"Do" vs "Done"

Here is a consistent question that rattles around my head:  Is following Jesus about "doing" things for him, or is it about recognizing that he has already "done" everything needed?

This is a very important question becuase it impacts everything about being his disciples.

There are dangers on the "do" side:  we can become so action oriented that we begin to imagine that we are almost doing God a favor.  We start new programs, we put on evangelistic crusades, we develop great praise and worship bands, we begin more and more prayer groups, etc.  The key here is "we".  It begins and ends with everything starting with us, with a remote thought about Jesus that we are sure he would be proud of us for working so hard on his behalf. 

There can be a lot of distance between us and Jesus if we aren't careful.

But that's not the whole story:  there is also a lot of danger in imagining that the "done" perspective (that Jesus has done it all and we can add nothing to what he has accomplished) doesn't leave room for us to be actively responding to Jesus' call to reach out to others with his love.  Jesus didn't experience a brutal death on a cross just so that his followers could sit around like bumps on logs saying that everything is done already.  After all, Jesus says that we are to pray that workers should be sent out into the harvest fields.  The workers are us and workers are not really workers if they sit around all day.

So where does that leave us?

I would like to suggest that there are two different messages being spoken of that need clarifying.  The camp that says that everything is 'done' is usually talking about justification--that is our salvation.  There is nothing that we can do to add to the salvation that Jesus bought for us.  This is done.  But too often this message of 'done' is used as the only message for Christians all the time.  Well, that is simply not being honest with the whole of the Bible that God has given us.  There are appropriate times for the 'done' message but we need more.

The 'more' includes the other camp--those who talk about 'doing'.  These are the people who are trying to understand what it means to grow in sanctification.  This is talking about how we live out our Christian lives on a daily basis.  It doesn't mean that our actions make us more acceptable to Jesus, that part, the relational part is done.  But it does mean that we are called to action as his disciples--and that means doing.  Faith without deeds is a dead faith. 

It's a whole package that gets confused again and again.  Unfortunately some churches emphasize one over the other so much that Christianity, and relationship with Jesus begins to look and feel entirely one-dimensional.  We take the beautiful gift of justification life and then sit like stones on pews, or we are given the gift of living a growing sanctification life and make it so legalistic and selfish that it creates far more burdens than blessing.

Let's grow up and realize that God is speaking to us about both.  I think wisdom should tell us that messages to predominantly Christian audiences should have more "doing" content (sanctification and 'how do we live this life?") and periodic messages of "done" content (justification and a reminder that Jesus' sacrifice is all we need for relationship with him).  People who don't yet know Jesus should be given a lion's share of salvation messages, because that is what they need most, and just a taste of Christian living messages, so they can get a glimpse of what life looks like after.

Doesn't this make sense?

Any good craftsman will look at his toolbox and realize that certain tools work best for certain jobs.  He never looks at them as in opposition to each other.  They all have a place.

Let's be intentionally good craftsmen as well.  Let's give the appropriate messages to those who most need that tool and get past this idea that one is better than the other.

God 'did' so we can 'do'.

Love it.

BT