works

Going through the motions

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We all go through motions every day. There are things we do that we’ve done so many times that we don’t even have to think about what we’re doing—getting dressed, brushing your teeth, pouring a cup of coffee, work, even commuting. We go through our daily routines by rote. Little or no thought is required. It’s easy to slip into those kinds of habits. Even when it comes to God.

I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is.

Amos 5:21-23 (NLT)

Ouch! Here God is, telling Israel that He will not accept the very things He gave them. Why not?

Yaweh did not desire the slavish observance of ritual, he desired right conduct, which in itself is an act of true worship.

International Bible Commentary

At this point in Israel’s sin, notice that God no longer referred to the festivals and offerings as His own. The attitude behind the sacrifices had become so focused on the action that God had nothing to do with them anymore and the actions belonged solely to Israel.

God has given us so much, so many ways to praise and worship Him yet we, like Israel, can easily slip into habits where we go through the motions, but our hearts and even our minds are no longer engaged.

Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry.

Amos 5:24 (NLT)

Far more than mere actions of pious offering, God would have us live lives of perpetual worship. Fake it ’till you make it can only get us so far. Sometimes we just need to start, but if our entire lives become a series of hollow actions, God receives no glory.

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:30 (NLT)

Let us all strive to produce a river of righteous living. Let us put meaning to our motions so that our works become our worship.

Daily Bible reading: Amos 4-6, Revelation 6

Make common

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We all know that common sense isn’t nearly as common as its name implies. And common sense isn’t the only thing that isn’t as common as it should be.

You are generous because of your faith. And I am praying that you will really put your generosity to work, for in so doing you will come to an understanding of all the good things we can do for Christ.

Philemon 6 (NLT)

The New Living Translation makes this verse pretty clear, but Barnes Notes on the Bible expounds on it even more.

Calvin has well expressed the sense of this passage, “…For although faith has its proper seat in the heart, yet it communicates itself to men by good works.” The meaning is, that [Paul] desired Philemon would so make common the proper fruits of faith by his good deeds toward others, that all might acknowledge it to be genuine and efficacious.

Barnes Notes on the Bible

My faith is personal. Yes, of course it is. It should be. But our faith should be anything but selfish. Like we discussed earlier this week, being a Christian, by definition, is to be Christ-like. And even Jesus, in his most personal moments, took the time to generously minister to others.

GENEROUS: Liberal, bountiful, free to give; strong, full of spirit; full, overflowing, abundant; sprightly, courageous.

That doesn’t sound much like something meant to be kept on the inside.

Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.

Hebrews 10:24 (NLT)

James 2:26 states that …faith that does nothing is dead (NCV). Works or good deeds are not what saves us—grace has done that—but works are what prove our faith to everyone else. Works are what draw others to our faith. Works substantiate our claim to belong to Christ. And, as we act more and more like Christ, not only to we look more and more like him, but we get to know him better and have a deeper understanding of who he is and strengthen our personal relationship with him.

Like common sense, the fruits of our faith are not nearly as common as they should be. We shouldn’t have to tell others we’re Christians. Our good deeds should do it for us.

Daily Bible reading: Jeremiah 36-37, Philemon

I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N

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We have a tendency to, at the moment of salvation, start referring to someone as a Christian. But is belief what truly makes us a Christian? Belief in Jesus as the Son of God, born of a virgin, having died and then raised to life is what makes us born again, but it is not what makes us a Christian.

First let’s look what being a Christian really is:

CHRISTIAN: A real disciple of Christ; one who believes in the truth of the Christian religion, and studies to follow the example, and obey the precepts, of Christ.

Believing and praying a prayer doesn’t make us Christians. Everything we say and do after will make that determination.

But salvation isn’t about works! Salvation is about one work—the one Jesus did on the cross. But our Christianity is all about works.

Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.

James 2:26 (NLT)

Our faith isn’t faith at all if we don’t do something about it.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)

We are all labelled by who we are and what we do. You have a first name—that makes you an individual. You have a last name—that makes you part of a family. You may have a job title—that indicates your employment. You may have a designation—that indicates your education. Using the title of Christian should be a determination of how you live your life. And the crazy thing about being called a Christian is that, if you have to tell someone that’s what you are, you probably aren’t.

If you love each other, all men will know you are My followers.

John 13:35 (NLT)

Our works and actions as Christians shouldn’t be to show people that’s what we are. They should be an outward reflection of an inward change. Both love and works have to be involved or both are empty. You need faith to be a Christian and the works of faith need love or they are useless.

We are accountable to one person—God. Our faith, our love, our works should all come into line with what He has instructed us in His word and the direction He has given to each of us individually. It is not our responsibility to make it all work, but to do as we have been called to do in the manner in which we’ve been called.

Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Colossians 3:23 (NLT)

Are you just a believer or are you a Christian, too?

Daily Bible reading: Proverbs 11-12, 1 Corinthians 15:33-58

Proof

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Life is all about proof. We all need to prove ourselves. When you’re looking for a job, you need to prove that you’re qualified. When you want to buy a house, you need to prove you can make the mortgage payments. When you want to cross a border, you need to prove who you are.

When he [Abraham] had proven himself faithful, he [God] made a covenant with him…

Nehemiah 9:8a (NLT)

Abraham had to prove himself worthy before God would cut a covenant with him. God wanted proof that this guy was going to be faithful before He bestowed blessings on him.

Many Christians are still acting like Abraham, trying to prove themselves worthy of a covenant with God. While Abraham was required to offer proof of faithfulness, God cut a covenant with us knowing full well we were all unfaithful. He knew when He sent Jesus to the cross that He was making a covenant with generation after generation of unfaithful people.

There is nothing that we can do to prove ourselves worthy of the covenant God has made with us. Our worth comes when we accept the gift God has so freely given to us.

Under the old covenant, the priest stands before the altar day after day, making sacrifices that can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as one sacrifice for sins, good for all time. For by that one offering he perfected forever all those whom he is making holy.

Hebrews 10:11-12, 14 (NLT)

Our proof is in Jesus’ sacrifice. In his blood. It is the only proof of worth we need when we come to stand before the throne of God. Works will not make us more or less worthy of the covenant, because by that one offering Jesus perfected forever all of us whom the Father is making holy.

There’s your proof.

Daily Bible reading: Nehemiah 9-11, Acts 4:1-22

Servant

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Last weekend, we had a work day at the church. The men were lured in under the guise of a breakfast meeting and, after pancakes and sausage, were immediately put to work doing an assortment of tasks around the building. Most of these men are leaders in the church. Our head usher spent much of the morning hauling branches and trees into the back of a truck to be taken to the dump. Our sound man/bass player/greeter was put to work building lockers in the basement. A board member mowed and trimmed the lawn. And our pastor was armed with a chainsaw cutting down the last of the trees damaged in a winter ice storm.

For our church, this is normal. When there’s work to be done, the leadership team is first to arrive—no matter what that work is.

At the end of the day, when everyone was tired, sweating, and hungry again, I was set to leave and someone pointed out that one of my tires was rather low. The pastor was cleaning off his tools with an air compressor. I thought I’d see if he had the right piece so I could put air in my tire. Rather than hand me the piece so I could do it myself (which I was completely prepared to do), he got down on his artificial knees and did it himself.

For me, having my pastor do that extra small task of putting air in my dirty tire, was akin to Jesus getting down on his knees to wash the feet of his disciples.

We often look at the story in John 13 as Jesus humbling himself to bless his followers. He did do that, but that wasn’t all he did. The moment Jesus got down on his knees, he not only blessed, but he empowered his disciples.

In Jesus’ day, the caste system was alive and well. Servants served and lords lorded. Lines were defined and no one dared to cross them. But in order for God’s plan to work, Jesus had to put himself in the lowest position possible. The job of washing the feet of guests went to the lowliest servant in the house.

You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because it is true. And since I, the Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. How true it is that a servant is not greater than the master. Nor are messengers more important than the one who sends them. You know these things—now do them! That is the path of blessing.

John 13:13-17 (NLT)

By taking the position of the lowest servant in the house, Jesus not only showed great humility, but he put his disciples in a position greater than his own. Had Jesus remained sitting and allowed someone else to wash his feet, his followers would have always seen him as Lord and Teacher and never servant. But because they saw him as a servant, they could suddenly see themselves as master. Jesus was preparing them to hear his next words.

The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.

John 14:12 (NLT)

A servant could never do greater things than the master. In order for the disciples to do greater things than Jesus, Jesus had to become the servant, and they the master. Jesus not only humbled himself, but he empowered his followers.

When my pastor got down on his knees to put air in my tire, he was following the example Jesus put forth. What would seem to be a menial task that someone of a lower position should be doing showed me that my pastor—a man deserving of great honour and respect—is willing to humble himself and put those who serve under him in a greater position. By emulating Jesus’ humility, he empowers his volunteers to do greater things.

It is great to be a master. But it is better to be a servant.

Daily Bible reading: 2 Chronicles 7-9, John 13:1-17

The Great Appearance

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When someone important appears in a certain place at a certain time, something happens. It’s usually significant. The date is set. The time is right. And then it happens.

What happens?

What is supposed to happen happens.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us…

Titus 3:4-5a (ESV)

He saved us. There is no greater appearance recorded in history than the arrival of God’s goodness and loving kindness wrapped in a package called Jesus. No one who has ever set foot on this planet has had a greater and more lasting effect than the mercy that was displayed upon the arrival of Christ.

…he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:4-7 (ESV)

Though our own appearances in certain places at certain times can never compare to that of Jesus’ appearance, do you ever think about how your own appearance may affect others? If the Holy Spirit that was so richly poured out on us lives in us, shouldn’t the appearance of Christ be reflected through us every time we enter a room?

The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

Titus 3:8 (ESV)

Daily Bible reading: Jeremiah 33-35, Titus 3

Zealous

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How often do you use the word zealous? I’m willing to bet that it doesn’t land in your every day vocabulary. But maybe it should be. If not in speech, then in thought. Why?

ZEALOUS, adjective. Warmly engaged or ardent in the pursuit of an object.

Even if you don’t use the word, I’m sure that there is a measure of zeal in your life. Is it in the right context, though?

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Titus 2:11-14 (ESV)

What are you zealous for?  If you’re looking for inspiration toward good works, back up in Titus and read the first part of chapter two. It’s all there, outlined for us. Not only does God ask us to be zealous for good works, but He lets us know what those good works are. This Christianity thing often isn’t as difficult as we make it out to be.

Today, go after good works. Be dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

Daily Bible reading: Jeremiah 31-32, Titus 2

Power

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This week we’ve already talked about Jesus’ voice as well as his works. Once we know his voice and have seen his works, what then?

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria , and to the end of the earth.

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

Once we know Jesus’ voice and we’ve seen his work, it’s up to us to then talk about it. Share with others what he’s done for us and for others. And just to be sure that every witness had personally experienced Jesus in an unforgettable way, he left with the promise to send the Holy Spirit.

Jesus knew that, once the disciples had been filled with the Spirit as he was, there would be no going back. They all would have experienced something so life-changing that they would have to tell people about it.

Daily Bible reading: Ezra 9-10: Acts 1