Faith And Good Works What does it Mean to us this Christmas? Part 2

Good Works

While it is very much true that we receive Christ by faith alone, but we also receive Christ as an example of Love toward our neighbor, whom we are called to serve as Christ serves us. While faith receives Christ, love gives us to our neighbor. Faith and good works constitute a complete Christian, we do not do good works for acceptance, but we do them out of love for Christ.

Now one may wonder what good wors are we to perform. However, we can’t just sit back and name all of the good works; if that were the case, we would be tempted to do some and not others. We are called to give all of ourselves to Christ, with all that we have, in the same manner, to which Christ did not come and simply pray for us, but he gave all of himself for us. The call is not for us to simply give to our neighbor. Still, the call is to give of ourselves completely to our neighbor, to serve them, wherever they need us and in whatever way, whether it is comfort, encouragement, work, food, clothing, shelter, admonish, rebuke, prayer, suffering. Yes, even dying, we are to give all of ourselves.

Here is the question where do we see this? Sure it seems people are more caring, loving, and giving around Christmas, but where is this seen in Christendom? Think about this for a moment. Christians are constantly speaking of good works, singing of them, thinking about them, wishing they would od them, but where are there good works? For some strange reason, we have confused good works with being spiritual or fasting, praying or decorating our church or giving to the church, using a rosary, or being in, or a monk or a priest, or eating special food, but thee are not good works. These things only serve as an abomination to God as we try to work our way to be accepted.

What makes a good work good is that it is beneficial and helpful to the one to whom it is performed; why else would it be called a good work? If it had no benefit to anyone, what is the good in that? If you build a nice house, who does that help, if you drive a nice car or dress nicely, who does that benefit? Do you see how we have confused things in the church to be a rewards-based salvation?

Christ explains to us what good works are; this is what he says “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12 ESV). Who are we to do good to? It is not to God to make ourselves more pleasing we are to do good works to one another. Christ has already done and accomplished everything for our sins; he has made the atonement and secured our salvation. We must be content with this knowing there is nothing we can do to make our salvation more secure. There is nothing we can do to benefit God, but we can do work to benefit others.

A profound truth of the Christian faith is that we are to live, speak, act, suffer and even die for the good of others. For the good of our spouse, our children, our parents, the government for its subjects, each one for one another, even for our enemies. This is the reality of what it truly means to be a Christian doing good works, which are to be done at all times in all places towards all people. What good is it for us to express good works only for those who we like?

The Christian must understand that good works are not done as an act of worship to God; God is worsipped by faith; in fact, everything that is done between us, and God is done by faith. The person who has faith can pray for others, knowing God, here’s the one without faith can ray for nothing. Unfortunately, we have reduced works to outward pomp, and that is useless. We can appear to be the most spiritual person around and yet be faithless, miserable, needy, and godless.

Christ by How own example teaches good works. Christ is not self-serving; instead, the prophet declares, “Behold you king is coming to you” Zechariah 9:9. The King comes on his own free will, out of his pure love, to do good for others. He delivers us from sin, death, and hell, and he does not do this just for his friends, but he also does this for his enemies, are we not all enemies of God before salvation? Jesus comes and weeps over us, and as we see in Scripture, he weeps over those who will not receive him.

People everywhere from all walks of life want to be saved from sin, death, and hell. Perhaps if they knew of a physician that could help them here on earth, no doubt many people would come to this physician and risk everything they had to make the journey to be seen by this physician. The truth is Jesus is that physician; he overcomes sin and death and hell for those that believe in Him. He says, “if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death” (John 8:51 ESV). He also declares, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25–26 ESV).

Now that we know that Good works are what we do for others and do not improve our standing with God, we should act accordingly. When it comes to sin, death, and hell, we need someone else’s works. Christ alone is our just savior. Our sin can never be blotted out by works but is blotted out by faith. I submit that it is impossible for someone who believes in Christ as their savior not to love to do good. For the person that does not love nor does any good for others, they can be sure they do not have faith in Christ. We know the tree by the fruit it produces; our lives are proved out by the love and deeds to display whether we have Christ or not. This is why Peter says; therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall (2 Peter 1:10 ESV). If we bravely practice good work, we can be certain without a doubt that God has called us and chosen us.

Faith alone blots out our sin, and our love and good works prove or demonstrate our faith that there is faith present in our life. This is why Paul says, “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2 ESV).

So good works should be done, but we do not do them so we can earn standing or favor with God; instead, we trust in CHrist’s work. We trust that He has dealt with sin, and death, and hell as we serve our neighbor, as we helo the stranger, as we look for ways to do good works for others, giving us a sure testimony of how our savior has overcome death. Next time we will look at part 3.