In this sermon, Pastor Babij examines what the Bible says about good works. Pastor Babij explains what good works are, how both a Christian’s faith and also his good works are predestined by God, and how Christians are saved in part to do good to others as a witness of God. Pastor then explores ten biblical truths regarding good works.
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hey this morning I am going to actually reach number five souls of reformation so far we looked at it so with rock gifts saved my grapes alone Christmas quite an excellent for Sola scriptura 42 Scripture alone I’m gonna leave that this morning I’d like you to take your Bibles and I want to determine Ephesians chapter 2 and this really comes out of the one the first one I mentioned Sola gratia say by grace alone because in this that particular point that came out of the Reformation there was that debate between God’s free grace to us and also good deeds that substantiate our real conversion a real conversion and good deeds good works go together of course remembers being saved by grace alone comes first and then good works follows that because now that person has the Spirit of God and dwelling them and because the Spirit of God is indwelling them and now God is working on them to glorify His name even while on this earth then this one becomes a very important one and in Ephesians chapter 2 in verse number eight where it says for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God not as a result of works so that no one may boast and then verse 10 for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk them so not as not only is our salvation prepared beforehand actually before the Evan and earth was created but also the works that were going to be involved with has been given to us by God and is now ready to be walked into by us but the question usually comes up when we talk about good works is what do you mean by good works what exactly is good works and how do I know that I am actually doing them well that that’s a good question and it’s a question that we do need to answer but I also want to so I want you to take your Bibles and turn to several passage of many passages of scriptures this morning and be ready Hebrews chapter 10 again tells us something like this were in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 24 it tells us this let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds not forsaking our assembly together as the habit of some but encouraging one another all the more as you see the day drawing there we must never forget that we are Christians not only for our own sake but also for the sake of others and so this passage of Scripture it says let us consider let us think about let us ponder let us meditate on how think about how to stimulate someone else to love and good deeds because you know what in a sense we also need to be get poked like a horse needs to get poked to get moving if it’s just lagging behind we all need to get poked and sometimes the poking comes from someone else poking us prodding us stimulating us to this area of good deeds that’s a very general term in Scripture but it does get specific in verse 25 and one of them we poke people for is not to loot the forsake the assembly together a believer so we all of us once in a while need to be poked in this area we kind of get a little lazy in it we get a little waxed in it we and even if we show up bodily physically maybe mentally we’re not really there we’re doing we’re slowing our job that our problems trying to solve a problem that went on that particular week we’re not there all right we’re there physically but not we’re not all there so you know that we’re drifting off we’re doing those kind of things and so people need to come alongside of us and poke us so according to this passage in Hebrews first Christians are to really put their minds to the task of taking thought of others in other words we don’t we always think a lot about ourselves we don’t think about others and then Christians are to be continuously attentive to the welfare of other believers spiritually morally physically we’re to be attentive to those things and why are we to be attentive to those things so we can minister to them so we can give someone suitable assistance we can give them advice we can caution them we can admonish them and even we may sometimes rebuke them and or console them because we’re paying attention to what’s going on in someone else’s life all right so that means you’ve got to have your finger to the pulse a second thing from this passage is that believers are to stimulate or provoke or excite our brothers and sisters in Christ in labors of love in works and good deeds and we are to stimulate others to practice their confession of Christ by working out what God has worked within us in regenerating regenerating us and making us new now the motive for good works of course is love good deeds really is is the actus of love it’s the love and the goodness that God shown me and therefore I want to show that to others so doing good deeds adorn the gospel of Jesus Christ and glorifies the father who was in heaven in fact the pistol or the book of Titus specifically hones in on this particular thought and it says to us a tighter Titus chapter 3 verse 8 it says so that those who have believed God this what it says will be careful to engage in good deeds these things are good and profitable for men so after conversion once we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior were not off the hook we are actually on the hook to live out what God is doing in our life and we don’t live that out alone that’s why we have the gathered church the gathered assembly right the the church gathers for for what reason first to worship God but also to carry out good deeds good works that God has ordained for you and I and they’re different for you and I so it’s been my experience that Christians are very much confused regarding a grasp on what it means to do good deeds or what are they in the first place well over the years I’ve come up with 10 particulars about good deeds and I think they’ve helped me to understand this particular truth in Scripture more clearly and so as we look through each one each one is going to have a passage of scripture to it so I would like you to turn there the first one first particular about good deeds is the vessels of good deeds in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse number 21 the Word of God talks about here the vessels of good deeds what kind of vessel does God use to actually perform good deeds well in second Timothy 2:21 it says therefore if anyone cleanses himself from these things of course the things that were listed above he will be a vessel of Honor sanctified and then notice useful to the master prepared for every good work so the first thing that we consider when we think about good deeds is our own vessel have we come to the Lord with a clean heart a clean mind how we come to the place where we are confessing our sins so the Lord can cleanse us first John 1:9 from our sins and all unrighteousness see are we ready to actually engage in the good deeds that God has ordained us for that’s got to be the first thing the vessels looking at yourself looking at how God has gifted you looking at the opportunities God’s given you looking at the people that God’s laid on your heart looking at the ministries that God may have you involved with in those ministries and in the church there are people that you some people gravitate to others and others gravitate to other groups of people but see there are people in the circle of the church that need you and need me and especially in the area of doing good deeds to them but I tell you what if I’m engaged in secret sin if I’m doing something that is not pleasing to the Lord that no one else knows about I’m not a cleanse vessel and I’m not sanctified and useful to the master I’m actually kind of like a useless Christian if I’m not considering my own self that’s why when we come to the Lord’s table today one of the things about the Lord’s tables were to examine ourselves right we’re to look at our own heart our own our own thoughts our own actions our own words and to ask ourselves how are we doing with the Lord are we a vessel that even comes to the Lord’s table confessing and having that blood of Christ again the effectual blood of Christ cleanse us from all our sin and unrighteousness that were useful to God that were available to God that we are being sanctified by the Word of God that we are a vessel of honor to God and that’s the kind of vessel that you put on the mantelpiece it’s not the kind of vessel you put garbage in it’s the kind of vessel you put up for display so are we those kind of people that’s got to be the first thing when we consider the particulars of good deeds the second thing is this in Matthew chapter five and that’s going to be the motive of good deeds Matthew chapter five the motives of goods would good deeds are of course this is a very familiar passage of Scripture to those who have been around the church for a while but in Matthew five the last part of the verse it says this in verse number 16 Matthew 5:16 it says let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven so the second particular about good works is the motive of good works or the motive of good deeds and what is the motive what’s the ultimate motive it’s to glorify our Heavenly Father it’s to bring honor to his name in the way we live our life let your light shine before men so what so they can see you so they can see that there’s a difference in you they can see the redeemed life in your everyday living they can see something so different about you that they almost gravitate toward you and then when you do something good to them they are going to of course take a tension to what you’ve done and they’re going to ultimately bring glory to the Father who is in heaven so there is that motive that anything I do for the Lord I do want to do it that his name is lift it up lift it up I don’t get the credit no one gets the credit God gets the credit and I can boast in the Lord and so therefore that that is my motive that’s why I would want to do good works it’s not to get activations for myself it’s not to have people pat me on the back it’s not to get a certificate or something recognition publicly it’s just to glorify God so there’s a lot of things that have to be moved out of your heart to have that kind of motive and so but it’s very important to understand good deeds and then the third particular of good deeds also found right here in in verse number 16 of Matthew 5 it’s the objects of good deeds it’s what’s the object of good deeds let your light shine before men all right the object of good deeds are people I’m looking to people to see what good I can do to them now many years ago I heard an announcement and the announcement was that there’s this man in Florida who actually allows pastors to stay him in his house for two weeks for just 230 dollars and the first time I heard that particular message I I didn’t believe it nobody believed you know nobody can go to Florida for two weeks and spend 14 days in a home and and for only $230 it didn’t seem real so one guy said to me no no I actually did it and I went down there and not only did he allow us to use his house for 230 dollars but everything was in the house you needed to use to go to the beach bikes everything was there it was air-conditioned all the sheets all the towels you’d have to bring anything just yourself but the requirement was you had to spend 14 days you couldn’t come for just a couple days couldn’t comfort we had to come for 14 days and if you can’t for 14 days he gave you $130 back and I so we talked to this man and we decided to do it and we actually went we used it twice and we asked them why do you do this and he says I’d do it to glorify my father in heaven these are the good deeds God’s given me to do I became a wealthy man I own three houses and and many other things and God blessed me and I just want to bless pastors and mission missionaries and you think that was not an impact on myself and our family that was a matter of fact that that was a picture of good works that and good deeds that I’ve never experienced before I felt we felt so blessed and we felt so just honored by him and yet God gets the glory see we have to be looking out for that and we have to be looking at the resources God’s giving us so we can actually focus in on the objects of good deeds are people different kind of people all kinds of people all of God’s people too are the particular focus of good deeds and then of course fourthly a fourth particular of good deeds is the purpose of good deeds and what is the purpose of good deeds Titus chapter 3 verse number 14 really the purpose of good deeds is to show people God meets needs and provides needs where it says in Titus 3:14 our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs so that they will not be unfruitful so in other words the purpose of good deeds is to show people that through God’s people God meets and provides needs and the scripture admonish is us here to make sure that we are ready to meet pressing needs that means we have to be ready to do it we have to be vessels of Honor we have to have the motive to give God the glory we have have to have actually a love and care for people and then of course the purpose would be listen through my life God may provide to you something that he wants to provide but through human means to do it of course I think of the hurricane people in victims in in Texas that lost many of them lost businesses everything I heard what he heard the other day a hundred thousand cars were lost already in that hurricane and it was it was it’s a great devastation and of course I think all of us are thinking of how can I help out right and I know there’s a couple sites that I think we need to search out to see if we can eventually maybe there’s always an immediate need that there’s also going to be a far-reaching me which would people forget and that’s to rebuild maybe we can find out I think Ken Ham has a site up that we can give through that Answers in Genesis and then Samaritan’s Purse is another one maybe we possibly could if you want to give individually or we can have something where we can give corporately and just to let people know that we haven’t forgotten them you know I know Texans are people that think that no one else lives the United States except Texans and and they have their own country Texas you know and but nonetheless to let them know that even people from the East care about them and what they’re going through down there in Texas and so how can we show and bring glory to God and show people that we care well we can do something we can meet a need that we can provide something to them and with the mindset that we want to do it in a way that Bloor if I got guys horrifies God and then of course the fifth particular about good works or good deeds is I already read the passage in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 it’s the realm of good works the realm of good works is a changed life we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them now some have said that the word workmanship comes from the word poem or the root of that to design a poem and so in other words God wants us to be a kind of person where and poems are particularly kind of literature that it does it it does express certain feelings certain meters of what people want to say it does give a message in that and at the same time God’s God’s working on us wanting to make us a people that have of course good works but to show that God’s been working on you God in a sense you’re God’s poem and he’s working on you and he’s he’s creating in you a godliness and a holiness you didn’t have before you’re completely different and you’re being created in Christ Jesus for this area of good works for God prepared before hand that we would or we should walk in them so the realm of good works is your changed life that that’s where God’s going to work and then a sixth thing about good deeds is the preparation of good deeds the preparation of good deeds and of course that would be right there in second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and 17 and of course what is the preparation of good deeds it is God’s Word but notice what it says about God’s Word here it says in 2nd Timothy 3:16 4 it says all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for training in righteousness right so the Word of God when you hear the word of God when you’re reading the Word of God when you’re meditating and learn the Word of God it’s doing all kinds of stuff in our life it’s reap its reproving us and then once it reproves us it doesn’t just leave us there all broken it corrects us so we would know the right way to go and then once it corrects us it trains us and how to live rightly before God and then why all bad verse 17 so that the man of God may be adequate equipped for every good deed now that is really the preparation of good deeds it must come from the Word of God molding and shaping us making us into the image of Christ making us holy making us godly so the scripture will completely outfit us and make us able to meet pressing needs it’s got to be the Word of God it cannot be apart from the Word of God it must that must be what that is the instrument the Spirit of God uses to make us like Christ the seventh particular about goods works is the direction of good works the direction of good works now Colossians chapter 1 refers to this and of course the direction of good works is really threefold it says in Colossians chapter 1 verse number 10 again so that verse number 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please him in all respects and then what is the direction of good works well not only to please the Lord but also to bear fruit in every good work it says and increasing in the knowledge of God so in other words once we are cleanse vessels we have the motive to glorify God our objects the odds of objects are of our good these are people and the purpose of course is for God to use us to meet and provide needs to other people and then of course God is working on us and we’re his workmanship and then we are being prepared by the Word of God then the direction of our good works is going to be prayer fruit-bearing and increasing in the knowledge of God see we’re bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God it’s never done by someone who’s just stagnant in the faith it’s someone who is moving God blesses moving vessels and so here is the direction of someone’s good work always seeking God out in prayer why they they would walk in a manner worthy and of course that word walk in a manner worthy is the word that we get the picture of a balancing being you know when somebody does those flips on those balancing beams man how much practice does it take for someone to flip across that skinny little beam all the way to the end and then flip over onto a mat so you have to have good balance so in other words to walk worthy means that we have good balance from the Word of God our relationship with God and of course there therefore bearing fruit because we’re growing and increasing in the knowledge of God and so we ever get this stability as a believer to be able to walk the narrow path as a believer without falling off getting people to follow us so that’s the direction number eight the eighth particular of good works is the general nature of good works is this anything done by a Christian out of love for God his good works first Timothy chapter five and verse number ten here it says talking here about a woman who would be a widow indeed and how we can help them it it says in 1st Timothy 5:10 there are certain particulars about her number one having a reputation for good works it’s one of the first things and then if she had brought up children now it doesn’t mean that she just brought up children it meant that she brought up children and produced a godly offspring that she used God’s Word to bring up her children all right and then if she has shown hospital hospitality to strangers right did she have her home open was she available to be able to give help to those and of course most of the time the strangers were passing preachers and evangelists that were coming through there was no you know Hilton Hotels back then you may have been the Hilton hotel because they knocked on your door and they say hey can I stay here tonight and so you’re the woman was able to not only take care of her own family but was always ready to be hospitable to those who needed a place to stay needed a meal and she was able to do that and then of course if she washed the Saints feet it says there that she welcomed that person into their home usually believers into her home and she was able of course when they they wore sandals back then and their feet got dirty so you would walk into their house and they would wash the dust off your feet and as kind of a welcoming gesture and that saying come and stay with us and receive our hospitality and then of course if she has assisted those in distress it’s not just the normal day it’s when things get really bad she’s evil even able to take care of stressful distressful times and situations with other people’s so in other words this doesn’t just happen she’s ready to do this she’s prepared to do this and it says there at the end and she has devoted herself to every good work that God laid in her path and you know these are normal everyday things that’s why I’m saying the general nature of good works is anything you’re a blood-bought believer of Jesus Christ anything you do out of Christian love to God and others is good works remember even a cup of cold water in Jesus name right God recognizes it he knows it he the smallest things is good works and good deeds so don’t ever think that you’re not doing you’re not doing anything when you do stuff like that you’re doing exactly what God wants to do you’re available to do it you’re not bucking against it you’re not grumbling and complaining usually people that are like that are not vessels of good deeds so they don’t usually get involved with good deeds because they’re all about themselves and they’re not about God’s work right and so that’s the general nature anything I do is for the glory of God and then number nine would be some of the specifics of good works all kinds of stuff I already mentioned that all kinds of stuff in other words acts of vanilla benevolence to the poor the less fortunate the sick the weak the feeble the elderly the widow and the orphan the missionaries young married young men young women care packages and letters and emails and text and clothing and food and any kind of helps or companionship conversation clean cleaning someone’s house mowing someone’s lawn shoveling snow for someone praying with them inviting them to your home and nobody else will invite them bring them to church bring them to the doctor’s if they need a doctor’s visit and they can’t have no way to get there how about disciple in them that’s the huge one it bring them into their your home and disciple them do a Bible study with them or just simply visit them see all these things for a believer are all good deeds so see it takes confusion out of is this a good deed or is this not a good deed all of it is and so then therefore what is the affirmation number 10 the affirmation of good works shows you have been changed by Christ well one passage of Scripture already read a couple messages ago and that was from James chapter 2 see God’s good works are a vital part of the proof and fruit of salvation it proves you have living faith and affirms you are a child of God and of course what is it saying James chapter 2 it says if a brother verse number 15 if a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food and one of you says to them go in peace be warned and be filled and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body what uses that for 17 even so faith if it has no works is dead being by itself verse 18 but someone may well say you have faith and I have works show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by my works verse 19 you believe that God is one you do well the demons also believe in Shutter verse 20 but are you willing to recognize you foolish fellow fellow that faith without works is useless so here’s the difference between a useless profession of faith and a useful profession of faith and so God does not make useless professions of faith in fact Titus chapter 1 verse number 16 clearly says to us they profess to know God but by their deeds by their deeds they deny him being detestable disobedient and worthless for any good deed nobody wants to be in that category not if you’re a believer right you don’t want to be in that category you want to be in the category that Lord I’m a I want to be a usable vessel I want to bring glory to your name in my everyday life I want you to notice the people that come in and out of my life I want you to give the eyes to see and hands to be able to help and Lord I want to always be being prepared with by the Word of God so if you have to rebuke me in in the area that I’m not functioning as a believer rebuke me but Lord at the same time please as you say you were correct me and trained me and how to live righteously so I am adequate and equipped for every good deed and that when I am that I will never stop praying I will never stop bearing fruit and I will never stop increasing in the knowledge of God and that my good works would be like this woman in Scripture that I would have a reputation of good works and good deeds that reputation would follow me everywhere I go that I would always be available to people to be able to help them no matter who they are how unfortunate they be how sick they may be how feeble they may be and whatever the name they may need and I pray Lord that you would do that so my good work substantiates and proves that I have a living faith and their firms that I am a child of God see that’s what the ten things that our particular is about good deeds hopefully just knowing those clears things up right so go and serve God go and serve God and everything counts everything counts let’s pray lord thank you this morning because you are good Lord and Lord you’re the greatest giver of anyone you reach down to ungodly unholy people who were your enemies and you went and died on the cross for sinners not righteous people for those who rebelled against you who cursed your name you died for those kind of people and Lord I’m so thankful that you did because we know Lord if Father if you didn’t hold back giving your only Son to be a sacrificing and propitiation for sinners like us you’ll not hold back on everything else you have to give to give to us give to your children and I pray Lord that you would bless us every single day with eyes to see and hands willing to help in every area possible that we may walk and those ordained good deeds you put before us and I pray you would bless us as a congregation at church help us always be ready for pressing needs whatever they may be and I pray Lord as we do that our motive would always be that you would receive the honor the praise and the glory and no one else thank you Lord for being kind and gracious to us and I pray Lord this morning you’ll bless us and make us ready to partake of the lord’s table today and I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ and in this name I ask it amen