Most religions, if not all, teach us to do good to our fellow men.
As Methodists, there is a very strong emphasis on "good works". Hence, there are outreach programs, funds set up for the poor and needy, evangelistic events during Easter and Christmas, and so on.
But how do we distinguish between what is "good works" which is pleasing to God, and what is "dead works" which is nothing more than filthy rags in His sight?
I like the illustration that Ps Prince gave in a sermon he preached two weeks ago entitled "Put the "Amazing" Back into Grace" in which he spoke about the River Nile.
Most people would associate the river Nile with Egypt. This is because it spans the entire nation from the south to the north and provides its people with the irrigation required for its crops. In fact, the ancient Egyptians went to the extent of worshipping the Nile and that is why God turned it into blood, to show Pharaoh that He was the true God.
However, if one were to trace the Nile southwards towards its true source, one would be surprised that it goes all the way past Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda to the mountains in Burundi, which is in Central Africa! This is not obvious to most people. What is obvious is where it ends, ie. in the Mediterranean Sea just above where Egypt is.
And so likewise it is with good works, which is what is visible to others. The source of good works is not immediately obvious to most people too, even fellow Christians.
Paul tells us in Eph 2:10 that we are God's masterpieces, created in Christ Jesus to do "good works".
But let us trace that back to the earlier two verses to see what the source of good works is...
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this 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 workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Verse 8 tells us that God's grace is the source of our good works!
Yes, dear brothers and sisters, without His grace being the source and motivation for us, anything and everything we do, however noble, will all be in vain. That is what is so amazing about grace. Amen?
6 comments:
you are quite laughable botak LOL
now let see you do some good works instead of listening to trash :)
Dear Anon
Don't know what your source of pleasure is by trolling, but it will definitely not deter me from blogging for Jesus' glory :-)
Even though I do not know who you are, God does and He must have a reason for leading you here. My prayer is that you will catch the grace gospel as a result of this.
Hi Mal,
Great post! Another parallel passage by Paul is 1 Cor 13:1-3.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing."
When we trace the source, we discover that everything begins from God's love :-)
Amen, Amen xD
Hi Mal,
I don't usually think about whether what I do is a good work or a dead work.Most of the time,when I serve it's bcoz I just enjoy what I do.
Back in those days when attending a legalistic church,I seldom enjoy my service to God and ministry.Service was always out of self effort to please God or please the leaders or man.
I wasn't looking forward for the Sunday services to begin with.I was looking forward for it to end.The sermons were boring!
Staying in the church was for the wrong reasons.It was for the friends I knew and the fellowship we enjoyed.But spiritually I was dry and unfufilled.Not properly nourished with God's word from the pulpit.
Now that we have come to know of God's amazing grace,Christian living is not boring and dull anymore.How can it be? We now live by His life and think with His thoughts.We have the life of Christ in us and the mind of Christ. Gal 2:20,1 Cor 2:16
Thanks for summarizing PPrince's message. I read the same passage/verses so many times but I never saw the "grace" behind the works. My leaders would often use these verses to demand from us. Anyway, am I glad to be liberated.
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