Christians often wonder how they can most effectively share the good news of salvation with their family and friends. “How can I pass along to others the Gospel that has changed my life? I don’t want to turn them off or be annoying.”
As you read your Bible, you will notice at least three things for which a Christian should be known. Three distinctive qualities that your family, friends and others should easily see in you:
- Good Life: clean, good habits, moral, honest, trustworthy, kind, joyful and gracious
- Good Works: acts of charity, helping, giving
- Good Words: telling others about Jesus
A and B go together; C should follow.
The first 18 lessons have focused primarily on (A) your changed life – transformed by the power and Grace of God through your personal faith in Jesus Christ. No longer a life marked and marred by sin. The transformative inner change! Baptism is the public announcement of the ‘new’ you. The change in your lifestyle is the ‘Good Life’ mentioned above. Increasingly, those closest to you should see Christian graces shining out of your life – Scripturally called, the fruit of the Spirit. Look at the list in Galatians 5:22-26.
But what about ‘B’ above – Good Works? The Good Life (A) is ‘being’. Good Works is ‘doing’ – activities that benefit others.
Are your good works helping to lead others to Christ? How much light is shining from the good works you are performing? The Lord expects me to live a good life, filled with good works for a good cause. He not only saved me for that purpose, He has equipped me to perform good works. Therefore, if there is any shortage of good works in my life, it has nothing to do with any failure on God’s part.
One of the defining marks of a believer is the outflow of good works from a good life. Why did God save me in the first place? What was His purpose? Ephesians 2:10 is crystal clear on His purpose for saving me:
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for (the purpose of doing) good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
The Lord expects our days to be full of good works; and, they will be IF we walk in the good path He has prepared beforehand for us. Good works should be the norm, not the exception in my life.
Read the Gospels and determine if good works were the norm for Jesus or the exception? The Lord Jesus said:
Let your light so shine before [others], that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
It is sad if my witness for Christ consists primarily of good words and rarely of good works. Which is listed first below?
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by Grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. 2Thessalonians 2:16-17 NASB
The following scenario should be quite typical of a Christian’s testimony:
Caleb whispers to Juliana: “Wow! Have you ever seen anyone like Bethany before? She is so kind and so considerate and so thoughtful and so polite and so helpful and so generous and so, well…whatever!! She’s amazing. She always sees something to do and some way to help out. She is incredibly unselfish. What an asset she is around here!”
“The other day,” Juliana responded, “someone told me that Bethany is a saved person. I think that means she goes to church regularly, but whatever it is she has, I’m impressed. I would love to get the same thing. I think she is the most contented – well, the happiest and most helpful person I have ever met. Someday I’m going to ask her what makes her so different from the rest of us.”
When Paul wrote Timothy about Christian widows, he said something like this in 1Timothy 5:9-10: “Look at the woman’s track record since she became a Christian. Has she exhibited the Christ-like qualities that are expected of every believer? Was she faithful in her marriage? Is she well known for all her good works? Did she care for children and orphans – those who were vulnerable, fragile and in need of support? Has she always been hospitable and helpful to strangers? Has she shown care for fellow believers? Did she wash their dusty old feet? Did she help those who were in any kind of trouble? In other words: did she diligently pursue every good work? Has she lived for herself or for others? Did she please herself or her Lord?”
What you have just read is the type of behaviour the Lord expects of you in your community and in your local church. Ask the Lord to make you more aware of the needs around you and to have both the desire and the courage to help out whomever you can, wherever you can, in showing the kindness, compassion, generosity and love of Christ.
Assignment for today:
- What does James 4:17 mean?
- Read these verses: 1Timothy 6:18, Titus 3:1,8,14, 1Peter 2:12
- In what way do good works add credibility to good words. Think of the adage – ‘talk is cheap.’
