January 9, 2022 CALLED TO GOOD WORKS
Galatians 6:7-10 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
There is no way to confuse or not understand the message of the above scriptures. The very first admonition of this passage is a warning; “Do not be deceived.” It is wisdom to realize that it is possible for us to be deceived; Satan is a deceiver, disguising himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14. We avoid being deceived by being renewed in His word and by listening to and obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit. A second truth that we must not forget is that God is not mocked; what God says, comes to pass-He is never not sure or uncertain; He has a plan and nothing nor anyone can hinder what He is doing. This section of scripture is about the law of sowing and reaping-a sure and steadfast law that is no respecter of persons. This law is that whatever a man sows, that is what he reaps. The law of reaping and sowing can be either a frightening thought, or a law of promise and hope. We have but two choices when it comes to sowing; we sow to the flesh (our desires and what we think will make us happy), or we sow to the Spirit. Another sobering truth is that if we sow to the flesh we will reap corruption-there is no denying that reality; we cannot ‘out-smart’ or maneuver around this law and avoid the consequences of reaping corruption if we sow to the flesh. Now the good news; we can sow to the Spirit, and from the Spirit reap life. We sow to the Spirit by turning our heart to the Lord, by learning of Him through His word, by obeying what He has said in His word, by living out the teachings of scripture, and by doing the good deeds that God has prepared for us. It is simple enough; we are to do good. God is good, and we are His children. To ‘do good,’ we must turn the focus from ourselves to others; we must decide to do good and then do it. We may be about good works, but not see the fruit of our good works and may be tempted to give up on doing good; however, the passage above tells us not to lose heart in doing good, because in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Let us not put off doing good works, let us take the opportunity we have now to be about good works. It is crucial for us to understand that our motive for doing good works is not to gain God’s love. Because God is good and because He loves us, and because we are being transformed into His image, and because He has given us a new heart, it is only natural to be about good works-and these works glorify our Father.
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed