As Christians, we work with a gospel-fueled, Spirit wrought gumption. This is a move-forward attitude that trusts in the grace of God alone. This is a diligent working that is prayerful and trusting in the Spirit of God for the accomplishing of all things. I’m convinced that this mindset in our labor will produce the greatest fruit and the most restful souls. With the gospel as our fuel, we dodge the trappings of works righteousness. With the Spirit’s power, our labor will actually be profitable.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

1 Corinthians 15:10

As Christians, we are rightly concerned with living in such a way that magnifies the grace of God. We don’t want to be those who fall into works righteousness or Pharisaism, but rather we are those who trust in the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But sometimes I’m afraid that we overcorrect. In an effort to be gospel-centered, we forget that we are supposed to put our hand to the plow (Luke 9:62). So I want to commend good old fashioned, gospel-fueled, Spirit-wrought gumption.

God’s Means

We are absolutely not saved by our works, and God works in every Christian to be more like His Son. But did you know that God uses certain means to conform us into His image? Sometimes we act as though God is going to sanctify us while we laze about in our newfound salvation. This mindset goes something like this: “Well I’m haven’t really beat that sin yet. God just has to work it in me.” But this mindset essentially makes your sinful behavior God’s fault. Is that really how we want to approach God? Or what about a lack of knowledge in God’s word? Do we expect that God will unscrew the top of our heads and pour knowledge into it? No. God has no plans to marionette-puppet us around in our sanctification. He calls us to attend to the means of grace.

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