Posts Tagged ‘ Good Works ’
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12, ESV
We can strive to be good on our own, but it takes the Son of Man who died for our sins to find eternal life.
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matthew 3:8, ESV
We show our salvation by the change, the difference in how we act and think. We don’t do good works to earn salvation, rather they are a sign that we are saved from sin and God’s wrath.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:11, ESV
God loved us enough to become one of us and die for us. We should be willing to lay our lives down for others for the sake of the gospel and the glory of God.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing
Matthew 6:3, ESV
People did not expect God to become a man, yet He did to help us.
Our world has become cynical and doesn’t expect people to do good things. Don’t do good things for them, but for the One who first did it for us.
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12, ESV
It is the light of Christ, and should not be our deeds that repel and is not our good works that necessarily draw others to God.
Our goodness and light comes from Christ, and it will either repel or draw others in.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16, ESV
God’s light is put in us by the Holy Spirit when we put our faith in Christ. Then Christ works in us to do good works in this world that some may also trust Him.
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9, ESV
The world watches us to find hypocrisy. Younger Christians watch us to know what is okay.
Live a life honoring to Christ as He lives through us. Give everyone good reason to follow us as we follow Him, our good conduct reflecting Him.
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
James 3:13, ESV
God has given us good works to do to share with the world the light and wisdom of God: Jesus.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
John 15:4, ESV
Anything good we do is because of Christ working in and through us.
May we lead others to be found in Him.
I have started a small group series on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). I am sharing my notes in case anyone else wants to use them with their group.
Matthew 5:1-2:
Jesus wants to teach the crowds: Who are they? Jewish disciples: People who understand the
Scriptures (at least to a point). Notice from 7:28 the crowds still came along, but this teaching is for His disciples.
What does “blessed” mean?
Based on the first twelve verses, blessed means realizing our own wretchedness and need for a Savior. In other words, it is becoming/being a Christian.
Matthew 5:13:
Properties of salt:
• Made from stuff that can kill us (chloride, as in chlorine, which is poisonous to us; sodium is not very good for us by itself)
o No one can see God’s face and live (Exodus 33:20), yet we shall see God face to face through Christ (1 Corinthians 13:12)
• Enriches flavor
o 1 Peter 2:12 – We make life better as we point others to God’s Hugh standards.
• Preserves
o 2 Peter 3:9 – God withholds His wrath until all who will be saved are saved.
• Can melt ice
o Romans 10:13-14; Ezekiel 11:19 – The preaching of the gospel can change people’s hearts (via the Holy Spirit) from hardness to receptivity (see also Parable of the Sower/Seeds [Matthew 13:1-23], implying God may change the soil of the heart)
• Is used to make soap
o 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 – We help cleanse the world through defending and spreading truth over lies of evil spirits/demons/Satan
• Has a high melting point (it is not easily melted/burned: paradoxically lowering the boiling point of water while making it harder for water to boil)
o Isaiah 43:1b-3a – We hold back God’s wrath (see “Preserves” earlier) as the world gives more reason for His wrath to come. Further, we pull people from the fires of damnation (see Jude)
Can we lose our saltiness? (Refer, again, to Parable of the Sower – holding to the understanding that the first three refer to unsaved people [“churchians”?]) (Short answer: not really. Salt does not become not salt. It either is salt or is not.)
But how do “we” save them?
Matthew 5:14-16
• Firstly, v. 16: what does it mean to shine our light?
• It is there: “see your good works and glorify …”
• Secondly, What does it mean to glorify God?
• Mark 12:32-34; 1 Samuel 15:22; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8
• Glorifying God means obeying Him and showing love and mercy.
• We share the Gospel – Romans 10:13-17; Matthew 28:18-20
• Hebrews 11:6 – It is impossible to please God, to glorify God, if we do not believe in Him properly if at all. So we share the Gospel. Our greatest good work.
How we shine:
• Ephesians 5:1-21
• Philippians 2:12-16
• 1 Peter 4:1-11
a simple man of God 