Skip to main content

GOOD WORKS-3

Text : Matthew  5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Without the shining of your light, your good works cannot be seen by men, and when you are not in light, you cannot do any good works. 

Jesus Christ  once said, "...I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:33). It is clear from this scripture that only the followers of Jesus Christ are in the light. And that's the reason He said we are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14).

In the true sense of it, no man can truly do any acceptable good works  without being in Christ Jesus and led by His Spirit.

The scriptures made it very clear in Acts chapter 10 that good works without Christ cannot save a man.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.(Acts 10:1-2).

With all these good works demonstrated by Cornelius, God had to send Peter to him so as to do the needful. An angel of the Lord appeared unto Cornelius and told him in Acts 10:5 & 6 "Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter... *He will tell you what you must do."* 

Despite all of Cornelius' good works, there is still one important thing he *MUST DO.* So, the difference between the good works of Dorcas and Cornelius is the source of their good works- Jesus Christ.

Dorcas did good works because she has received God's good work of salvation but Cornelius did good work in order to gain acceptance before the Lord and not because of Christ.

 *Unless and until Jesus Christ has become the very source and core of your good works, such good works are  tantamount to waste or at best a memorial.* 

God knew that all the good works of Cornelius will not bring him into eternal life, hence He sent Peter to him to tell him the very good works he must hear and accept first, which is Christ the saviour.

Some years ago, my family has been making all efforts to bring a young man to the knowledge of Christ. Suddenly, I thought I could introduce another tangible help. In less than no time, the relationship moved away from preaching Christ, to rendering good help to him in the natural. 

One of the last help I gave to him was to help him borrow huge sum of money to do business. The business failed and in the course of running up and down in order not to disappoint me  I just heard that he has lost his soul. He died while running helter skelter to pay up the good works I had done to him.

I suddenly became a debtor overnight. I was owing God a soul that He gave to me to nurture for the real good work of preaching the gospel to him first of all, and I had to repay the person that gave this young man the loan, being that I was the middle man. 

You must be wise to always do good works that flow out of Christ and not from your flesh.. That's the only enduring good works that's  acceptable before the Lord.

Bible  Reading :* 

Acts 10: 1-48.

PRAYER FOCUS

1.) Father God, I receive the grace to be full of good works that my life may indeed bring pleasure to you and to man.

 *You can now listen to His voice on Spotify* 
https://open.spotify.com/show/72q4KLmKs0KBPdVs8bUDSE?si=BeadDR2MTSqBMvufTDEFMg

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE GOOD FIGHT-2

Text:  1 Timothy  6:12   Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. Another thing to pursue in fighting the good fight of faith is Godliness. We understand through the Holy scriptures that godliness is profitable unto all things.   *For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.* 1 Timothy  4:8.  You will reap the reward of your godliness not only when you get to heaven, but from here on earth. And this is why we are admonished to exercise ourselves unto godliness. (1 Timothy  4:7), because godliness with contentment is great gain.1 Timothy  6:6. Godliness is the practice of conforming to the image of God by reflecting the nature of the kingdom of God in the course of everyday life. In other words, godliness is living and portray...
Post a Comment
Read more

WAY MAKER-2

Text: Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing: now it shall spring forth: shall ye not know it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness,  and rivers in the desert. God promised that He will do a new thing for you, and that He will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. He has done this before, and He will do it again even in your own life.  When the children of Israel left Egypt, the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them, encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.(Exodus 14:9). Just like anyone would react, the Isrealites became so fearful because there is neither way forward nor back for them to escape. Before them was the red sea, behind them were the Egyptian armies. They became perplexed and began to murmur against Moses. It is possible you are also in a situation like the Israelites- No way forward, and no way behind. Things may appear like you are ...
Post a Comment
Read more

HIS VOICE- 2

Text : John 10:3. To him the porter opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. We established yesterday that one thing you can't joke with as a true follower of Christ is *His Voice.* You must recognise and hearken to (obey) His voice. It is in doing this that your safety is assured.  Today, we want to see another responsibility of the Shepherd over His sheep.  To him the porter opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, *and leads them out.* John 10:3.  He called you, that He might lead you. It is not enough for you to hear or recognise His Voice, you must allow Him to lead you as well.  Romans 8:14 says *For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.*   The Spirit leading you determines the family you belong to. Basically,  there are only two families in this world - the family of God, and the family of satan. In other words, we can say the Kingdom...
Post a Comment
Read more