WORDTIPS: GOOD WORKS

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Dorcas got up from her bed as usual with a new idea to make a new dress for a widow friend of hers. Surrounding her were the coats and the mantles and the shawls and the bathrobes and the gowns she had already sewn for the downtrodden of her society in Joppa. Thanking God for the strength He had given her to do all these, and with all smiles, Dorcas started sewing the new one, when suddenly she fell sick and went off to bed.

          On hearing that Dorcas, also called Tabitha was sick, the widows, the downtrodden, the weak and the elderly encompassed her house with tears to pray for her and help her because all of them were either wearing a clothing she had stitched for them or had one at their homes. She was such a woman of good works that they couldn’t help to see her suffer. Worse to attack their emotions, she suddenly left her last breath, and there was a lot of tears and mourning, that the church heard of her demise and couldn’t take it easily, as they all were touched by her alms and good works.

          Knowing that apostle Peter was ministering in Lydda, a nearby town, they sent two men to him asking him to come immediately without any delay. Meanwhile, her loved ones washed her body and laid her in an upper room. Straightaway Peter came with them and went to the upper room, but was jammed by all of her friends who showed him the tunics and shawls and dresses she had made for them and they were weeping uncontrollably. Peter let himself alone in the room, knelt beside the body, prayed and commanded the body saying, “Tabitha, arise.”  Instantly she opened her eyes, saw Peter and sat up. Paul lifted her hands and presented her alive to her community again. Thus her good works brought her back to life again.

“GOOD WORKS’ – A TERM USED ONLY IN THE BIBLE

I was quite amazed not to find the term ‘Good works’ anywhere else but the Bible, and adding to my amazement was that all the different versions of the Bible carefully preserve the term ‘Good works’, not coining any other in its stead. The relative terms used in thesaurus for ‘good work’ are labour of love, acts of grace, courtesy, kindly act, etc. I also searched it in my mother tongue ‘Tamil’ of the word ‘நற்கிரியை’ (Narkiriyai), but could find it nowhere else than the Bible.

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IS IT IMPORTANT TO DO GOOD WORKS, WHY?

According to the Bible, salvation is purely by the grace of God and not by any work or ‘karma’ of man. God is specific that it is a pure gift from Him to men wrought through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who paid it all at the Cross. No man can boast of any of his deeds that led to his salvation. But having saved the souls of men by His divine grace, the Scripture insists that the purpose for creating man (the born-again man) is for good works, and that He has already prepared it well in advance in each one of us. Any born-again child of God should be in the first hand, delegating his or her duties at home, work and church. The Bible states about the works of a noble wife in Proverbs 31 and in the last verse it says, “Honour her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate” (Proverbs 31:31). So, the very purpose that we are born again in Him is to add good works as God Himself would do (Ephesians 2:8-10). For example, Peter was fishing hard, he was sincere in his work even though it was a failure that night. He didn’t walk away overwhelmed throwing away his fishing net just like that. He was carefully washing his net, when Jesus met him, there was a drought of fish and Jesus called him saying, “I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

GOOD WORKS IS NOT MAN’S INBORN NATURE

The Word of God states that man is accustomed to do evil and it is hard for him to do good as much as it is hard for an Ethiopian to change his skin or for a leopard to change its spot (Jeremiah 13:23). Every man born on earth is used to trespass, sin and disobey, gratifying the cravings of the flesh and the mind, as it is the habitual way of the world, influenced by the prince of the power of the air (Satan) (Ephesians 2:1-3).

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MAN NEEDS A U-TURN

So, a man who was totally on the darker side, now being saved is expected to do works of the light. He who was skilled in doing evil and never knew what was good is now expected to be wise about good and innocent about evil (Jeremiah 4:22; Romans 16:19). So, man the nature of Satan and the desire of the flesh a man who is born again must turn to the nature of God. He should be renewed very day in his mind to get a total transformation (Romans 12:2)

GOODNESS & GOOD WORKS ARE GOD’S NATURE

God is good and hence He does what is only good (Psalm 119:68). All that God made was good, even man until he obeyed the serpent (Genesis 1:31). The Scripture says that no one is good but God (Matthew 19:17). He deals well with us according to His Word (Psalm 119:65). Even Jesus was a complete embodiment of goodness during His incarnation because He was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power (Acts 10:38).

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GOD STARTS, PROGRESSES & PERFECTS GOOD WORKS IN US

We already saw that God has prepared us for good works (Ephesians 2:10). He is the One who begins and completes every good work in and through us (Philippians 1:5). He will establish us in all good works (2 Thessalonians 2:17) and make us perfect in all good works (Hebrews 13:21). So let’s just throw us into His hands and do good works as and how He leads us.

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THE SCRIPTURE & GRACE GIVEN TO GROW IN GOOD WORKS

The Scripture that is God-breathed is given to make us thoroughly equipped for all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God gives us abundance of His grace so that we will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). We need to be like good stewards and serve one another dispersing the manifold grace that God has given to each one of us (1 Peter 4:10).

LIST OF GOOD WORKS IN THE BIBLE

i) Any service in the house of God (only mention of good works in the O.T.) (Nehemiah 13:14)

ii) Giving our valuables to God – Woman with the alabaster box of expensive perfume (Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6), Abraham willing to give Isaac (Genesis 22)

iii) Teaching, healing, casting out demons as Jesus did – (Acts 10:38) Even those who came to stone against Jesus accepted that all these were good works – (John 10:32-33)

iv) Helping the destitute & poor, & giving alms as Dorcas did – (Acts 9:36) – God is pleased in such works – (Hebrews 13:16). Jesus presents a large passage in the Bible about feeding the hungry, clothing the cloth less, caring for the sick and releasing the oppressed. He says that whatever we do to them we do to Him and whatever we have not done to them we have not done to Him (Matthew 25:33-46). It is also an imperative criterion in making it into His kingdom.

v) Raising up children, hosting strangers, serving the saints, helping the troubled – (1 Timothy 5:10)

vi) Abstaining from the lusts of the flesh – (1 Peter 2:11-12)

vii) Obeying authorities – (1 Peter 2:13-15)

viii) Suffering for doing good – (1 Peter 2:20; 1 Peter 3:17)

ix) Gentle & wise reply with humble deeds – (James 3:13)

x) Loving & doing good to enemies, giving debts without expecting back – (Luke 6:35)

xi) Giving according to what we have – (1 Timothy 6:17-18) – The rich have to give lavishly (1 Timothy 6:17-18), the widow who gave two mites (Mark 12:41-44), the wise men who brought gold, frankincense & myrrh (Matthew 2:11-12)

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CHURCH & GOOD WORKS ARE COUPLED TOGETHER

Paul left Titus in the Island of Crete to form a new church and appoint elders in it. The book of Titus is all about good works. The church should be ready for all good works (Titus 3:1). The church should be careful to do good works. It is good and profitable to men (Titus 3:8). The servant of God must be a model for good works (Titus 2:7-8). Jesus Christ gave Himself so we will be zealous of good works (Titus 2:14). The church is to assemble in order to provoke one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24-25). Those who say that they are zealous of the Lord should adorn themselves with good works (2 Timothy 2:10). People see God through our good works (Matthew 5:16). Even people who say that we are evildoers, they should see our good works and glorify God in the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:12). We need to give all fruits of good works (Colossians 1:5). We are commanded to do good and it is the very sign of our repentance (Psalm 34:14; Psalm 37:27).

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GET EQUIPPED FOR GOOD WORKS

We are called to equip ourselves with all good works to do His will so that God will accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight (Hebrews 13:21). We need to practise doing good works so that we don’t become fruitless (Titus 3:14). By leaving arguments, preaching the gospel without shame, getting away from unnecessary talks, departing from evil, running away from the lusts of the world, joining together with those who worship God, seeking righteousness, love and peace, and by not fighting, by being meek, by being a good teacher and bearing evil, we will be clean and READY for good works.

REWARD FOR GOOD WORKS

– Will be called children of God (Luke 6:35)

– Those who did good works will rise to receive life (John 5:28-29)

– Eternal life is given to those who do good works without ceasing (Romans 2:7)

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CONCLUSION

 God saved us purely by His grace without considering our evil works of the past. We are urged to do good works to keep growing in and like Christ so that we can meet Christ as He is when He come (1 John 3:1-3). If we just profess to be children of God and not act according to what He says, we will be unfit for any good works (Titus 1:16). Though our good works may not be acknowledged and it is just done indoors among the ungrateful, let us not worry, it will not be hidden forever (1 Timothy 5:25). Let us not get weary in doing good, for in right time we will reap (Galatians 6:9). God bless you!