Let us imagine two worms in a tree. They are eating leaves like there is no tomorrow, and getting bigger seemingly by the hour.
They both have the desire to do what God has intended for them to do, which is to fly.
Finally, one of the worms builds a cocoon. After a certain period of time he emerges as a new creature. He immediately leaps into the air and begins flying just as God had intended for him to do all along.
The other worm, seeing his friend fly away, descides that he will also fly away. So he throws himself off the branch of the tree and tries to fly.
If you happened to be watching him, you would have to admit he actually looked sorta like he was flying as he plummeted all the way to the ground. Not to be discouraged, the little worm climbed back into the tree and immediately flung himself back into the air in an overzealous attempt to turn his will to fly into reality. However, the results were the same as the previous time, with a long fall to the ground.
Now feeling slightly humiliated, the little worm crawls back up the tree, deeply concerned and questioning himself as to why he is not able to fly.
Upon arriving back on his favorite branch, his friend which has already become a butterfly, lands beside him on the branch. The butterfly asks him what in the world he thinks he is doing. After listening to his friend, the worm explains that he wants to fly because he is certain that is Gods will for him. The butterfly patiently explains to him: “Yes, God does want you to fly and do his work in this world, however, you cannot fly until you are changed into a new creature. You must trust in God for it is He alone who can change you into what you need to be.” Jumping off this branch, even a thousand times will not turn you into a new creature, that can fly.
The little worm upon hearing this from his friend goes down the branch a little way and begins spinning a cocoon. After some time had passed he emerged to find that God had indeed changed him and made him into a new creature. Seeing his friend standing down the branch, he yelled come on, let’s go do the works which God has ordained that we should do. And they both jumped off the branch and flew away, just as God had ordained that they should do.
YOU OR ME
There are works which the Lord desires for us to do. For instance, “You have been called unto Liberty, only use not Liberty for an occasion to the flesh but BY LOVE SERVE ONE ANOTHER. For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF (not that loving your neighbor can turn you into the new creature in Christ, for only God can do that, when we trust in Christ for Redemption ; but after we have become a new creature, then we can love our neighbor as God desires).”
James 2:14 says, “What does it profit, my Brethren, though a man say he has Faith, and have not works? Can Faith save him? 15. If a Brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food. 16. And one of you say unto them, depart in Peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit.”
This is like being the butterfly (new creature in Christ), but not being willing to fly.
REMEMBER
We did not get our wings (become a new creature in Christ) so to speak, by throwing ourselves into the works which we thought God wanted us to do. We became a new creature by the Grace of God. And we can only do the works which God is desirous for us to do after we have become a new creature by Faith in Christ.
Galatians 6:15, For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
ADENDUM:
Faith in Christ will produce works. But works of any kind (other than those which are produced by faith in Christ), will not produce faith in Christ, but only a type of faith in the very works which are being done, which will save no one.
This is one reason we must do all things whether in word or deed in the name of the Lord Jesus.
If works were needed for salvation, then a person who repents of his sins, and confesses Christ as Lord, would still not be saved until he went out and did some works.
But we see in Acts 10:44-48, that these new Gentile converts were even filled with the Holy Spirit before they had done any work or even before they were baptized. It is obvious that these Gentiles had accepted Christ by Faith and been saved or the Holy Spirit certainly would not have filled them.
