Have faith the size of a mustard seed and you can move a mountain. Everyone knows that line from the bible and we are often times told that. We are told to “Just have a little faith” and things will work out. Just trust in God and all will be good, we that is true, but faith alone is not all it takes. We are required to have works along with faith, like the old saying goes “God helps those whom help there selves”.
Like any good parent God knows that if we work for it, if we are asked to step out of our comfort zone to achieve it we are more likely to appreciate it. Sure God offers his love and saving grace freely, but we must open ourselves up to receive it, we must work for it. Now before all you liberals start yelling at me, hear me out…
We must open ourselves up to God’s graces, everyone would agree with that, correct? Well 
is it as simple as saying “I accept Jesus as my personal Lord and savior”? I think not, because if it was, why didn’t God just tell us that, why go through all the trouble of sending Jesus down to earth, having him suffer and die for us. Why have all the talk about sin and repentance in the bible, why talk about hell at all. If it is as simple as saying that you accept Jesus, than it’s a done deal, you have nothing more to do.
Well, it’s not that simple that’s why Jesus came down, suffered and died for us, that’s why Jesus talks about sin, and the price we will pay for sinning, that’s why hell is mentioned and why we must “work” at our salvation.
Notice I said work at and not work for there is a big difference between the two. One requires our openness to accept and our intellect to understand, the other requires our brute force to win over or take. We cannot win over Gods salvation nor can we just take it, we must accept the gift that is given freely, and we must work at becoming worthy of the gift. God will not take the gift from us, but we can walk away from it.
Salvation is not for the weak at heart or the lazy, salvation is hard labor, Jesus uses many stories about working in the fields, and the yoke of our burdens. We are told to take up our cross and to walk with Jesus. Read his life, Jesus did not live an easy life, Jesus worked for our salvation, he preached and cured he ministered and loved, each task is a work, a work towards our salvation. If we are to follow Jesus, to become like Jesus than it only makes since that we too must work at salvation.
True Jesus already won our salvation, and true the He did all the real work for us, but the bible never states, any were that salvation is a given, in fact it states that we must work at it.
1 Corinthians 15:58
58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
So starting today, make an effort to work at your salvation, thank God for the gift of salvation at the same time you are working at it. Understand that your salvation is given freely, but you must be open to it, and the act of opening up to salvation is a work in-of-itself, salvation is a hard road to walk, but worth the effort.
Paul
By the way, if your still not convinced that salvation takes work, read or reread about Moses and the 40 years of work it took to reach the promise land…
The STATIC Shop
View Point: Paul 