"Good Works ..."

I have put together some thoughts concerning “good works.” To me, this was a confusing part of what it means to be a Christian for many years. Perhaps these will help some who may have similar struggles. Now, I’m not a fan of ripping verses away from their context, so let me urge you to take the time to consider scripture for yourself.

I think to start, you have to remember both the “comfort” and the “call” of the gospel. The “comfort” is the basis for everything because without it, you will stand self-condemned (and really condemned) if you try to stand before God on the basis of what you do (or don’t do). We can stand before God with no fear of His Holy wrath only because of what Christ has done for us. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus! When you “mess up” – and you will – you are not rejected, scorned or subjected to wrath. You are loved as a child, a beloved child, whose Father wants only the best for them. He has done what is necessary to restore the relationship with you. The penalty is paid.

Yet, because you are his child, and because he loves you, you will not be left where you are. God will take you where he has promised – he who has begun the good work in you will be faithful to complete it in you. Discipline – in contrast to punishment – is part of this loving process. God does not “repay His children” according to what they have done. Christ bore our punishment, and we are given credit for his righteousness. He disciplines us, not to make up for the wrong we did, but to conform us more to the likeness of Christ. And, as his children, we will begin to resemble him. The call of the gospel is the call to a life, a journey, a race … that is different than what “everyone else” goes through. God works in us to bring about these changes through his spirit. Paul tells us that we are in a race, and that like athletes, we run with a purpose. We are told that Paul struggles with “all His energy” to present people spotless. There is a struggle, and it does take effort. But we are not left to our own resources. We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling – for it is God who works with us! This is not a matter of running to be saved. We are saved, and then entered in the race.

I have a friend who used one of my past experiences to explain this. My high school wrestling coach was tough. He was harsh. He was talented. If he thought you had talent to go far, he would work with you for hours on end. But if you were just so-so – and especially if you didn’t put the 110% effort in he wanted, he had no time for you. My junior year, we were ranked 12th in the state. Now, there were 12 varsity positions, 12 JV positions, and 12 freshman positions available. I believe we had about 16 kids out – total. We had a ridiculously small team (compared to our ranking) because you were either really good – and one of his favorites – or he would ride you until you quit. My friend put it this way: To be on Mr. Jones’ (not his real name) team, you already have to be good. To be on God’s team, you just have to “participate” – He will make you good. That hit home for me. This is not about living up to some standard in order to be let on God’s team. God knows you’re not good enough. But like all great coaches, he will invest in you to make you become not just the best you can be – for that depends on you – but will pour himself in you so that you can become far more than your abilities, background, and efforts will produce. You will become not merely a “good sinner” but instead will partake of the divine nature in a way that we do not fully understand (not that we become God) – for “when we see Him, we will be like Him.” So, having said all that, here we go.

God is concerned with the inner reality of you, not just your performance. He values humility, brokenness, and neediness. He cares about you – you are not just a cog in a machine. He knows you by name – he even numbers the hairs on your head. This life is not our home, and not the final chapter of our story. Our good works will cause others to praise Him, not us. Our life before God does not just consist of “not doing bad things,” but dealing with the motives, desires, and thoughts that are behind them. Our life does not just consist of “doing good things,” either, for the motives, desires, and thoughts behind them are also laid bare before our God. It is not enough to “look good on the outside” – for Jesus called the Pharisees (the most religious people around) “whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones.”
We are not made right with God by our works. No work of ours can ever be pure enough to withstand the judging gaze of a Holy God. But, like Abraham, if we believe God – if we take Him at His word – Christ’s righteousness is given to us and our punishment is taken by Him so that there is no more fear before our loving Father. Our gifts from God are not wages of an obedient servant, but are pure manifestations of his grace to us. We deserve nothing good from Him, yet He lavishes His grace and love on us. We have all heavenly blessings in Him.

Our religious service to God is empty if we do not seek to restore our relationships. When we do our “religious” service (i.e. give to the needy, pray, fast, etc.), do not do it to be seen before men – do it quietly, even secretly, so that only God knows it. Test your motives and consider why you do what you do.

Do not pray mindlessly or try to manipulate God through many words – recognize that He is our Father, who knows what we need before we ask of Him, and that he desires our best, even when we do not recognize what that is. Prayer is not a ritual to be checked off on our list of spiritual duties, but is, in fact, part of our communication with our Father who loves us and has done everything needed to restore and have a relationship with us. Seek him, ask him for your heart’s desire, but recognize you are not trying to persuade an unwilling, uncaring, absent, or mean Father – but one that loves you far too much to give you trinkets when there is everlasting joy to be had. You may even find that over time, your heart begins to resemble his, and therefore your prayers will reflect his loving will in your life – and perhaps he won’t have to lovingly say “no” so often …

Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought, and do not become proud. Don’t allow yourself to be convinced that your “good works” give you any standing before God – it is Christ, and Christ alone who provides the covering for you to stand before a Holy God and not be wiped away.
Doing “good” to others is not to be considered opposing “religious duty” – if your donkey falls in a pit, lift him out – and if you can relieve the suffering of another, do so – even if it means you get your church clothes dirty. Though the poor will always be with us, and one person or family cannot put right all wrongs, don’t let that stop you from getting involved. Relieve suffering, help those in need – become an answer to someone’s prayer. Give joyfully – rejoice that the Lord has entrusted some of his riches to you so that you might experience the joy of helping another. Let your gifts show the overflowing of God’s love being super-abundantly poured into your heart – expecting nothing in return. And rejoice when you are scorned for it.

Don’t take God’s patience with you for granted. It does not last forever, although he is long suffering. Make sure that you are right with Him, that you know Him, and that He knows you. We no longer serve our flesh, but serve God in the Spirit. Take your life seriously.

Consider the life you have before you. No one knows if you have one day or 50 years left. But it can be poured out for God like a drink offering. Don’t just go with the flow. Consider the choices you can make starting now. Store up for yourself treasures in heaven. Use your material blessing, as the shrewd manager, to “gain” eternal thankfulness from those who will be your brother and sister forever. Make sure that your family, your neighbors, and your place of influence would miss you if you died tomorrow. Let your impact be one that will cause them to praise God at the Last Day when all is revealed – even if they never praised God before.

Let us be people who are not tossed about by our circumstances. Let us not complain, argue, mutter, nurse our anger and hurts, or allow things to fester. Let us be people of integrity, living a life worthy of the calling we have received. Let us be more concerned with the filthy or salty water that flows from the spring of our own hearts than with correcting others. Let us speak humbly, gently, and truthfully to others when we do speak, waiting to listen more than speak.

Let us give thanks constantly to God, becoming ever more aware of his constant provision for us. Let us turn our hearts from the things that so easily ensnare us and allow our hearts to be captured by the Glory of the Lord. Let us endure with much patience and joy – knowing that our Father sees everything and will one day right all wrongs on that Great and Dreadful Day. Rejoice that He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into His family – into the Kingdom of light. Rejoice that your sins are forgiven!

Don’t become impressed with human regulations that seek to regulate mere external behavior (i.e. don’t touch! Don’t taste!). Recognize that such rules do not get at the heart of the matter – our hearts. Avoidance of situations, while wise when we are weak, is not the same as defeating them in battle through the strength of God. Recognize that nothing outside of ourselves defiles us, and we do not protect the hearts of our loved ones by sheer removal of temptation. Monasteries were not the answer to the human problem of sin, for no matter how isolated they were, there was always at least one sinful heart in any situation! The problem is not external to us, but internal. To be sure, external things can influence us – but the real problem is always within our own hearts.

Consider that Paul told Timothy to teach others that godliness is not a matter of externals - though sometimes they can be an expression of what is going on internally (i.e. braided hair and pearls in their culture) - but of matters of the heart and the actions that flow from it. Good works include things like caring for your own family, caring for your parents and grandparents, bringing up children, showing hospitality, helping those in trouble, and so forth. These are not the “big things” we sometimes associate with serving God – but are the little things in daily life that are an expression of true faith. He says to avoid the evil desires of youth, avoid foolish and stupid arguments, avoid quarrels, and pursue instead righteousness, faith, love, peace, kindness, gentleness, and cleanse yourself from the “clay” of this world.

Paul tells Titus that godliness involves self-control, being worthy of respect, sound in faith, in love and in endurance. We should not be slanderers or drunkards, but reverent in the way we live. We are called to love our spouses and children, to be pure, to be kind, and subject to authorities (i.e. not rebellious). As God’s children, we should have integrity, be serious and not flippant, and have our speech be sound. To be hard-working (yet not workaholics), peaceable and considerate. To slander no one and show true humility, not being divisive. We are not to be idle – and if someone will not work, let him also not eat.

James concentrates on the tongue being a sign of our “religion.” Our tongue issues forth from our hearts – whatever is in our heart will eventually flow from the tongue – no one can fully “tame” the tongue. He also points to looking after orphans and widows – the most helpless in society – as part of our service to God. As is keeping oneself from being polluted by the world. We are to do “our deeds” in the humility that comes from wisdom. Don’t boast about your sin, nor deny the truth of it. Watch out for envy and selfish ambition, for their you find disorder and every evil practice. Characteristics of “heavenly wisdom” is that it is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

The last verses I picked out were from Peter, where he urges us to live as aliens and strangers in the world – abstaining from sinful desires, and living in such a way that the pagans will glorify God because of your good deeds. That is a good reminder that it’s not so that we have a relationship with God, but our good works are to His Glory for taking creatures such as we are and changing us into the likeness of His Son!

Before you read through the verses themselves, let me say that I’m sure there are verses I did not include that could have been, but I hope I have been faithful to the flavor of scripture. In many ways, the list of things God calls us to is far simpler than we sometimes think or hear. You really can sum it all up with “loving God” and “loving others” – as long as you have a biblical picture of love. A little more specifically – don’t play the religion game, God is concerned with your internal life before Him, and how that plays out into your external life with others. Looking even closer – helping family members (parents, grandparents), orphans, widows, people in need, raising children, and those in need around us pleases the Lord. Avoiding conflict not by denying its existence, but by addressing the issues in our own hearts before the Lord pleases Him. To grow in resemblance of Him pleases Him. The list could go on, but I think it is significant to look at the fact that these things are not “climbing the highest mountain” for God, or vowing to never speak again in reverence to God, but are truly the everyday things of life. Very few, if any, of these things require any training whatsoever to understand. They are accessible to the lowliest peasant to the highest king. And yet, they are truly impossible to change on our own. They are so simple – but they go to our core. And, we know our core is rotten. It is only as God renews our hearts, resuscitates us, and revitalizes us that we begin to have a new core. And, as God deals with us in our core, it is reborn and grows in likeness to Him. These simple things are the really tough battles of life because we are there constantly. My fear, my agenda, my anger, my desire to be in control, and my pride are always with me. And that is why the battle is so hard and so long. Praise God that He does it in us - for there is no hope in ourselves. God’s desires for us are wonderfully simple. We need not be scholars or strong men or “super” in any area to understand what he calls us to. But we must forsake of any merit, any deserving, before God based on our efforts.

Loving God. Loving others. So simple – yet horrifyingly difficult if we were left to ourselves. God first loved us, and that is why we can run this race in his power …