March 28, 2021 GOOD AND PROFITABLE
Titus 3:5-8, 1
“He saved, us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.” “And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds, to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful.”
We often hear it said that we are not saved by good deeds-and that is true as the first verse above makes clear. Because of this truth, we may have a tendency to ignore good deeds, because after all, our salvation is made secure without any good deeds on our part. However, being a child of God, being joined to Him, and having the Holy Spirt living in us certainly is to have a great impact on us, and the life we live is to show forth the evidence of this awesome truth. Our motive for doing good deeds is what matters. We can do a good deed to impress others, to prove that we are a good person, or to simply make us feel better about ourselves; obviously these are not the best motives. Being about doing good deeds takes on a new meaning when we understand the true reason for good deeds. Simply said, we do good deeds because God is a good God. Because God is compassionate, loving and kind, and He is our Father, it only follows that we will be like Him in this world. Our new nature that we receive from Him is made in His image and because of this, doing good deeds is a part of our new nature. When we do good deeds with the right motivation, we are not focused on ourselves, but on what blesses and helps others, and in the process, we are blessed and fulfilled. This is where our old nature and our new nature clash; the old nature focuses on self and the new nature focuses on being about the things that please the Lord and the things that bless others. When we do good deeds as unto the Lord, we do not expect recognition from others, a ‘pat on the back’, or any pay-back from the one we bless. Also, we must follow the leading of the Holy Spirt as He will open doors and put on our heart the good deeds we are to be about. Let us see that Jesus is our example; He came to give, to bless, to serve, and to demonstrate the love of the Father-let us be like Him in this life. Today, look for opportunities to do good deeds and be a part of meeting pressing needs of those we come in contact with. Remember, we do good deeds because that is what our Father does, not to gain God’s or man’s approval.
Matthew 5:15-16 “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candle stick; and it giveth light to all that are in the house. Let you light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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