Good Works

I have heard it said that helping your neighbor, mowing lawns and those types of things are not considered good works but that witnessing is the only way you show your good works.  First I will say this, I don’t believe you can be a believer and not have good works which include helping your neighbor and many other things.  I want to make it very clear that good works cannot save you and, if you think you can get to heaven because of your good works or because you think you are a pretty good person, you are dead wrong.

Read what it says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. “

Now let me say this, the reason I think the way I do about doing good works after being born-again is that every believer has been given a measure of faith and faith is an action word.

Read what it says of faith and works in James 2:14-26, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

I have just been reminded of what Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 when He said we are the light of the world and also speaking about our good works, which says this, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

This includes, among many other things, not ignoring the needs of others or your neighbors, which includes everyone you help.  Being a good witness and sharing your testimony with others is definitely important, but you can also share your testimony by feeding and clothing the poor or giving a hand to the needy and in many other practical ways so that God will receive the glory through the kindhearted deeds that you perform.  

I have talked on this subject before but I think we all need to hear some things over and over again before they sink in and become a permanent fixture in our hearts and minds, plus I was reading this morning about what Jesus said regarding the final judgment in Matthew 25:31-46:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

I would say that all these things Jesus mentioned here are all good works, so if after reading this, all you can say is that good works only consist of sharing a testimony with others, maybe you need to spend some time in prayer.  I want to give you one more verse on this subject, it is found in Ephesians 2:10 which says this, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Our salvation should result in good works, doing them will show that we appreciate what God has done for us.  I think I have said enough about this subject to at least give you something to think and pray about.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a blessed day!!