Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ²³  There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

 ²⁴  So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.

 ²⁵  When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” 

 ²⁷  “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”  John 6:22-27.

The miracles that Jesus did for the people, such as miraculously multiplying food to feed the five thousand, were not intended primarily just to take care of the physical needs of the people.  The primary purpose of these miracles was to show that God had “set His seal” on Jesus, so that they seek Jesus for their spiritual needs, most importantly for their need of eternal life. 

Regarding the supreme value of eternal life, we are reminded of Matthew 16:26 :  “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Jesus gave us the following two parables to show the value of eternal life and the total commitment and effort that one should have in seeking it.     

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again;  and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”  Matthew 13:44. 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”  Matthew 13:45-56.

We all nod our heads in agreement as this supreme value of eternal life and the total commitment and effort that one should have in seeking it, but what will we do today or this month or this year to “work” for it?  

Although as we will see in the following Scripture, there is the sense that ultimately salvation is God’s work, there is a sense that we should “work” for eternal life in the language of the Scripture of today and the following other Scripture. 

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:12-13. 

“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you;  for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;  for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”  2 Peter 1:5-11.

James 1:27
“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this:  to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” 

So, what will we do today or this week or this year to “work” for eternal life?

Through God’s grace and His work in our lives, we can seek to read and meditate upon Scripture and learn more about this Jesus.

Through God’s grace and His work in our lives, we can seek those moral qualities mentioned above.

Through God’s grace and His work in our lives, we can seek to serve others and seek to live blamelessly such as to “visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

Through God’s grace and His work in our lives, Scripture shows us other things that we can do as well. 

In conclusion, we seek to follow Jesus, because it is Jesus who gives us “the food which endures to eternal life“.