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Good works

Let Your Light Shine

by GOD TV July 28, 2022

written by GOD TV

Matthew 5:16 is one of those verses that really helps us understand how we get to live each day. Let’s have a look. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” So there’s beautiful three steps that we get to unpack from this.

The context of this verse is that Jesus is saying to us, “Hey, be the light. Don’t put your light under a barrel, go on top of a hill and shine your light to everyone,” because this is the way God’s created us to be. So that first little piece of the verse “Let your light shine,” and the real key word there is “let.” “Let” says that we have the choice whether to let our light shine or not. We can hide it under a bushel, but Jesus Himself is saying to you, “Hey, don’t be that way. I want the world to see how I created you. Will you let me shine through you?”

That’s the first key. The beauty is that as we let that happen, if we let our light shine, it says, “then men will see your good works,” and you go, “Wait, we’re not supposed to do works.” Well, in this case, the beautiful thing is that it’s not works for approval from God. It’s the natural result of letting your light shine, will mean that you become excellent in your work. It will mean that your relationships look great, it will mean that every expression of what you do and live life will look good to those around you so much so that they’ll go, “Wow. How did you do that? How did you remain so calm when all of that stuff was happening at work and the rest of us were panicking? How is it that your marriage is so good, where I don’t even want to go home to my husband?” It shows, because people are watching our lives. And so as we let our light shine, people will see our good works, and then guess what happens? As a natural result, God is glorified. So we’re walking around going, “God, how can I show the world who you are today? God, how can I glorify you today? Lord, how can I let the people around me know that there’s a better way, because there’s God?”

Well, you know what? You just get to follow the three steps in Matthew 5:16. As you are naturally who you are and you let your light shine, people will see what your life looks like, and they’ll go, “How did you do that?” And you get to go, “You know what? It’s God. He helps me to love people, even when they don’t deserve love, because you know what? He loves me that way.” Or you get to say, “I didn’t understand this, but God showed it to me. And now I get to walk in peace in these circumstances, isn’t that the coolest way to live life?”

So I encourage you to let your light shine, let all the world see what that looks like for you. And the natural result is that without even trying, God is going to be glorified in your life. So Lord, thank you so much. I speak to the light in every person watching and I say, “Shine! Undo yourself, show yourself to the world, go on top of a hill and show the world what it looks like to be you.” And God, as that happens, every single person around us will see who you are and fall in love with you just like we did. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Living As A Kingdom Citizen First

by Tony Evans February 3, 2020

written by Tony Evans

What does it look like to live your everyday life as a “kingdom citizen”? The new CSB Tony Evans Study Bible features Kingdom Living articles that give practical insight on how to do just that.

The excerpt below from 1 John 4 shows how we can personally model as well as influence government to “maintain a safe, just, righteous, and compassionately-responsible society where freedom flourishes.”

Good Works Tied To God’s Glory

Jesus’s earthly ministry consistently modeled the integration of justice through the spiritual and the social in that he dwelt among the oppressed, ate with them (Luke 5:27-32), comforted them (Luke 12:22-34), fed them (Luke 9:10-17), restored them (Luke 5:12-16), and ministered to them (Luke 7:18-23) in fulfillment of his Father’s will. All of Jesus’s good works were clearly connected to the spiritual purposes of God (Matthew 4:23-24).

Christ’s followers are to influence society for God through the good works they do for others in the name of God, too. Good works are not good words, nor are they simply good things. After all, you don’t have to be a Christian to do good things or to say something kind. The unsaved can built orphanages and houses, give money, and visit the sick. But the unsaved cannot glorify God through good works. What we do for others must always be tied to God’s glory.

How Do We Live Out Biblical Justice?

The apostle John stressed the connection between love for God and love for others: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). John reminded us that his love is to be expressed through actions and not just words as it is carried out “in action and in truth” (1 John 3:18). A just society is comprised of people who can truly understand what biblical justice entails and daily seek to promote it in the lives of all.

Biblical justice isn’t simply a ministry to be relegated to a special event. Biblical justice is a foundational part of fulfilling the purpose of God in the church as intimated by the heart of God. It results from God’s people being what God has called us to be and participating in what God has called us to do.

Learn more about The Tony Evans Study Bible or order your copy today!

Dr. Tony Evans

Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, is founder and president of The Urban Alternative, served as chaplain of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and is author of over one hundred books, booklets, and Bible studies.

February 3, 2020 0 comments

Faith

Seek To Do Good, Even When It Is Difficult

by Aisosa Erhahon September 27, 2019

written by Aisosa Erhahon

Ephesians 4:2 – Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love

If there is a feeling I love, then it is the feeling of empathy. I despise seeing people in pain or in a frustrating situation. Growing closer to God, I started understanding that empathy is a gift from God. But how could I use it for the glory of the Lord? Doing good works was the first thought that came to my mind after that thought. We are His workmanship. God has created us for good works. By doing good to those who are in need, God shall be glorified.

On one cold winter evening, I was walking down the street when I saw a woman sitting at the front of a McDonalds restaurant. I felt for her. She seemed to be cold. I wondered why couldn’t everybody afford a daily meal. I wished, I could change the woman’s situation. But since I couldn’t, I continued walking. Suddenly, it occurred to me that I could change the situation of the woman, even though it was just for one day. I went into McDonalds and bought a cheese burger. I came out and I handed it to the woman. I was shocked when the woman didn’t say thank you, but instead requested a drink too. Was my good work taken for granted?

Fulfilling Your Calling By Doing Good In Difficult Situations

Often, people will take our good works for granted. Some people will misuse your goodness. Some people will let you down when you ask them for help. Many would think, you were naïve or immature. However, in all of these situations God has still called us to do good works.

On this earth, we are going to face trials and tribulations that try to distract us from our calling. Just like the example of the woman at McDonalds, I started asking myself if I should still do good to those that don’t really have good thoughts towards me or appreciate the good works. In all of this, our works and gifts are not to please, but to serve this world. This is how our Heavenly Father will be glorified.

Whenever you experience your gift being taken for granted, continue to use it to glorify God. He has created us to become humble, gentle and patient – even to those who don’t appreciate it. Only then, can he be exalted.

September 27, 2019 0 comments

Video

Are You Good Enough To Go To Heaven?

by GOD TV November 12, 2018

written by GOD TV

Can we earn our salvation?

Can we go to Heaven based on good works? Can a sinner go to Heaven? Do we deserve to go to Heaven?

These are the questions we often ask ourselves or the questions we encounter most of the time. But what are the answers?

The truth is, we can only go to Heaven if we truly and genuinely ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

I want to emphasize the phrase ‘believe in your heart’ because there are some people who only view Jesus as their one-way ticket to Heaven. They confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior but do not allow Him to be the Lord over their lives. If you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, you will allow Him to intervene in your life and influence your choices. You cannot say Jesus is your Lord if you continue to live in sin.

“If you love me, you will keep My commandments.” (John14:15)

Can good works save us?

Good works cannot save us, but genuinely believing that Jesus is Lord and that He died for our sins compels us to do good works. You see the difference? You can’t earn your salvation through good works because we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

The blood of Christ removes the death penalty from us each time we sin only when we truly repent. Repentance involves turning from sin and following God and His law.

Can we earn our salvation based on good works? No. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Watch the video for an exact representation on why we can’t earn our way to Heaven based on good works!

This article was written by Le-Jovale Vallejo. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily the opinions of GOD TV.

November 12, 2018 1 comment