LIFE PROMOTES LIGHT AND THE LIGHT PROMOTES GOOD DEEDS, NO. 4.
Fathers, continually pray that you and your family will be full of good deeds. If the light of Christ in us is minimal, the good deeds will also be minimal. Light and good deeds cannot be separated as Matthew 56:16 states: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
When Jesus uses the words, “SO SHINE,” He puts emphasis on the shining. God is glorified by the “SO SHINING.” Knowing that good works cannot merit salvation in any way has caused evangelical Christianity to shy away from the doctrine of good works. This has resulted in a Christianity that does little shining.
Ephesians 2:8-10 says: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
James 2:17, 18 teaches us that saving faith, which is a gift, results in good works: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.” Good works are the gift of faith in action.
In a sense, good deeds themselves are wrought by the grace of God working through us. To do good works with the motivation to boast in ourselves is not acceptable to God. All Christian good deeds should only be done to bring glory to God.
Good question: do we cheat God of His glory by our failure to be full of good deeds?
To be continued.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
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