion. Lucifer’s pride and the desire for self-glory lead him to rebel against God and seek his own kingdom and worshippers. Many people raise money for charities, give of themselves tirelessly for good causes, and spend their lives in missionary work and humanitarian causes; and these are things that in themselves may be worthwhile. The issue to be examined for all men, even for servants like Job is—what is their motivation? Jesus said of those who did religious good works, even those done in His name, that their works counted for nothing; because first of all, they had no relationship with Him; and secondly, they were doing those works for the wrong reasons.

Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Matt 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matt 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matt 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

1 Cor 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Prov 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. (Even the plowing of a field by an unsaved man is counted as sin.)

Matt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Perhaps one of the key verses to the Book of Job, is spoken by none other than the Devil himself—“Doth Job fear God for nought?” Its significance to the story of Job is only outweighed by its greater meaning when applied to the whole plan and purpose of God.  In giving consideration to anything that Satan said, we must remember that he was of the highest order of angels, probably an arch-angel on the same level as Michael and Gabriel. Before his fall he was considered one of the most beautiful and wisest of the angelic creatures. He was of such great stature that when he rebelled against God, fully one-third of all the angels sided with him. His insight into man’s nature and thought processes has allowed him to effectively control the human race, and to present challenges that God alone has been able to overcome.

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Eze 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

2 Tim 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Why men are to serve God is one of the great debates in the struggle between Satan’s rebel kingdom and God’s eternal purposes. As concerning Job, why did Job serve God?  Was it because he felt a deep love and affection for the being of God Himself? The Scripture says that Job feared God, but nowhere does it intimate that he loved Him. How can anyone love someone they do not know or someone they live in mortal fear of? Job himself said that he had only heard of God by the hearing of the ear—meaning he did not have any kind of personal relationship with Him.

1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Job 23:15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.

Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

Did Job serve God because he loved righteousness and hated wickedness? Not if what other Scriptures have to teach about man in general apply to Job also. He eschewed evil—meaning he shunned and avoided it because of his fear of God and his desire to maintain his integrity; but it was his nature to love sin as much as any man. We have to say of Job, as a man after the flesh and in the flesh—that he was “under sin,” he was not “righteous,” he did not “understand,” or “seek(eth) after God” for the right reasons. What he did was “unprofitable” as far as having any merit before God; because like all of us, “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” 

Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Rom 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Job had the same motivations that all other men in the flesh have to serve God—He loved the blessings that came with doing that which he perceived was right, and he feared the consequences of doing that which he perceived was wrong.  Such assumptions are indicated by the fact that he had an innate fear that God was going to, at any moment, bring “the thing which” he “greatly feared” upon him or his family. Job feared that his sons may “have sinned” or “cursed God in their hearts”; so “Job continually” rose “up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings” to appease this stern and wrathful God.

Job 1:5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

How might we consider that Job’s motivation for serving God was also for His blessings? Initially, we might think that from his first reaction to losing everything, Job could not be charged with this hypocrisy. However, as we follow the story further, we realize that it was not so much the material blessings that Job enjoyed and lost, but the position and stature in society that God’s blessings had brought to him—which he also lost. Job took a great amount of pride and self-satisfaction in what he did for others, and in what others thought of him—thereby stealing the glory that belonged to God alone. “The pride of life,” along with “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes,” is said to be “not of the Father, but is of the world.” These are the trinkets of time that Satan lures us with; and even the blessings of God can be corrupted by man and made to be sin in our lives. The serpent of brass—which was an Old Testament type of Christ—had to eventually be destroyed because it was being worshipped as an idol. There are many religious people like Job, who care little for the material blessings of life; but they care much about the honor, glory, and admiration of other men—because they are seen as “God’s servants.”

Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Job 29:1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3 When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

Job 30:26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

2 Kin 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

1 Cor 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Therefore, we must ask ourselves—why does God want His creatures to serve Him? Is it for the same motivations as Job—because he feared God’s terribleness and wrath if he or his children in some way disobeyed Him? How can a love for God or righteousness ever be our real motivation in such an environment? We should fear God, but not with the slavish fear that one might have for a cruel taskmaster; one that we dread the sting of his whip upon our backs; or worse still, one that we live in the terror of being destroyed and cast into hell. The fear of God that the Bible teaches His children should have is a reverence that one might have for a loving father. Who, although he deeply cares for his children, he is not afraid to discipline them. Now, we must clarify that this is the fear that God wants of His children; but to the unsaved, He is most assuredly a God of terror, wrath, vengeance, and judgment. This indeed should drive us to seek His face for mercy and forgiveness in Christ.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Prov 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Prov 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

2 Cor 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Matt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

On the other hand, does God want His creatures to serve Him because, like Job, they are always blessed and rewarded for doing so? Are we to be like little puppies that respond to our wishes and are taught obedience by being given treats or by being patted on the head? Can real love exist in such an environment where we only serve God because we get rewarded by Him? Would God be satisfied with such obedience and service, knowing that we have only selfish motives behind all that we do? That we act, not out of any true love and devotion, but merely because we receive some blessing from God?

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

Josh 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

2 Cor 8:8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

It is true that there are promised blessings to those that obey God; and there are certain rewards to those that serve Christ; but those rewards are only given to those, who by faith, act out of a true heart of love. To expect blessings, to expect answered prayers, and to expect things to be given to us because of what we do, is not “faith which worketh by love,” either for God or for others; but it is “works of righteousness which we have done” in order to get something from God.

Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

1 Cor 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Even true believers tend to look for something extra—some special blessing because they serve God. We are often angry when we are not treated as we think we ought to be, and we accuse God of being unfair; but nothing that we ever do can earn us anything from God. If we have done some work that is truly God’s will, we can not claim it as our own. Every work that originates from the flesh, in our own strength, is merely “wood, hay, stubble.” Those works will be burned because they are worthless to God. We, therefore, place God under no obligation to bless these works or to reward us for doing them. However, those works that will abide—the “gold, silver, precious stones”—are truly not our own, but works that God has done in us and through us. So again, why would we expect some reward from God for what God has done? God, in an infinite act of grace, does bestow blessings, gifts, rewards, and crowns upon His true servants; but we are to receive them with thanksgiving; knowing that we have not earned them or deserved them apart from His working in us and through us. When the saints of God are joined together in Heaven around His Throne—in an act of true worship—they shall cast all of their crowns at His feet; for then shall they know that He alone is worthy to receive them.

1Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Phil 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

1 Cor 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

2 Cor 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Rev 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

God is never under any obligation to His creatures. He is debtor to no one, everything is His already. He does not, nor will He ever owe us anything—no matter how many good deeds we think we have done. We can never merit any blessing from God; and whatever we seek from Him must come through Christ, who alone is worthy.

Job 41:11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

2 Cor 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Phil 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

So then, what God gives He gives us freely, asking nothing in return; and we should have the same spirit toward God. We should serve Him because of who He is, and out of our love for Him—not for the love of those blessings which He gives. We should be happy to serve God even if we receive nothing. As believers, we do not comprehend what a high honor it is to be chosen to do the will of God. Instead of looking at service to God with a somewhat distasteful attitude, we should be begging for God to use us, and ask for nothing in return. We should do God’s will without looking for reward—especially for God to throw us some treat for something we think we have performed for His benefit.

Matt 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

We should do right, because our true desire is now, in Christ, to do right. To do right is a blessing in itself—righteousness is its own reward. To be enabled to live righteously is a benefit reserved for God’s people. When we lived in sin we were free from righteousness—unable to live righteously or to work righteousness; but now we are made free from sin, and enabled to live righteously as God Himself lives.

Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

2 Pet 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

1 Pet 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Does God exist as holy and righteous because He receives something for doing so? He already owns and controls everything that exists, and could live anyway He chooses. God lives in Holiness because, in all of His infinite understanding, He knows it is the best and only way to live. Did Jesus, who “loved righteousness, and hated iniquity” as He walked this earth, do so because God the Father was always rewarding Him with material blessings? The only thing He ever owned were the clothes He wore, and even those were taken from Him. God met His needs, but Jesus lived in poverty by any standard of living, especially today’s. Did He live righteously because He was always being patted on the back and praised for being such a good person? Isaiah said that “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” Except for a few of His followers, most people “esteemed him not,” many hated Him, and some tried to kill Him on more than one occasion. Despite being persecuted, and despite living in poverty, He still chose to live righteously, because to Him it was the best and only way to live. Would to God, that might be the attitude of all His children, no matter what our circumstances are.

Psa 11:7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Prov 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

Prov 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right

Matt 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

2 Cor 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

Luke 4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

Mark 14:1 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Satan made this challenge to God concerning Job—“Doth Job fear God for nought?” God’s purpose in eternity is to have a people who love and serve Him freely—not by fear and dread, or by having to bribe them to do so. He could have created a race of human-like robots that would have obeyed His every command; but they could not have truly shown Him any love or heartfelt obedience. Even the angels were given a choice to serve Him, and fully one-third chose not to. For those of us, as believers, who have been made “free from sin,” we can now choose to “become servants to God.” As believers, we are to be like Christ—delighting to do the Father’s will, loving God and loving righteousness. One day, when “we shall see him as he is,” “we shall be like him” wholly and completely. When our faith becomes sight and we are allowed to see God, we will comprehend the results of our sin and rebellion. Then, we will make no other choice but to love and serve Him; and we will be like Christ in every way—wholly righteous in body, soul, and spirit. Until that day, as believers who still have the ability to sin, we can bring glory and honor to God by loving righteousness and hating iniquity. We can, by God’s grace, show the Devil that God’s children do “fear God for nought.”

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Psa 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Psa 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

1 Cor 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.