Made For Good Works

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the free gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. 

 

Ephesians 2: 8-10

Our salvation through Jesus is the free gift of God.  All we have to do is acknowledge Jesus as our Lord, Master and Savior.  Because we have received this great gift, we want to do things which reflect the love of Jesus in our lives.  We do not do good works to be redeemed; we do good works because we are redeemed. 

So, the next time, when out of the blue you get the urge to do something nice for someone, like mowing your neighbor’s lawn or paying for the food of the person behind you at a drive up window, go ahead and do it, because you are made for good works.  

 

An Ox In The Well

It happened that when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely. And there in front of Him was a man suffering from edema. And Jesus responded and said to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they kept silent. 

And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away. And He said to them, “Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” And they could offer no reply to this.

Luke 14:1-6 

We would all like to have Sunday off from work and time to go to church and be with our families.  But for many people this is a luxury they do not have.  We should not make them feel guilty because they have jobs which mean they cannot attend church or spend Sunday resting. 

Jesus said, "When you ox falls into a well...."  The Pharisees all knew what He meant: The law is flexible to allow people to do the things that needed to be done.

So, if you must spend Sunday at work, instead of at church, know this - God loves you and understands your obligations.   

Paul On Paul

For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

1 Corinthians 15:11-14 

The Apostle Paul was aware that people were suspicious of his ministry because he had previously persecuted Christians.  He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen.  His reputation was so bad that God gave him a new name - Saul became Paul.  

Through all this Paul's faith and ministry grew and he proclaimed, "By the grace of God I am what I am..."

That is the way it is when we come to Christ.  We are no longer who we were but we are transformed by the grace of God and become new.

And, we are equipped by God to proclaim Christ to the World. 

No Other Name Under Heaven

 

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.”

“He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:8-12

Because Peter and John healed a beggar outside the temple, the temple officials arrested them.

And, what did Peter do when he was given an opportunity to speak?  Did he try to smooth over the situation and make peace with his accusers?  No.  He preached the Gospel. 

We should be so bold when we are questioned about our work for Jesus.  We need to stop apologizing for delivering the message of salvation through Jesus along with food, medical help and services to people who are hurting. 

We work for God and we should unashamedly say so.

There Is A Time To Judge

 

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 

 

Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 

 

Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 

 

2 Corinthians 14-16

 

As Christians, we need to carefully consider with whom we develop personal and business relationships.  While a person or company may seem to operating in a manner that reflects Christian values, it sometimes is all a show to lure people in so they can take advantage of others good reputation and money.

 

I  say this because the internet is full of scammers who seek to lure lonely people with sad stories or promises of friendship and romance, and fake churches and ministries who plead for money to help people or offer blessings for money.  In this same deceptive boat, are fake businesses and investment companies that promise big profits on investments to people and then rob them of their savings to support their own lavish life styles.  

 

And, sometimes the deception boldly creeps into the church. 

 

Paul warns to not be bound with unbelievers, and we should heed his warning. 

 

This being said, there is a time to judge and it is now. 

 

I Owe You

 

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

I had a friend who whenever anyone did anything to help him out would say, “I owe you one.” 

This was so wrong!  This man would do anything he could to help anyone who asked him.  He would drive twenty miles out of his way to take someone home.  He would buy lunch for the guy who was short on cash.  He would come over in the middle of the night to fix a neighbor’s furnace. 

He was kind and generous.  Yet, he was humbled by actions of kindness shown to him. 

This is what we owe each other as the Apostle Paul said, “To love one another.”  

Let Your Light Shine

 

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus does not speak passive words to us; He speaks words that call us to action.

Jesus challenges us to live in a way which demonstrates our Christian beliefs by doing what is good and right. It is easy to sit by and complain about the state of the world, it is more difficult to get up and do something. When we help people we demonstrate God’s love. We may think we are only saying encouraging words or feeding a few poor people and debate what difference our actions make. But the truth is when we step out in faith and do something, we unleash the love of God upon the world.

Light up your light so all may see God.