VF: 6 The Requirements of Visionary Faith I

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Chapter 6 **The Requirements of Visionary Faith I**

Hard Work & Holiness

Table of Topics

A) Our Hard Work

A.1) The Balance of Visionary Faith: God & us

A.2) The Hard Work of Visionary Faith

A.3) The Suffering of Visionary Faith

A.4) The Example of Jesus

A.5) The Reward of Hard Work

B) Our Holiness

Extras & Endnotes

Primary Points

God requires that we work for our vision to be realized.
God will not do for us what He has already enabled us to do.
The laborers in Kingdom work are always relatively few, but that does not mean the Master will lower His standards. Being used by God requires holiness.
How much hard work was required for Noah to build the ark?
God-glorifying pursuits often require suffering.
Our ultimate example of hard work and suffering to accomplish something for God is, of course, our King.
God is more interested in our purity than our plans.

A) The Requirement of Hard Work

A.1) The Balance of Visionary Faith: God & us

Because of the return of Christ, we always pray that God will think you have lived up to His commanding invitation to experience your special privilege and responsibility as a Christian.

We pray that through His power you will accomplish any passionate resolve to do good, and every work prompted by your faith.

Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of you, and you will be honored along with Him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thess 1:11-12) ^[1]

On behalf of the Thessalonians, Paul was praying that God would not only “accomplish any passionate resolve to do good” but also bless “every work prompted by your faith” (2 Thess 2:11). Do not miss the implication here: our “works of faith” are required to “accomplish any passionate resolve to do good” and have “the name of our Lord Jesus . . . honored.”

It is one thing to have desires and dreams, even good, God-glorifying ones. But God requires that we work for them in order to see them realized. He is willing and even eager to do what only He can do, but He will not do for us what He has already enabled us to do. That is how we know what God is expecting of us in our pursuit to see Him glorified. If He has enabled us, and given the opportunity to do something, then He expects us to do it. Or we can say it like this: “Do your best, and trust God with the rest.”

For example, both Paul and Jesus make it clear that praying for our desires is required to see them accomplished. Is that something we are able to do? Of course. Is that something God is going to do for us? Of course not. Likewise, there are “works of faith” we must choose and do in order to see the object of that faith realized.

Throughout the whole passage of 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 Paul describes an intimate interplay between the works of God and our works, all being necessary to “accomplish any passionate resolve to do good, and every work prompted by your faith.” Jesus put it this way elsewhere:

Keep asking and you will receive, keep seeking and you will find, and keep knocking and the door will be opened (Matt 7:7-8)

Do you see the balance between what God promises to do and what He expects us to do? We need to “keep asking” and “keep seeking” for opportunities to accomplish our vision, and “knock” on those opportunities when they come. And as we do, our request will be granted and our seeking and knocking will be successful.

A.2) The Hard Work of Visionary Faith

Paul says our part in seeing our visionary faith accomplished and God glorified is “work prompted by your faith.” Indeed, faith in God is necessary. If you don’t trust God you will not try anything. But we need to work as well, and work hard.

Elsewhere, the Apostle describes the pursuit of his visionary faith for God as a race in the ancient Olympic games:

Do you not realize that in a race all the runners run, but only one of them gets the prize? So run to win! Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. But they do this merely to get a crown that will not last. But we discipline ourselves to get a crown that will last forever.

Therefore I do not run aimlessly. I do not fight like a man uselessly beating the air. On the contrary, I discipline my body and make it obey me so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for my reward. (1 Cor 9:24-27)

What was required for Paul to “live up to [his] commanding invitation to experience [his] special privilege and responsibility as a Christian” and to “accomplish [his] passionate resolve to do good, and every work prompted by [his] faith” in order that “the name of our Lord Jesus be honored” (2 Thess 1:11)? What will it require from us? We need to “run” harder than others, subject ourselves to “strict training,” to not work “aimlessly” like so many do, and finally, “discipline [our] body and make it obey” us so that we will not fail in our mission and therefore “be disqualified for [our] reward.”

What vision for God did not require work, and even really hard and long work? How much time and effort did it require from Noah to build a triple-decker boat one and a half football fields long and wide without modern equipment (cf. Gen 6:15-16)? How much work did Moses’ calling of leading hundreds of thousands of people out of Egypt and in the desert for 40 years? It is because Noah and Moses were great men of faith, that they also worked really, really hard and long in their service to God.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul referred to their “work produced by faith” and “labor prompted by love” (1 Thess 1:3). The word he used for “labor [kopos]”: “Denotes an arduous, wearying kind of toil, done to the point of exhaustion. . . . It is an effort that strains all of one’s energies to the maximum level. ^[2]

A.3) The Suffering of Visionary Faith

But it is not only really hard and long work that will be required. God-glorifying, Kingdom-building, devil-defeating pursuits often require suffering. At least the Apostle Paul was warned when he received his vision of how he would serve and glorify God:

The Lord said to Ananias, “Go tell Saul that he is My chosen instrument to represent Me before the Gentiles and their kings and the Jews. I will show him how much he must suffer to represent Me.” (Acts 9:15-16) ^[3]

And suffer he did. About 20 years after his commission, he wrote:

What anyone else dares to boast about . . . I also dare to boast about. . . . I have worked much harder, been in prison more often, been whipped more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.

²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,

²⁶ I have been constantly moving. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from thieves, in danger from the Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false Christians.

²⁷ I have labored and worked really hard and have often been without sleep; I have experienced hunger and thirst and have often had no food. I have been cold and naked.

²⁸In addition to all of this, everyday I carry the pressure of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is spiritually weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? (2 Cor 11:21, 23-29)

That is what a vision to do something for God might cost you. Why did all of this happen to Paul? Because he was a bad guy? Because he made foolish decisions? Because he was just really unlucky? No, the reason for all that suffering was one thing: Paul’s decision and determination to do something great for God. Along these lines, John Ortberg writes: “Everyone in Scripture who said yes to their calling had to pay a high price. So will you and I.” ^[4]

A.4) The Example of Jesus

Our ultimate example of hard work and suffering to accomplish something for God is, of course, our King. What did His calling on Earth to glorify God require of Him?

First, a lot of hard work. He said even on a Sabbath day, “My Father is always working, and so am I” (John 5:17). It is no wonder that our Savior was once described as “tired” just from a “journey” (John 4:6), and elsewhere fell into a deep sleep, propped up in a wooden boat, during “a furious storm” (Matt 8:24). And at the end of His life He could say to His Father, “I have glorified You on Earth by completing the work You gave Me to do” (John 17:4).

Jesus certainly suffered and sacrificed to accomplish His God-given task on Earth. When “A teacher of the Old Testament Law came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go’” (Matt 8:19), Jesus warned him what kind of sacrifice, even poverty, that might require when He replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” (v. 20). We are not surprised that when they crucified the Lord, apparently His only belongings were literally the clothes on His back. . . . and they took even these.

Of course, the fulfillment of Christ’s mission for God ultimately cost Him death. Are we willing to work excruciatingly hard and long, suffer often, and even literally die to accomplish our vision?

B) The Requirement of Holiness

In a previous chapter, we discussed the defeat of Joshua and the Israelites at Ai (cf. Josh 7-8). We made the point that neither Joshua, the spies, nor the soldiers who died had done anything wrong. However, we read

The Israelites were not faithful regarding the war spoils devoted to God. Achan son of Carmi . . . took some of them. So the LORD’S anger burned against Israel. . . . The LORD said to Joshua . . . Israel has sinned; they have violated My covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied. . . . That is why the Israelites are defeated by their enemies. . . . I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. (Josh 7:1, 10-12)

While it was only Achan who had sinned, this is a reminder that God is more interested in our purity than our plans. He is more concerned to form the character of Christ in us than to advance the Kingdom of Christ through us. The laborers in Kingdom work are always relatively few, but that does not mean the Master will lower His standards. Being used by God requires holiness.

The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy of this very thing:

In a large wealthy home there are not only utensils made of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are for honorable uses. The others are for dishonorable uses. If you keep yourself pure, you will be used for honorable purposes, set apart to be useful for the Master, and prepared to do every good work.

So flee from the evil desires of youth. Pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace along with those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. (2 Tim 2:20-22)

The Church will always have wheat and weeds mixed (cf. Matt 13:24-30). Yet in this warning and exhortation is a tremendous promise: If we will refuse to be teamed up with unholy people in ministry and “flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure hearts,” then we “will be used for honorable purposes, set apart to be useful for the Master, and prepared to do every good work.” Note however the warning if we do not pursue holiness with holy people. We will not be “useful for the Master.”

God is very reluctant to bless servants who are not holy for several reasons. First, “success” for a sinner deceives the person into thinking that their sin is either small or acceptable to God. Secondly, setting up such people as leaders and examples in the Church distorts true Christianity and will disillusion people. Third, such a person has great vulnerabilities from the evil one. Their armor has holes in it that the enemy will surely take advantage of them and embarrass the Christian faith.

Why then have we seen unholy ministers have “successful” ministries? First, God is gracious, and He can choose to use dirty vessels to do His work. We just should never count on such rare exceptions. Secondly, one will notice that many ministries of sinful ministers produce much false fruit, and consist of false believers simply following a popular and prosperous leader. Big churches and big budgets do not mean God is blessing. Any charismatic businessman in America can produce the same results without God. The Mormons are producing all kinds of religious fruit with a false gospel.

The Apostle wrote:

It was not a loss of salvation that Paul was concerned about. It was forfeiting a God-blessed ministry in this life, and rewards for it in the next life. Such prizes are worth beating and subduing our sinful nature for. If we do not, the Apostle warns we are losers in a very real way.

Perhaps the most dangerous threat against a man’s prospects to be used by God is pornography. It is sin. Gross sin. It trains you to lack the self-control that a leader so desperately needs. And it rightfully brings shame, guilt, and a lack of confidence in your life. “The adulteress preys upon your very life” (Prov 6:26), both the physical and virtual kind of prostitute.

“Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng” (Prov 7:26). Do not let yourself be one of them and forfeit your opportunity and potential to be used by God. He is watching, as is the devil, and pornography is not the secret sin you think it is. And when God sees it in your life, do not be surprised if He rejects your desires, and refuses to bless your visionary faith.

Extras & Endnotes

A Devotion to Dad

Father, we thank You that you are willing to help us meet all the requirements of visionary faith. Please teach us and enable us to be hard working, humble, and holy. Not only to be fruitful and pleasing for You, but to be a blessing to others.

Gauging Your Grasp

We suggest God will not do for us what He has already enabled us to do. What would be some practical examples of this?
What are biblical examples of working hard?
Why do God-glorifying pursuits often require suffering?
Why is holiness a vital requirement to be greatly used of God?

Pastoral Perspectives

Your compelling, challenging, clear vision for your church will empower the hard work necessary for its completion. Dr. Malphurs writes:

Ministry can be very difficult, even painful. Discouragement and disappointment often lurk in the ministry hallways and board rooms of the typical church. It is not beyond the enemy to incite persecution against Christ’s church (Acts 8:1). Spiritual warfare comes with the ministry territory (Eph. 6:10-18). Many have risked or given their lives for the savior and the furtherance of the gospel.

What has sustained Christians from the beginning of the church in the book of Acts up to today? One answer is a biblical, compelling vision. It encourages people to look beyond the mundane and the pain of ministry. It keeps a picture of front of them that distracts from what is and announces what could be. ^[5]

Are there any habitual sins operating in your life? Decide now to die to them, to love God more than their promise of pleasure, and to love what you want to do for God more than the sin. Stop the sin before it is too late and God does not deem you worthy of serving Him in truly glorifying ways.

Publications & Particulars

For an explanation of our translation of 2 Thess 1:11-12 see endnote in chapter 1.1. ↑
John MacArthur, MacArthur’s New Testament Commentary, Electronic Edition STEP Files CD-ROM (Parsons Technology, 1997), 1 Thess 1:3. ↑
“Represent Me” trans. Eng. “bear My name.” ↑
Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat (Zondervan, 2001), 71. ↑
Malphurs, 148. ↑