The Freaky Four-Letter Word

No, not that word.

The four-letter-word to which I refer freaks out Christians more than what most would label as obscenities.

That four-letter-word?

W O R K

As in "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

I think as part of the reformation and beyond those who wanted to leave the "saved by works" crowd behind got paranoid about the four-letter-word.

And that is a huge reason why there are so many baptized pagans in the church today.

They "go forward." They "raise their hands." They "pray the prayer."

And there is zero difference in their lives.

And they are told that they are "saved by grace and that not of works."

They are, all too often, not told that we are "created in Christ Jesus to bring forth good works, which God has before ordained that we should practice them."

And if one ever refers to another's lack of "good works" one is attacked as being judgmental. (the unforgiveable contemporary 'sin')

Or could it be the main reason we are so freaked out by the word is because there are so few examples of "ordained work" in our own lives?