In the midst of all that is going on around us, we can easily get wrapped up in the commotion of our world and lose sight of what God has for us within it. Paul writes in Galatians 6:9-10, “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially those who are of the household of the faith.” As followers of Christ there is to be a commitment and focused pursuit in our lives to do good. Paul says, “…while we have opportunity…”. If there is a situation or circumstance before you today to do good then do it. If there is an opportunity where you can take something bad and make it good then do it. This is what the Lord has for us in this world of trouble. This is what God provides opportunities for, what He equips us for by His Word, and what He empowers us to by His Holy Spirit. In Eph. 2:10, Paul tells us that “good works” are even what God has created us for and prepared in advance for us to walk in. There should be no question what we should be doing here in this world during these times. We’re to be doing good as God defines it in His Word.
But why? Why should we do good? It is certainly not to build up merit, attempt to earn anything, or to gain our salvation from God. Paul proclaims in Eph. 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this not of yourself, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” Our salvation and our goodness rests solely on the work of Jesus Christ in and through His life, death, and resurrection. Apart from Him, our goodness is nothing but filthy rags (Is. 64:6). The reality is there is none good, not even one, apart from Christ (Rom. 3:10; Mark 10:18). Our goodness depends on Him. It depends on His saving grace and His Holy Spirit working in and through us (Gal. 5:22-23). So, we pursue good works in response to the work that He has already done for us. We pursue these to walk in the same manner as He walked. We also pursue doing good because of what we have to look forward to in and through those works.
Jesus said in Matt. 5:16, “Let your light shine before all men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” When we do good we can look forward to God using it in such a way to bring people and glory to Himself. Peter said in 1 Peter 2:12, “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.” There’s glory for the Lord in good works which is also what He has created us for (1 Cor. 10:31). In doing good there is also the promise of blessing and reward in heaven. Paul says just before Gal. 6:9, in verse 8, “…but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Doing good is a way to follow Jesus’ command of storing up our treasure in heaven. It is because of all we have to look forward to that Paul tells us not “to lose heart” or “grow weary” in doing good because “in due time we shall reap” either glory for the Lord from others or blessing from the Lord one day, in His presence.
Praying For Opportunities To Do Good, Pastor Rudy