What is the Purpose of Good Works?
1) Your good works brings glory to God.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be
hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a
lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and
glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in
him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone
does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and
they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If
you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified,
that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:5-8.
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among
the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may,
by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of
visitation. 1 Peter 2:11-12.
2) We will be rewarded for doing good works.
“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His
angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” Matthew
16:27.
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which
is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become
clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by
fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If
anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a
reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself
will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.
3) Believers in Jesus Christ have been appointed unto good works.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I
do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I
go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that
the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name,
I will do it.” John 14:12-14.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians
2:10.
4) Good works is evidence that God is working in us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against
such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to
do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13.
5) Good works is evidence of our faith in Jesus Christ.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your
faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You
believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and
tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without
works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he
offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working
together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the
Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was
accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of
God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith
only. James 2:18-24. (Galatians 2:11-13)
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from
heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord
from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their
labors, and their works follow them.” Revelation 14:12-13.
6) Our good works do not justify us before a Holy God.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God,
through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there
is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood,
through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His
forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously
committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that
He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26.
But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith
in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith
came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which
would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring
us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has
come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:22-26.
7) Our good works do not provide salvation from the wrath of God.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He
loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together,
and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that
in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in
His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast. Galatians 2:4-9.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His
prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according
to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose
and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but
has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who
has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through
the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a
teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things;
nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am
persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until
that Day. 2 Timothy 1:8-12.
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man
appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His
grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm
constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to
maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. Titus
3:4-8.
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