January 18, 2019 LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE
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.
Titus 3:14 “And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful.”
John 9:4 “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.”
I must say at the outset that the subject of ‘works’ for the believer can be a tricky subject; some misunderstand how works apply in the life of the believer. It is a clear teaching in the scriptures that believers are to be engaged in good works, but the tricky part is the reason for the works. The idea of works has gotten a bad rap on two fronts. One is an unbalanced teaching and emphasis on grace that leads one to believe that works are not important and all that matters is that we are under the grace of God. Also, some see works as being a way to please God and a way of earning salvation-which is a legalistic view of works. (Salvation comes through the grace of God and not of works; it is a gift that cannot be earned. Jesus death on the cross made salvation possible.) As a result of being exposed to inaccurate teachings on the subject of works, the idea of works is not a priority for some believers. To understand the call to be about good works begins with the basic foundational truth that God is good. Because we are made in the image of God and we have His DNA, and because He is our Father and He has given us a new nature like His, it only stands to reason that we will resemble our Father in our actions. Acts 10:38 tells us that Jesus went about doing good. In John 5:19 Jesus said that He did what He saw the Father doing: it was the nature of the Son (Jesus) to be like His Father (God). The good news for us, the liberating news, is that the works that God calls us to be about are a natural result of knowing Him and our identity in Him. (I’m reminded of a story from Peter Lord about a young eagle that fell out of his nest and took up with a flock of turkeys. One day, this eagle looked up and saw an eagle soaring above; in an ‘aha’ moment, the eagle knew that he was an eagle-not a turkey-you know the end of the story-he took to wings and soared with the eagles-he found his true identity. Check out the book-‘Turkeys and Eagles.’) Any work we do is in vain if our motivation and reason for the work is to impress others, to earn God’s approval, earn our salvation, or even to make us ‘feel’ better about ourselves. The only work that matters is the work that flows out of who we are in Him; only as we live out of our new nature, will we be about the works that He has called us to. In fact, when we are walking in our true identity in Him, all we do pleases Him and our very life is a picture of His grace and mercy. As an example, we will be a good neighbor; we will display godly character in all of our dealings and relationships; we will have an attitude of helping; we will encourage others, and etc. Again, and the main point is that we do not do works in order to gain His approval; we do go works because it is in our new nature to do so. May we come to understand that we have been made new and we can now display through all we do, the goodness, the mercy, and the grace of our Father who is in heaven.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the 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 that we should walk in them.”
Titus 2:14 “Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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.
Titus 3:14 “And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful.”
John 9:4 “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.”
I must say at the outset that the subject of ‘works’ for the believer can be a tricky subject; some misunderstand how works apply in the life of the believer. It is a clear teaching in the scriptures that believers are to be engaged in good works, but the tricky part is the reason for the works. The idea of works has gotten a bad rap on two fronts. One is an unbalanced teaching and emphasis on grace that leads one to believe that works are not important and all that matters is that we are under the grace of God. Also, some see works as being a way to please God and a way of earning salvation-which is a legalistic view of works. (Salvation comes through the grace of God and not of works; it is a gift that cannot be earned. Jesus death on the cross made salvation possible.) As a result of being exposed to inaccurate teachings on the subject of works, the idea of works is not a priority for some believers. To understand the call to be about good works begins with the basic foundational truth that God is good. Because we are made in the image of God and we have His DNA, and because He is our Father and He has given us a new nature like His, it only stands to reason that we will resemble our Father in our actions. Acts 10:38 tells us that Jesus went about doing good. In John 5:19 Jesus said that He did what He saw the Father doing: it was the nature of the Son (Jesus) to be like His Father (God). The good news for us, the liberating news, is that the works that God calls us to be about are a natural result of knowing Him and our identity in Him. (I’m reminded of a story from Peter Lord about a young eagle that fell out of his nest and took up with a flock of turkeys. One day, this eagle looked up and saw an eagle soaring above; in an ‘aha’ moment, the eagle knew that he was an eagle-not a turkey-you know the end of the story-he took to wings and soared with the eagles-he found his true identity. Check out the book-‘Turkeys and Eagles.’) Any work we do is in vain if our motivation and reason for the work is to impress others, to earn God’s approval, earn our salvation, or even to make us ‘feel’ better about ourselves. The only work that matters is the work that flows out of who we are in Him; only as we live out of our new nature, will we be about the works that He has called us to. In fact, when we are walking in our true identity in Him, all we do pleases Him and our very life is a picture of His grace and mercy. As an example, we will be a good neighbor; we will display godly character in all of our dealings and relationships; we will have an attitude of helping; we will encourage others, and etc. Again, and the main point is that we do not do works in order to gain His approval; we do go works because it is in our new nature to do so. May we come to understand that we have been made new and we can now display through all we do, the goodness, the mercy, and the grace of our Father who is in heaven.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the 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 that we should walk in them.”
Titus 2:14 “Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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