God’s part and man’s part in salvation

Here is something I read on Facebook.

God’s part and man’s part in salvation

by Joshua Agan

GOD’S PART — or — MAN’S PART?

People sometimes argue about whether God alone has a part in salvation, or whether Man has any role at all. Both sides have some good points to make, but the whole disagreement hinges on the fact that two people view the same salvation from different sides.

Imagine I sent two people to view a building and describe what they see:

• “Two sets of double doors, blue walls surrounding the doors, a flag pole out front, and lots of people entering and exiting,” says one.

• “Nothing of the sort!” says the other, “I saw a long row of bay doors, bumpers around each door, and almost no people around except a few employees and truck drivers.”

It would be silly to let these two argue about the building as if one of them were wrong about their observation. They saw the same building, but from different perspectives—one approached the front of the store, while the other approached loading docks out back.

It is much the same with Salvation.
To put it plainly—God has the role of Doing the Work, Man has the role of Trusting the Work of God.

A real work is promised to be done in us. Go read what all God has said He will accomplish in a life that is entrusted to His work. “He doeth the works,” Jesus says.

That does not exempt man from his own role: trust.

Trust is not a passive abandonment—like collapsing on the floor and just waiting for your dad to drag you into your bed at night. Rather, trust is doing what dad says when he tells you to go to bed, even when you don’t understand why he insists on doing that right now. Trust behaves like dad knows best, no matter what.

God says, “I will do a work in you. I use my words to guide you, my light to strengthen you, my people to assist you, my resources to enable you, and trials to train and prove you.”

Man says, “I will trust. The words you say, I will do. The light you give, I will walk in. The people you send, I will love. The resources you provide, I will steward. The trials you allow, I will endure patiently.”

Refusing to walk where the Father leads is not trust.

God’s role is to do. Man’s role is to trust. If you focus only on one side of the building, you are more likely to be disagreeable with those who see only the other side.

Both are true. Neither are passive.
Both are important. Neither are optional.

God WILL do His part.
Do you TRUST?