Not Work, But Believe

No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them. (AA, pg 84)

 

"We will lose" . . "We will see" -- it appears that even in the language of the "Promises", the writers still could not escape "self."

 

And

 

"God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves."

 

Here, an element of the fleshly, self-willed, worldly wisdom of Ben Franklin crops up, or rather creeps up:

 

"God helps those who help themselves.

 

However:

 

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

 

"And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

 

"That no flesh should glory in his presence." (1 Corinthians 1: 27-29)

 

and

 

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26: 41)

 

The human flesh is weak, unable to do anything, so the notion that we can depend on ourselves in any way is doomed to fail.

 

They will materialize, if we work for them. . .

 

If you have to work for something, then it is no longer a promise:

 

"What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

 

"For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

 

"For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

 

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

 

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4: 1-5)

 

It is by faith that we enter into God's promises, not by works. In no way, therefore, can believers in the Body of Christ expect anything but despair, condemnation, and death when they try to live by the "Twelve Steps" yet at the same time trust in the Lord God for their salvation.

 

We are not called to do, but rather to be, and in order to be, we much believe:

 

"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

 

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6:28-29)

 

That is the work for a believer -- to believe on Him whom God the Father has sent.

 

In fact, we are not called to "do" so much as to believe and receive:

 

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)

 

These gifts of grace and righteousness are given to us in Christ, and a gift must be received, not earned, not merited, not worked for. We are not called to strive, but to rest in Him and thrive.