Should I Quit My Job and Earn My Salvation?

In John 6:27 Jesus says to the crowd following him: “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.”

At first glance and reading out of context one may think that Jesus is saying that to follow Him I should quit my job and start working for my salvation.

But as my Hebrew professor in Seminary would always tell us, the 3 most important words in biblical interpretation are “context, context, context.”

Clearly we know from the context of this passage and the rest of Scripture that Jesus is not teaching such a thing.

So then, what did He mean when he said this?  How is it that I can labor for the food that endures to eternal life rather than the food that perishes.

The crowd had the same question.  They asked in verse 28 – “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

Jesus answers them in verse 29:  Believe.

That’s it.  Simply believe.  That is the work of God.

The problem with this crowd is that they had no faith.  They did not believe.  They simply wanted more of that great bread and fish that Jesus created for them the day before.  They did not love Jesus for who He was, they loved Him because He was useful to them.  They were working for and seeking the bread that perishes when all the while Jesus was telling them that He is the bread of life.

What about you?  What are you working for?  Are you striving for the bread that perishes thinking that it will satisfy you.

Jesus said  “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Ironically, when Jesus stopped giving out the miracle bread, the crowd of 15,000 or more left Him.  Only 11 remained.

And no, don’t quit your job.  More about working your job for the glory of God in a later post….