As we take up this matter of the sufficiency of the Bible, I want to set out that the Bible plainly tells us and plainly reveals that man should work. God created mankind to industrially apply themselves so in his or her chosen vocation. Man is to be engaged in gainful labour for several purposes God has specified.

Some proof texts that reveal we are to be labourers: Exodus 20:9: Six days you shall labor, and do all your work. Ephesians 4:28: Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. A few other texts are 1 Thessalonians 4:10–12; 2 Thessalonians 3:6–12 where the same summary duty is set out. In the Book of Proverbs, a host of proverbs which address man’s work gainfully, domestically, making plain that God has authoritatively revealed to us this central endeavour of work. Our subject is founded upon the conviction that work is a central aspect of man’s life and that by God’s design. From creation work has been a primary element of man’s creaturely existence.

Now, moving through the sufficiency of the Bible proper. In that the Word of God is thoroughly sufficient to teach the Christian what to believe concerning God, and how to live in view of God’s glory and his claims upon one’s life, and in that God’s Word explicitly identifies labour as an aspect of the Christian’s life, the conviction is this: that by means of precept, principle, example, or necessary deduction, adequate guidelines may be found in the Scripture, which will serve to help you and I discern which vocation one ought to diligently pursue.

I believe most of you come from London confession churches [1689 London Baptist Confession]. Let me simply say in Article 1 paragraph 1 and 6, there is a statement that expands what I have just said about the sufficiency of the Bible, as to what we are to believe and how we are to live. Our persuasion is that certain considerations may be gleaned from the Scriptures, which will give adequate, substantial help in determining which vocation one ought to pursue. Factors can be identified which can lead one to the discovery of God’s will for his or her life vocationally.

With that, have a look at Romans 12:1, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a [living and holy sacrifice]. This is what I want to establish, again, working under the sufficiency of the Bible. The saving mercies of God expressed in the person and work of Jesus Christ, constitute the ground and the motive of all Christian living, including the living‑out of our work. That is our motivational base: the mercies of God revealed in Christ. All of our daily living out of the will of God, however ordinary, however mundane we may think our activities are, ought to be lived as a loving response to the redemptive mercies of God in Christ. Our primary motivation, particularly in connection to our vocational and gainful labours, is not to make as much money as we can. It is to render to our Saviour the obedience of faith and to live as unto the Lord.

Then we read further in the text identified, Romans 12:2, Do not be conformed to this world; the Christian, that is, because of the mercies of God received and as a grateful loving response to them is to repudiate the molding influences of this world.

What are some of the molding influences as to your vocational choice? What do you aspire to in your work? Well, some of the molding influences of this world are such things as: what is going to gain me the most money with the least amount of difficulty? What is going to gain me the most money with the greatest of ease and most of vacation time? Do not be conformed to this world. What will bring the highest standard of living, materially speaking? I want whatever I want and I want it now. What is going to bring me fame? What is going to bring me applause? Do not be conformed to this world. There is the idea in this world that blue collar labour is somehow second rate; I want to be a white‑collar guy. But do not be conformed to this world.

Then again Romans 12:2 concludes: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. In other words, a conscious embrace of biblical truth, biblical standards, biblical patterns for daily living. Our aspiration, with the blessing of God, is to bring to bear the Word of God upon the subject of vocational labour, that our minds might be renewed, that we might think and that we might have evaluate and that we might aspire biblically in connection with our work. Our preparation for work, our pursuit of work, our execution of our work.¹

George McDearmon