Christians in the past two decades became so selfish or self motivated towards themselves and the church. The churches in India generally have the view of looking at the internal aspects of its administration, believers, spirituality…etc. Those internal aspects drive them away from the community live surrounding them. Someone said “Church is the only institution that exists for its non members.” wow what a rich statement – all other institutions in the world exists for the welfare of its own members. For example the missionary era of Indian Christianity did not have many churches but Schools, Hospitals, Children Homes, Old age Homes, Community development centers and Skill developments. The shift in today’s church is more towards internal and spiritual because of the misunderstanding on Faith and Good Deeds.
BIBLE PORTIONS
Ephesians 2:8-10, “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Romans 3:20, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”
James 2:14-26, “14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.... 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
The shift in today’s church is more towards internal and spiritual because of the misunderstanding on Faith and Good Deeds. The church in today’s view point like other intuitions concerned for the welfare of its believers in most cases. I thought of explaining the role of Good Works in the light of the scriptures by asking few questions.
QUESTION 1: CAN GOOD WORKS SAVE ME?
No! (The above verses we read make us clear that Good works can never be the means of salvation)
QUESTION 2: WHY DO I NEED TO DO GOOD WORKS?
God’s grace in saving us was not only to rescue us from hell but also that we would reflect His character / nature by doing good to the world. (Eph 4:24)
Doing good works as a believer brings Glory to God (Matthew 5:16) – “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (I saw a watsapp message after the cyclone called “Ockhi” lay waste of the east coast of Tamilnadu – a militant Hindu looked at the social service of a Christian institution and Glorified God – he confessed that he was thinking of Christians take all opportunity to convert people being falsified by the good works done by St. Joseph’s college, Trichy. This is just an example that by doing good deeds to others bring glory to God)
QUESTION 3: WHAT ARE GOOD DEEDS?
· Is praying for someone in their needs?
· Is feeling pity for the people who are in suffering?
· Is motivating someone who feels down and rejected?
· Is acting (Doing) something for someone who is in need?
I am sure that you would go for the last option for “Doing Good.” Deeds can never come in form of words but through action – that is the reason you immediately guess the final as the right answer.
QUESTION 4: WHAT DOES GOOD DEEDS INDICATE IN A BELIEVER?
Sign of Being Saved: There is NO state of saved but not changed! Every saved believer must show the transformed nature Christ in them (Enter into a dark room – switch on the light – the room gets brighter. There is no way the light shines brighter yet the room is dark) Saved believer is the one who is transformed by the nature of Christ. If we put on Christ (Col 3:12-17) the nature of Christ implemented on us.
Sign of Growth/Maturity (Baby in infant stage does not look like the parents but as it grows up resembles the parents – so also believers in regeneration to spiritual maturity must reflect the nature of God – God is good towards everybody in the world – Matthew 5:43-48).
Sign of Bearing Fruits: Fruits of the Holy Spirit shows who you are to the outer world (Gal 5:22-23), whereas the Spiritual Gifts shows who you are in the body of Christ (Church). Bearing fruit reveals your good works to the people. John 15 we see about bearing fruits by remaining in Him. Believers as branches, apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:4)
QUESTION 5: WHAT WILL I GET BY DOING GOOD?
a. We are assured of Returns: There is assured returns in Mutual Funds, LIC, PLI and other investments. Will I get something for what I do? The Bible promises for returns too…
Proverbs 19:17, “When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back.” (GNT) – Similar translation we see in NLT. All other versions speak of Pity and Kindness to poor is equal to lending God – He repays what you have done!
Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”
Most of the times the above verse is quoted for giving unto the Lord – the passage is clear about our relationship to one another (vv.37-42). We see the emphasis of Paul in giving to the poor or those who are in need in his initiatives during the missionary journeys (Rom 15:26) – “For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.”
James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” The word religion is replaced with godliness in other versions. The Lord repays what is done as good deed to the poor and destitute.
b. We are assured of Rewards: (Matthew 10:40-42) Speaking of sending out the twelve, Jesus instructed them of what to do and don’t. The chapter concludes with the promised rewards for those who give a cup of water to the lease of the disciples. V.42 says, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward”
Reward is a heavenly blessing promised for the believers. The epilogue of the Bible say, Jesus on His return brings reward to everyone according to their deeds (Rev 22:12)
c. We are assured of Rest (Eternal Rest) – Matthew 25:31-46 Rest in the perfect Kingdom – Prepared since the creation of the world (Mat 25:34). The King said to the people in the right side (depicted as sheep), ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (v.40). the acts as it is mentioned here are Food to the hunger, Water to the thirsty, hospitality to the strangers, dress to the naked, concern to the sick and prisoners.
All the above acts done to someone is referred to being done to God (v.40). This group is portrayed as “Blessed by the Father” (v.34) who inherits the eternal rest or heaven.
CONCLUSION:
Good Works do not produce Salvation
Good Works are product of Salvation
Good works done to stranger/poor/believer/those in need does not go in vain, the scripture promises Return, Reward and Rest in response to the good works.
Salvation is viewed by God through Grace
Salvation is viewed by people through good works
Galatians 6:9-10, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
May God enable us to do good to everyone. Amen!
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