IT IS BY GRACE THAT WE ARE SAVED NOT BY WORKS

Proclamation:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, in a letter to the believers in the church at Ephesus.  Paul began this second chapter by telling them that they were lost in sin, following the ways of the world, until they were saved by the grace of God. (Ephesians 2:1-6)  He told them that they were saved by grace through faith.  Their salvation was a gift from God, and it had nothing to do with their work or anything that they did.  He went on to tell them that they were once separated far from Christ, but now they have been brought near to Christ by the blood that He shed. (Ephesians 2:12-13)  Now they are no longer foreigners, they are fellow citizens with God’s chosen people and members of His family. (Ephesians 2:19-20)

Applications:

Our salvation is based solely upon our belief in Jesus, The Christ.  We did nothing to earn it.  It is a gift from God by His grace.  The favor of God’s grace is bestowed upon us and it is unmerited and undeserved.  We were created in Christ as believers to do good works, to give God glory, but the good works is not what saves us.  The Lord God has prepared us to do good work and “… He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)  So let us keep on working for The Lord while we can, because one day we will make the transition from labor to reward.  On that day we will be absent from the body and present with The Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8) 

THE LORD GOD WILL NOT FORGET OUR GOOD WORK AND OUR HELP OF OTHERS

Proclamation:

“God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.  We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.  We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”  Hebrews 6:10-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by an unknown human author under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter the author urges the people of God to move on “from milk to meat,” from the elementary teachings of God to the more mature doctrine. (Hebrews 6:1-2)  He then begins to discuss those who have been enlightened by The Word of God and then fallen away. (Hebrews 6:4-8)  Although The Bible makes it clear that once we are saved, we cannot lose our salvation.  We cannot be taken out of the hand of God. (John 10:27-29)  Then he goes on to say that The Lord God will not forget their good works. (Hebrews 6:9-12)  He concludes the chapter by encouraging them to persevere in faith because of the certainty of God’s promise. (Hebrews 6:13-17)

Application:

The Lord God knows everything about everything, and He remembers all that we do.  We are encouraged to do good so that men can see our good works and give God glory. (Matthew 5:16)  Our good works will not save us.  Our salvation is based upon our belief in Christ.  However, we will be rewarded for doing good works when we have to give an account of our stewardship. (Luke 16:2 and Matthew 25: 21 and 23)  The Lord considers the good that we do to those who are in need as if we had done it unto Him. (Matthew 25:35-40)  So, keep on doing good works and helping God’s people and we will receive God’s promise.

ONLY WHAT WE DO FOR CHRIST WILL COUNT

Proclamation:

“Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved …” 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (NKJ)

Explanation:

Under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in Corinth.  Paul told them that all that he had taught them was based upon the gospel of Jesus Christ.  That was the foundation upon which they should base their philosophy and behavior. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)  All of their life’s activities would be like gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble.  He said that on judgement day, every man’s work would be tested by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11-12)  The believer would be saved but all of his work which was wood, stubble, and hay would be consumed by the fire, only the work which was gold, silver, and precious stones will pass through the fire. (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

Application:

Wherever we go and whatever situation we find ourselves in, we should spread The Word of God.  If there is anyone there to talk to, we should speak about the gospel and spread the good news about salvation in Jesus, The Christ.  This is not something that we only to share with those in our local church on Sunday mornings.  The Apostle Paul was under house arrest in Rome but he preached the gospel to all who came to visit him. (Acts 28:16-31)  Some of them who heard him "... believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not ..." (Acts 28:24)  Every one that we tell about the good news will not believe it.  And some people just will not understand it, no matter how we explain it. (Acts 28:26-27)  But our assignment is to tell them, not to make them believe it.  Of all of the people that we talked to this past week, to how many of them did we mention Jesus Christ and salvation in Him?  Think about all of the words that we spoke, how many of them gave God glory?  "For I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgement.  For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)  We can't say that our good deeds out number our bad deeds so we are okay.  We don't really know what our good deeds are, and some things that we think of as neutral are actually bad (sinful) like our idle words.  "All unrighteousness is sin ..." (1 John 5:17)  If what we say or do does not give God glory, then it is a sin.  Only our works which are “gold, silver, and precious stones”, things that give God glory, will pass the test of fire on judgement day.  For those things we will receive a reward.  Remember, as the song says, "... only what you do for Christ will last ... only what you what you do for Him will be counted at the end ..."

WE SHOULD LET OUR LIGHT SHINE

Proclamation:

"... Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus, The Christ, as He spoke to His disciples and indirectly to the surrounding crowd during His Sermon on The Mount.  After He presented the beatitudes, Jesus told them that they were the salt of the earth and then He said that they were the light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-16)

Application:

Salt has a purifying influence in addition to having a unique taste.  Light always defeats darkness and it reveals things which are hidden in the dark.  As believers we are to be a purifying influence in a sin sick world.  We are to be the light which shines so that the lost can find their way to Christ.  We are to live our lives in such a manner that others can see The Christ within us.  Our good deeds are to be done for the benefit of others, to help, encourage, edify, and enlighten them.  We are to be living examples of good Christian behavior for others to see and imitate.  Additionally, we are to do so, not for the personal praise from men, but for the glory of God.  Before we speak or act, we should ask ourselves, "What would Jesus say or do in this situation?"  Let us examine the motives for our words and actions.  Let us stop living for personal attention, glory, gain, and gratification.  We each should pray and ask God, "What is His purpose for our life?"  Then we should let our light shine and live for the glory of God.

Let Your Light Shine

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew as Jesus was beginning His Sermon on the Mount.  After telling His disciples that they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world, He told them to let their light shine.  He wanted all men to see their good works and then glorify God, The Father, in heaven. 

Believers are to be a living example of the teachings of Christ.  Once we are saved, The Holy Spirit of God indwells us and we are changed. (Ezekiel 36:27 and 1 John 3:24)  That Spirit within us is the light which shines forth, however brightly.  By living godly lives, we show the world the power of salvation to change us from what we used to be.  We all need to let our light shine, and let it shine brightly.

Blessed Are Those Who Die In Christ

"Then I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Write: Blessed are the dead who die in The Lord from now on.'  'Yes,' says The Spirit, 'they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.' "  Revelation 14:13 (NIV)

These are the divinely inspired words from The Holy Spirit of God as revealed to, and recorded by, the Apostle John which was written to all believers.  He was told to write that believers who die from that point in time forward, would be blessed.  They will make the transition from earthly labor, to rest and heavenly reward.  Their works will follow them as a testimony and evidence that they lived a Christ-like life, and were obedient to The Word of God.

For the believer, death is not the end of life, it is the beginning of eternal life.  The death of a believer is precious in the sight of The Lord. (Psalms 116:15)  The battle with sin, temptation, sorrow, persecution, illnesses, trials, and tribulations is finished. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)  The death of the physical body just liberates the spiritual soul, which then returns to The Lord God to whom it belongs. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)  The dead in Christ shall rise and meet The Lord first. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)  On judgement day, the rewards and crowns which we receive will depend upon the works that we did to give God glory. (Psalms 62:12, Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 25:21-22, Jeremiah 17:10, Matthew 5:11-12, Matthew 10:41, Ephesians 6:8, 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4, Revelation 2:10, and Revelation 22:12)  Believers are blessed during this life, and will be blessed throughout eternity.  Loved ones who die are not lost, we know where they are, they are in heaven with The Lord.

We Should Always Do Our Best

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom."  Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV)

The wisdom of King Solomon is also reflected in the Book of Ecclesiastes.  Here he is urging the people that when they work, they should do their very best, at whatever it is that they do, while they have the opportunity because death is coming.  After they die, they will not be able to do anything, or plan anything, or think anything, or know anything. 

Jesus, The Christ, said "I must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work." (John 9:4)  Jesus knew that He had to be serious about doing His Father's work while He was here on earth, because He knew that His days were numbered.  The same is true for each one of us, our time on earth is limited.  Jesus was all about doing His Father's work even as a child. (Luke 2:49)  We need to work as if all that we are doing is for Him. (Colossians 3:17 and 3:23, and Romans 12:11)  We should do our very best when we work, at whatever we do, because we are, in fact, working for The Lord.  This life is not a dress rehearsal, we need to get it right, because there will not be a second chance to get it right after we die.  For after death, then comes the judgement.  That is when we all want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:21 and 23)  

Do Good Unto All Others

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

As part of His Sermon on The Mount, Jesus said that men should always treat others as they would have others to treat them.  He said that this is the essence of the Law and the teachings of the Prophets.

This verse is often referred to by the worldly phrase, "the golden rule", which states "do unto others as you would have them to do unto you."  This quote is usually followed by the phrase "author unknown".  All too often the world will not give Jesus, The Christ, the credit and respect which He is due.  The golden rule is a paraphrase of a Bible verse which quotes Christ.  Sometimes people will even give man credit for something that Christ said or did rather than recognize Christ.  The real problem with this is that not enough believers are sufficiently knowledgeable about the Bible to refute the worldly individuals with the chapter and verse from The Word of God.  Christ said that we should always behave, speak to, and act towards other individuals as we would like for them to behave, speak to, and act towards us.  We are not to do unto them as they do unto us.  We are not to repay evil with evil, but with love. (Romans 12:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, and 1 Peter 2:9)  We are even to do good the those that hate us. (Matthew 5:44)  We are to do good to, and love, our enemies. (Luke 6:27 and 6:35)  We are to love others, even when we are not loved in return.  If we only do good to and love those that do good to and love us, then we are no better than the lost sinners in the world. (Luke 6:33)  By our being Christ-like to those who treat us poorly, we are "heaping burning coals upon their heads."
The Lord will deal with them for their bad treatment of us. (Proverbs 25:21-22 and Romans 12:19)  Therefore, let us do good to all men, and treat all men as we would like to be treated.   (Galatians 6:10)  For knowing the right thing to do and not doing it is a sin. (James 4:17)

We Must Do The Work Of God

"As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me.  Night is coming, when no one can work."  John 9:4 (NIV)

The Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, recorded the words of Jesus as He spoke to His disciples regarding the man who was born blind so that the work of God could be displayed in his life.  Jesus, The Christ, said He must do the work of God, who sent Him to earth, while it is day and there is still time, for the night is coming  when no man can work.  He knew that He only had a limited time to perform His earthly ministry and that the disciples would be a part of that work.

It is generally agreed upon by the Bible experts that when Jesus said while it is day, He was referring to the time that He was still with His disciples conducting His earthly ministry.  When He said that night was coming, He was referring to the time when He would be taken away from them.  He only had a limited time to be with them, to do the work that He came here to do, and to prepare them to do God's work after His death. Today, we only have a limited time to do the kingdom building work of The Lord. (Job 14:1, Psalms 90:12, and Matthew 24:36)  We must do the best that we can, while we can, while we are alive.  When this physical life is over, then comes the judgement, and we must give an account of our efforts. (Romans 14:12)

Every Man Will Receive According To His Deeds

"But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;  but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."  Romans 2:8-10 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in the Church in Rome, the Apostle Paul told them that the righteous judgement of God will render to every man according to his deeds. (Romans 2:5-6)  The worldly people who reject Him will incur His wrath, and the righteous people who follow Him live by His Word will be blessed.
The salvation of the redeemed believers is not based upon their works, their good works are the evidence of their salvation.  The evil deeds of non-believers provides evidence of the absence of righteousness in their lives.  Both groups will sin, but believers will feel and show remorse, confess, and repent of their sins, whereas the non-believers will not.  We all will be judged on the basis of our belief, character, and conduct.  And, His judgement will begin with those in the Church.

God Supplies All We Need To Do A Good Work

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."  2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul said that God was able to give them all of the spiritual and physical things that they needed in order to do, and to continue to do a good work for Him by helping others. 

God can and does bless us with all that we need so that we can be a blessing to others.  When we are doing a good work for Him, we will be blessed.  Demonstrating the love of God by helping others is doing a very good work.  He who blesses others shall himself also be blessed.  (Proverbs 11:25)

Work As If You Were Working For The Lord

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from The Lord as a reward. It is The Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism." Colossians 3:23-25 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul told the people that they should do their best at whatever they do, as if they were working for The Lord. His point was that ultimately they were serving The Lord.

As believers we know that non-believers will make judgements about all Christians based upon what they see in our behavior. Therefore, all of our daily activities can be viewed as kingdom building activities. So, we should always do our best at whatever we are doing, because we are a reflection of Him. In the end, He will be the one to reward us.

We Will Be Rewarded For Helping God's People

"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

This unknown author of the book of Hebrews told the believers that God sees the love and good deeds shown to His people and it will not go unnoticed or be forgotten.

God sees all of the good things that we do to help His people. The love that we show our brothers and sisters in Christ will be recorded in a heavenly ledger. Being a blessing to others will result in us being blessed. The good work that we do for others will be rewarded.

Always Do Your Best

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV)

After a lengthy discussion about the vanities of life, Solomon, the son of David, teaches about the unpredictability of life and the certainty of death. In the preceding verses, he states that the blessings of this life are to be appreciated, enjoyed, and shared. God's good gifts of human relationships, food, drink, and satisfying labor are to be received humbly and enjoyed fully (but not to excess) as blessings from God. Do your best, at every task, while you can, and while you can appreciate the satisfaction that comes from satisfying labor, from doing a good job.

We should always do our best at whatever it is that we do. If anything is worth doing, then it is worth doing right, and doing it to the best of our ability. We should do all that we do as if we were doing it for The Lord. Soon our opportunity to do anything will have passed.

Be Strong And Do The Good Work

"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge The God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for The Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work." 1 Chronicles 28:9-10 (NIV)

After his many blessing and victories in the name of The Lord, King David wanted to build a temple to God to house the ark of the covenant (1 Chronicles 28: 2), which contained the stone tablets of the ten commandments. God told David that his son Solomon would build the temple. (1 Chronicles 28:3) Here David is telling Solomon to follow The Lord and do a good work. David was also talking to all of the people, "Hear me, my brethren, and my people ..." 1 Chronicles 28:2

We do not always get to do what we want or what we plan to do. Everything happens according to God's plan. We should acknowledge God and serve Him wholeheartedly and willingly. We need to be honest with ourselves and with Him, for He knows our heart, motives, and thoughts. We need to serve Him and do the good work that He has called each of us to do. We may not be charged with building a temple, but we are all charged with kingdom building here on earth.

Personal Motivation To Work For The Lord

"... 'Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.' ... They replied, 'Let us start rebuilding.' So they began this good work." Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NIV)

Because the Israelites had turned their back on God, He allowed the Chaldeans to defeat them, to destroy the house of God that Solomon had built, to tear down the walls around Jerusalem, and enslave them. (2 Chronicles 36:17-20) Ezra lead the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 3-7), but the city and the surrounding wall still lay in ruins. Nehemiah, the cup bearer and taster to King Artaxerxes, prayed to God, then convinced the king to allow him to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. The people were additionally motivated by the fact that each man was basically assigned to rebuild the section of the wall that was "opposite", "next to", or "in front of" his own house. (Nehemiah 3)

What are we working on today? What good work are we doing for The Lord and what is our motivation to do good work? Remember God knows our heart, thoughts, and our intentions. What "wall" are you working on and why are you doing it? Each of us needs to focus on doing a good work for The Lord in spite of what is going on around us.

Let Your Light Shine # 2

"... Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. " Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

We are to live our lives in such a manner that others can see The Christ within us. Our good deeds are to be done for the benefit of others, to help, encourage, and enlighten them. We are to be living examples of good Christian behavior for others to see and imitate. And we are to do so, not for the personal praise from men, but for the glory of God.

Before we speak or act, we should ask ourselves, "What would Jesus say or do in this situation?" Let us examine the motives for our words and actions. Let us stop living for personal attention, glory, gain, and gratification. We each should pray and ask God, "What is His purpose for our life?", and then live for the glory of God.