Work - Employment

The Son of Man has not come seeking employees. He has come to employ Himself for our good. We dare not try to work for Him lest we rob Him of His glory and impugn His righteousness. The apostle Paul says, "Now to one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly; his faith is counted as righteousness" (Rom. 4:4-5). This is a warning not to pursue justification by working for God. It is a gift. We have it by faith alone. And even when we "workout" our slavation in fear and trembling, we must see it as a peculiar kind of working: the only reason we can will to lift a finger is that God is the one "who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, pg. 15