The Work God Began in You

"Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would… fulfill… the work of faith with power" (2 Thess. 1:11c). Paul goes on to request that God would complete the work of faith He had begun in them. And He prayed that God would complete His work in them with power. Scripture makes it clear that salvation is by faith alone, entirely apart from any works. Yet, Scripture also makes it clear that genuine saving faith works within us to produce spiritual fruit.

James stated this truth in a very forceful way when he said, "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, 'You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.' You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead" (James 2:14-26).

Paul knew that their faith was genuine because it produced such works. That is what James was referring to. True faith results in good works. Those works in turn prove your faith. Remember again Ephesians 2:8-10 which says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Saved by grace through faith apart from works. Yet good works were prepared by God to be accomplished in our lives. Faith is proven by works.

Yet the fruit being produced in the lives of the Thessalonians wasn't enough. Paul wanted to see even more. He wanted their work of faith to increase with power. He wanted to see still more righteous deeds in their lives. That is what Paul would ask for you as well—that God would complete the work He has begun in you and that He would complete it with power, making you ever more faithful in serving Him each day. Amen.