truthgiver

Bible References

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Charles Spurgeon said, “To be a soul winner is the happiest thing in this world.”

Famous Last Words
Prince Henry of Wales: “Tie a rope round my body, pull me out of bed, and lay me in ashes, that I may die with repentant prayers to an offended God. O! I in vain wish for that time I lost with you and others in vain recreations.”

This month's topic: Good Works

What are good works? Good works come from being in Christ as a new creation. Our good works are not a means to salvation. Isaiah 64:6 says:

“For we have all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is as a polluted garment: and we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

Ephesians 2:8,9 says:

“for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.”

Good works are never apart from Jesus living in us. John 15:4-8 says (Jesus is speaking to his disciples):

“Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man doesn't remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you. In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.”

A good tree cannot produce evil fruit (bad works). Matthew 7:16-19 says (Jesus is speaking):

“By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. A good tree can't produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn't grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.”

And John reminds us that Cain was evil and was corrupted by his evil works (1 John 3:10-12):

“Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother. For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous.”

Good works ultimately comes from God as is given to us in Titus 2:

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; 13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ; 14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.

Good works is evidence we will be saved:

Matthew 25:34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; {25:35} for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. {25:36} I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.' {25:37} "Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? {25:38} When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? {25:39} When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?' {25:40} "The King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' {25:41} Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; {25:42} for I was hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; {25:43} I was a stranger, and you didn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.' {25:44} "Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn't help you?' {25:45} "Then he will answer them, saying, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of the least of these, you didn't do it to me.' {25:46} These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

We should not use our freedom in wickedness, but as slaves of God. People should be able to look at our lives and see that our good works glorify God:

Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; {2:12} having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation. {2:13} Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme; {2:14} or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well. {2:15} For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: {2:16} as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

But know that your good works may lead to persecution. Jesus gave no one reason to persecute him, but they did:

John {10:31} Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. {10:32} Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?"

Don't ignore leading someone who is lost. Proverbs 24:11-12 says:

Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

Sharing your faith is a good work. Philemon 1:6 says:

that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Charles Spurgeon once preached that works cannot even be considered good works unless it is first commanded by God. Here are some examples of God's commandments to us:

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:22).

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself up for Her” (Ephesians 5:25).

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with a promise: 'that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.'” (Ephesians 6:1-3).

“'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Look like Jesus

My wife knows a little three-and-a-half year old girl who's father is in the military. One day she asked her mother if she could use the scissors to make a craft, and her mother agreed. While her mother was busy with chores, the little girl proceeded to cut away all of her long hair until there was not one piece of hair longer than a few centimeters long. Horrified by discovering the little girl's “craft,” the mother asked why she cut all her hair off. The little girl replied, “I want to look like Daddy!”

True Christians who are born from above want to look like Jesus, want to act like Him, and want to do his will. In Luke 9, Jesus said:

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. "But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."