Are You a Spirtual Do-Gooder”?
June 5, 2011
by John ImlerJohn is an RVchurchesUSA Ambassador and author of It’s Never Too Late As I waited in traffic for the light to change my eyes fell on the license plate of the car in front of me. Its message, DU GOOD, was simple, yet it challenged me.
This term was at one time used by non-believers to not so graciously refer to believers. Most generally it was not received with appreciation by believers. However, as I recalled the term, I began to realize that it should not have been offensive to believers but considered a compliment.
In 1 Peter 2:12 we are admonished to “live such good lives” that the non-believers around us “may see your good deeds and glorify God.” What a challenge for us as believers!
Over and over the Bible admonishes us to “do good.” It starts in Psalms 37:3 with the words “Trust in the Lord and do good.” Proverbs 11:27 promises that “he who seeks good finds goodwill,”
Christ urged us to even “do good to those who hate you” in Luke 6:27. The apostles continued this theme in various passages as the following:
“having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8)
“Let us not become weary in doing good” (Gal. 6:9-10)
“Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (I Thes. 5:21)
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds” (I Tim 6:18)
We are also warned to be careful as to what we call good in Isaiah 5:20: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” And we are admonished by Paul in Romans 12:9 to “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
While we are admonished to do good things (works), these will not earn us salvation or eternal life. That must come by believing in Jesus Christ as God’s perfect sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 9:28). However, once we have done that, as His followers, He becomes our example for doing good (Acts 10:38). The good we do is the result of that faith (James 2:18).
In light of the above, it should cause us as believers to reevaluate our own standard of good and evil as related to those things which we once considered evil but now have begun to tolerate in our world.
Join John next time when he examines “Our Hope”.
John welcomes your comments either below or email him directly at john@faithrescued.com
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