Does God expect results from you?

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After a preacher died and went to heaven, he noticed that a New York cab driver had been given a higher place than he had.

“I don’t understand,” he complained to the Apostle Peter. “I devoted my entire life to my congregation.”

“Our policy is to reward results,” Peter explained. “Tell me, what happened when you preached a sermon?”

The minister admitted that some in the congregation fell asleep, and many of the others were tuned out.

“Exactly,” Peter said. “But when people rode in this man’s taxi, they not only stayed awake, they prayed fervently and sought the Lord!”

Of course, that’s just a joke. With all the overt focus on grace that we have today, surely God doesn’t really expect any results from us once we surrender our lives to Christ, does He?

Actually, He does.

At least that’s what the Apostle Paul writes …

“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear,” Philippians 2:12.

There are results to be shown for the redeeming love of God in our lives, and Paul says those results are obedience demonstrated from a reverence and fear of the Lord.

But before you freak out at the idea that God really does expect something of you, read the next verse …

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and power to do what pleases Him,” Philippians 2:13.

With God Himself supplying both the DESIRE and the POWER to do what pleases Him, He expects the results of reverent obedience to Him. God did not offer His son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins just to rescue us from the consequences of sin; He did so to purify us so that we could have a restored relationship with Him.

What does a restored relationship with God look like?

Reverent obedience on our part.

Obedience and reverence are the natural results of being redeemed, adopted, and transformed by God.

How are you “working hard” to “show the results of your salvation”?

Scotty