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Category: Good Works

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Perhaps you’ve heard of “The Golden Rule”: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, treat others the way you want to be treated. Unfortunately, we can’t always count on other people to do the same. We know that we are to love our enemies, (Matthew 5:43-48) but that doesn’t mean that they will stop being our enemies. Perhaps they will be so overcome by our good attitude, that their attitude will change, but even if it does, it could be a long, slow process. It is possible that how they treat us may never be the way that we treat them.

How then do you explain the promise found in Luke 6:38: Give, and it will be given to you? How do we know that our kindnesses will be returned if we can’t depend on other people to do their part? If people are going to treat us like dirt anyway, why should we bother to go out of our way to be nice to them? The answer is God. Not only should we live as though we are working for God, (Colossians 3:23-24) but God is in control, and He is the One who will reward us for what we do. We can’t count on others to repay us for our good deeds, but we can count on God. He may not repay us as soon as we would like, or in the way that we expect, (Ephesians 3:20) but just as He says that vengeance is His, (Romans 12:19) and He will repay for the hurts we receive, He will also repay us for the kindness we give. (Galatians 6:9)

The Bible not only says that this reward will be given to you, but that it will be given in “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over”. What does that mean? I am not well-known for my fabulous culinary talent—as a matter of fact, perhaps the opposite is true—but I have attempted to do some baking from time to time. What I figured out from my limited experience is that if you measure brown sugar, you can fit a lot more into the cup if you press it down. The same is true for flour. There seems to be a lot of air mixed with it until you tap it or shake it down. When you press down and shake together, you can fit a lot more in your cup. That’s the way God is willing to give to us, until our cup is overflowing and we can’t hold any more.

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Published on 2 Comments on Daniel 6:1-5 Integrity

The problem with Christianity is that people judge Christ based on the people who claim to be His followers. Christians are often called hypocrites because they say one thing and do the opposite. They know the right things to do, and they can and will tell you what they are, but they aren’t always strong enough to avoid making the mistakes themselves. Paul understood that. (Romans 7:21-25) He encouraged those to whom he ministered to live in a way that could not be criticized so that their ministry would not suffer because of their faults. (Titus 2:6-8, II Corinthians 6:3)

Daniel was a shining example of this kind of integrity. King Darius had appointed Daniel as one of the supervisors over the satraps—government officials—and the king was so pleased with his service that he intended to give Daniel authority over his entire kingdom. The satraps and other supervisors would have to answer to Daniel. (Daniel 6:1-3) For some reason, people who do well are not always respected for their abilities; often they are despised. That was the case with those who envied Daniel’s position, so they tried to find a way to discredit him. (Daniel 6:4) Since Daniel not only did not commit any crimes, but apparently also made no mistakes, the other officials had nothing that they could charge against him. They knew that the only thing that would work was to create a conflict between the laws of the land and the laws of God whom Daniel worshipped faithfully. (Daniel 6:5)

In later verses you will see that the supervisors and satraps deceived the king into making a law that would prohibit Daniel from worshipping God and which would land Daniel in the lions’ den. (Daniel 6:6-28) But God was with Daniel, and he was not harmed. In the end, Daniel was rewarded for his integrity, and he prospered during the reign of King Darius. Those who accused him ended up in the lions’ den instead.

Who is watching your every step to see if you live up to the beliefs you claim? You can be sure that someone is. What was true for Daniel is true for us too. If we do what is right in God’s eyes, we can trust Him to take care of everything else. (Matthew 6:33)

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Published on 2 Comments on Luke 16:1-9 Focus on Eternity

Most Christians, whether they actually practise it or not, would tell you that we are supposed to give 10% of our money, a tithe, to God. We think of it as our money, and by giving 10% we are either fulfilling an obligation (like paying a tax) or we are being generous and giving to charity. Financial expert and author Michel Bell would tell you that it is all God’s money, and we are just managing it while we are here on this earth.

The Clever Steward in Luke 16:1-9 was doing something very similar. He was the manager of his master’s household and was in charge of managing his master’s finances. But the manager started acting as if he were the owner and used the money for his own benefit. The master found out and fired him. What was that manager going to do now? Who would hire him? He was used to having a desk job, so he didn’t think that his back could take doing manual labour, and he certainly didn’t want people to think he was poor, so he didn’t want to beg. He had to come up with an idea fast, and so he did. He went to the people who owed his master money, and made deals with them. He cut one person’s debt in half, and another’s by 20%. I can’t imagine that the master was going to settle for a lower amount, so I believe that the manager paid the difference. This accomplished two things. He arranged for the master to get his money back more quickly, and he also won some friends by charging them less. That meant that when he was jobless there would be people willing to help him out. His master commended him for shrewd actions. His master certainly wasn’t commending him for his dishonesty. That is why he fired him in the first place.

What does Jesus want us to learn from this? I’m sure He doesn’t want us to imitate the manager’s bad qualities—dishonesty, selfishness and pride. But the manager had some good qualities too. He was quick-thinking, decisive and focused on his future; he knew that he could make use of his money to win friends. If we were to focus on our future, it would include eternity. Jesus is telling us that we need to use our wealth in ways that will reach people for Him. Instead of spending it on things that have no eternal value, we could buy Bibles, take missions trips, or support organizations that are already working to further the Kingdom. The more people who are saved because of our use of money, the more friends we will have in our eternal home.

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In my last post, I discussed Paul’s teaching that we are justified by faith and faith alone. James 2:14-26 is often seen as a contradiction of Paul, but what James said was not directed at Paul, and for that matter what Paul said had not been directed at James. Paul was speaking to a group of people who felt that they could earn their righteousness by obeying the law to the letter, and often to the point of neglecting mercy and compassion. James was speaking to his brothers and sisters—those who already claimed to have a faith in God but were not showing it in their actions.

James is not saying that we need to have both faith and works in order to earn salvation. If that were the case, we would be claiming that Christ is not our only saviour, but that we are saviours for ourselves. This is not supported in the rest of scripture at all, and it is not what James is teaching either. Faith in Christ is all we need for salvation, but true faith is more than just saying so; it is more than just intellectual agreement. That is an essential first step, but it is not the last step. True faith naturally results in obedience to Christ, and in the character of Christ being displayed through us. Good works are the only way that other people will be able to see our faith.

If we were to go to court to claim our innocence in some matter, we would be judged on our actions; that is how the jury would decide if what we said is true. The same principle applies to our faith. Our actions are the evidence that shows the world that our faith is real. Good works are the fruit of the tree that has faith as its root. You are known by the fruit that you bear. (Matthew 12:33)

It is a case of what motivates us. Are we doing what we believe is right, as Paul’s audience was, because we are trying to earn gold stars, or are we doing what we believe God wants us to do because we love Him and want to serve Him? Ephesians 2:8-10 ties it all together for us. We are saved by faith, but we were designed to do good works.

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Yesterday, at about 4:00 p.m. a tornado ripped through the town of Goderich, Ontario. It was the most severe tornado to hit the province since 1996. Goderich, situated on the shores of Lake Huron, is known as the prettiest town in Canada. (This designation stems from a comment made by Queen Victoria on the basis of a relative’s description.) The tornado touched down, and devastated, the historic town square. ‘The Square’, which is in fact an octagon, is notable because it was actually built with a plan; it didn’t just happen by chance as many towns did. Most of the buildings in the square still date from the 1800s, except that now many of them are missing walls and roofs.

I am sharing this news with you to make two points.
1. Life, and all the material possessions you hold dear, can change in an instant. The tornado in Goderich was over in a matter of seconds.
2. There is always someone in need that you can be good to.
In I Timothy 6:18, Paul instructs Timothy to tell the people, those who are rich in this world’s goods, (I Timothy 6:17) to do good and to be rich in good deeds. Be generous and share with others.

Thankfully when natural disasters occur, people are usually very generous with donations of money, food and clothing, sometimes overwhelmingly so. It seems odd to hear agencies such as the Red Cross tell donors to stop giving, that they have enough, but it has happened. What is less common is for people to keep giving when the big news story leaves the headlines. Goderich’s historic town square, like all the other places that have been hit by tornadoes, earthquakes or tsunamis, will not quickly be rebuilt. And there are a lot of people in your own community who need someone to be good to them too. A single mom who needs help with child care. Those who have been hurt or who have had surgery who need help with household chores or yard work. The student who needs help with his math homework. The elderly person who could use a ride to the grocery store. The man who has lost his job but still needs to feed his family.

John Wesley said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

Look around you. What good can you do?

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I’ve been going to church since before I was born, so I’ve grown up hearing certain words used in particular contexts. These words are often referred to as Christianese—words that aren’t really used by people who don’t hang out at church. If that includes you, please don’t feel left out; sometimes they aren’t really understood by the people who do hang out at church either. One of those words is “worship”. The word worship is sometimes used to refer to an entire Sunday morning service, but is most often used to refer to the part of the church service in which hymns and spiritual songs are sung. This understanding limits the scope of what worship really is.

In an interview recently with John Piper, Louie Giglio said,

We wanted to make sure we could message for the world: worship is not singing songs. Worship is acts of justice. That’s every bit of scripture breathing that out, and the heart of it for me is Hebrews 13:15-16. Through Jesus then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, which is—so here’s the definition—the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name—so bring a song—but then he says, and don’t neglect doing good and sharing with others for with these sacrifices God is pleased. And so if our purpose in worship is to feel good, we’re just going to keep singing songs, but if our purpose in worship is for God to be pleased, then we’re going to figure out what pleases God, and what pleases God is when the last and least of these are touched.

Worship then is using our voices, whether in song or not, to acknowledge God’s name—to give Him praise—remembering that the only reason we can come before God at all is because we have gained access to Him through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. (John 14:6) But worship is also doing what pleases God—doing good and sharing with others. Jesus says that there are really only two commandments, to love God and to love others. (Matthew 22:37-40) He also says that what you do for others, you do for Him. (Matthew 25:40) James says that good deeds are an extension of our faith. (James 1:27, James 2:8, James 2:14-22) The next time you are singing songs in church, I hope that you will be truly worshipping God, but realize that true worship goes far beyond those few moments.

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I was astounded, appalled and saddened by the events that took place after the final game of the Stanley Cup playoffs in Vancouver on Wednesday night. Let me clarify that my title in no way suggests that one team was good and the other evil, but rather that there were two battles that night—one on the ice and the other in the streets. People overturned cars and set them on fire, including two police cars. They smashed store windows and looted the shops. There was violent behaviour that included stabbings, beatings and throwing things (including fists and insults) at police officers and others. Media personnel were asked to get off the streets for their own safety. The police read the Riot Act to the crowd, but it was ignored. Even clouds of pepper spray and tear gas only moved them slightly. It was a scene of chaos and anarchy.

I want to emphasize that this activity in no way represents the majority of the people who live in the beautiful coastal city of Vancouver, and even on that night, there were people who put themselves in danger to do the right thing. Shop owners and private citizens did what they could to protect property. Others tried to break up fights or urged people to move along. Some were beaten for their efforts. The next day, many more volunteered to help clean up the mess that was left behind.

In Titus 3:1-2, Paul urges Titus to remind the people of Crete to be subject to authority, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, not to slander, but to be peaceable, gentle and courteous to all. Don’t you think that the world would be a nicer place to live if everyone followed that advice? Unfortunately, there is a difference between the people Titus was leading and the people who were causing so much destruction in Vancouver on Wednesday night. The Cretans had become followers of Jesus and wanted to do the right thing. Paul through Titus was teaching them how to leave their old ways behind, which they were able to do through the grace of Christ. (Titus 3:4-6)

The people who started the riot in Vancouver, many of them high school students, had absolutely no respect for authority, and had no desire to do the right thing. Evidence shows that the riot was planned—it would take place whether the home team won or lost—and that most of the troublemakers did not even go to the game. Statements on social media accounts and the fact that they brought Molotov cocktails with them show pre-meditation. What then can we do to prevent this kind of behaviour? First, we must realize that but for the grace of God, we might be in the same sorry state as the vandals. Second, we should pray, for the people of Vancouver, for the perpetrators of the crimes, and that justice would be done. Third, we need to be light in the world. The more of us who stand up against evil, the harder it will be for the evil to overpower us. Joyce Meyer has said, “When the light is turned on, the darkness has to go. … Godliness has to be chosen, but ungodliness will just run rampant if people are not actively making right choices. … Do not wait for somebody else to be the first one to make a right choice. Don’t you dare say, ‘Well, why should I be the only one?’ Why shouldn’t you be the one that leads a revolution of righteousness? Why shouldn’t you be the one to stand up and start doing what’s right and making right choices? You might be surprised what a leader you are.”

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Do you ever feel like you want to just quit?  I do.  For example, right now it is the middle of winter which means cold, grey days and long, dark nights.  I am recovering from not one, but two car accidents within the last five weeks.  The second didn’t cause more injury, but it did create more hassle in car repairs and insurance paperwork.  The injury from the first accident, however, is still causing pain and severe headaches.  I have much I want to do, but little strength.  Others I love are suffering even more.  My aunt has a recently diagnosed inoperable brain tumour.  My sister-in-law is in the hospital being injected with harsh anti-rejection medications to try to save her second transplanted kidney.   Friends are dealing with work and family issues.  Sometimes I wonder, can we not just get a break?  Then I remember Galatians 6:9 and that we will be rewarded for our perseverance.

Galatians 6:7-8 tells us that we will reap what we sow.  Good seeds will produce a good harvest; bad seeds will produce a bad harvest.  Verse 9 tells us that we need to continue to sow those good seeds.  We need to be kind and helpful to others, and not give up.  Continuing to do good does not mean that we need to do everything.  We need to prioritize the things that consume our time and energy, but we also need to be sure that it isn’t all focused on ourselves.

Growing weary is not the same as growing tired.  Tired is a physical state that we encounter when we try to fit too much into our lives at the expense of rest.  Weary is an attitude of discouragement—we feel like it is just not worth the trouble.  Galatians 6:9 tells us that it is worth the trouble.  Some rewards will come sooner and some will come later, but this verse promises us that they will come.  The agricultural analogy is a good one.  Not all crops progress from seed to harvest in the same amount of time—some are ready in months while others take years.  It is possible that we will see the rewards for some of our good deeds soon, and it is possible that we won’t see others until eternity, but we are promised that we will see them, and when they come we will realize that God’s timing is perfect.  Take heart!  Don’t give up!

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In my last post, I discussed Paul’s teaching that we are justified by faith and faith alone.  James 2:14-26 is often seen as a contradiction of Paul, but what James said was not directed at Paul, and for that matter what Paul said had not been directed at James.  Paul was speaking to a group of people who felt that they could earn their righteousness by obeying the law to the letter, and often to the point of neglecting mercy and compassion.  James was speaking to his brothers and sisters—those who already claimed to have a faith in God but were not showing it in their actions.

James is not saying that we need to have both faith and works in order to earn salvation.  If that were the case, we would be claiming that Christ is not our only saviour, but that we are saviours for ourselves.  This is not supported in the rest of scripture at all, and it is not what James is teaching either.  Faith in Christ is all we need for salvation, but true faith is more than just saying so; it is more than just intellectual agreement.  That is an essential first step, but it is not the last step.  True faith naturally results in obedience to Christ, and in the character of Christ being displayed through us.  Good works are the only way that other people will be able to see our faith.

If we were to go to court to claim our innocence in some matter, we would be judged on our actions; that is how the jury would decide if what we said is true.  The same principle applies to our faith.  Our actions are the evidence that shows the world that our faith is real.  Good works are the fruit of the tree that has faith as its root.  You are known by the fruit that you bear.   (Matthew 12:33)

It is a case of what motivates us.  Are we doing what we believe is right, as Paul’s audience was, because we are trying to earn gold stars, or are we doing what we believe God wants us to do because we love Him and want to serve Him?  Ephesians 2:8-10 ties it all together for us.  We are saved by faith, but we were designed to do good works.