Good day dear friends! I thank God for you and believe this day is gonna bring a lot of blessings to you while you are reasoning about the word God gives to us today. Yesterday we determined that good works done without Christ mean waste of energy and resources. The Bible affirms, that all our righteousness is as a polluted garment before God. It doesn´t matter how many good works a person has done before he receives peace from God through his faith in Christ, he won´t have peace nor satisfaction in his heart. Anyway, such person would feel himself dirty, accused and unworthy before God, because his righteousness is as a polluted garment
«For we are all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.».(Isaiah 64:6).
If you had a polluted garment on even a brand new garment, what would you feel like? I am sure you would feel disgusted. This is exactly what those who try to please God through their good works without Christ feel. It doesn´t matter how many good works you do, God would never accept you unless you accept Jesus by faith. God´s peace enters your heart because you get to know Jesus and realise that in Him you are saved and accepted by God. «Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.». (Romans 5:1-2).
After we´ve got peace with God made righteous by our faith in Christ we get access or pass to mercy for good works. We enter our purpose only when received a pass (mercy) from God in exchange to our repent of all our sins. That´s why our good works can bring us full satisfaction only after we have repented our sins, since only then we can be sure God will accept us. We do good works not in order to earn God´s favour, but because we are already accepted by Him in Christ. To please God with our works we first have to be born again in Christ Jesus.To sum up, first each of us is invited to reconcile with God through Christ. Only after that our life and activities will have meaning. Only then, though, we can talk about our purpose in God. Once born again we should understand why God saved us, namely, for good works. Let´s read more verses from Scriptures that tell us of good works. God is willing to see His people as something special, zealous for good works. «For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.» (Titus 2:11-14).
We´ve been created to glorify God. Constantly doing good works is the best way to do it. «Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.» (Matthew 5:16).
«having good behaviour among the nations, so in that which they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.» (1st Peter 2:12).
«For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come. Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name.» (Hebrews 13:15-16).
We have to glorify God with our mouth and also by our charity and fellowship, in other words by good works. It pleases God because it glorifies His name and this is exactly what the purpose of our life is.Let´s continue tomorrow!God bless you abundantly! Rufus Adjiboje, pastor
