GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR
By Pastor D. Ware

EPHESIANS 2:2
"Wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience"


"The prince of the power of the air" in Ephesians 2:2 is the devil. As prince, he is the ruler over the "power" (authorities) of the air. Air could mean: the atmosphere around the earth: the realm of demonic spirits, or both. The devil or Satan is the ruler over the principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenlies (Eph 6:12). As "the god of this age" (2 Cor 4:4), his rulership is limited to a period of time. We are also told "the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one (1 John 5:19).

In our context, the devil is part of the "unholy trinity": "the world", "the flesh", and "the devil". He is now operating on the sons of disobedience by using the world system and the desires of the flesh to keep them in bondage to himself. He also majors in the disguise of religion (2 Cor 11:13-15). Satan uses "seducing spirits" and "doctrines of demos": (1 Timothy 4:1), and every influence he can to keep lost souls blinded from "the light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4)!

When as a Christian you walk in the flesh, you are a good advertisement for the devil He will never oppose that. But he will oppose you walking in the Spirit, and receiving your inheritance in the heavenlies; the position the devil and his hosts are now holding. That is why Galatians 5 (our battle with the flesh), comes before Ephesians 6 (our spiritual battle). Don't be surprised when you as a member of the Body of Christ experience Satanic opposition as a result of having victory over the flesh. However, something is wrong if you are not experiencing a battle with "the prince of the power of the air"!

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GUIDING COMFORTER
By M. Stanford



"If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under bondage of effort to please God by works of the law" (Gal. 5:18, m.).

The motivating principle of the old life is the law; the motivating principle of the new life is "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." The one produces "the works of the flesh"; the other, "the fruit of the Spirit."

"To be guided by the Holy Spirit is to be moved through the most delicate relationships the heart can know. The 'bit and bridle' of the law must give way to the glance of the eye of grace (Ps. 32:8, 9). At this point Satan, appearing as 'an angel of light,' will seek to misdirect the believer's life by making use of a morbid conscience, a mistaken impression as to duty, or a lack of understanding as to the exact teaching of God's Word. However, Satan's leadings are to be detected since they are irksome, painful, and disagreeable. The leading of the Holy Spirit is sweet and satisfying to the heart of the one who is yielded to God. We must remember that the will of God is said to be 'good,' 'acceptable,' and 'perfect' (Rom. 12:2)." - L.S.C.

"The believer has an all-engaging responsibility of continuing in an attitude of reliance ('by means of the Spirit be walking') upon the Holy Spirit. This is the believer's divinely appointed task and place of cooperation in the mighty undertakings of God. Thus, and only thus, can the Holy Spirit possess and vitalize every human faculty, emotion, and choice." - L.S.C.

''If we are living in the Spirit's power, let our conduct also be governed by the Spirit's power" (Gal. 5:25, Wey.).

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THE RESTRAINER



Scripture Reading: II Thessalonians 2:6-12


In these verses Paul continues his correction of the Thess. misapprehensions concerning the day of the Lord. He now speaks about the man of lawlessness and the removal of the one who restrains him. Something or someone now restrains the man of sin. The "mystery of iniquity" is the Satanic opposition or movement against divine law. This has been operative since the beginning of Satan's career, but is now being restrained. What supernatural power would be capable of restraining Satan's activities? Only a member of the Godhead is capable of this. Probably the Holy Spirit is being referred to here.

Some object to this interpretation on the grounds that the neuter is used in vs. 6 ("what"). But the neuter gender is used in other places to refer to the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-14). In vs. 7 the words are masculine to describe this restraining power. It will be the removal of this restrainer at the time of the rapture that will free up this Satanic force. Since this removal occurs before the day of the Lord, Paul's argument here once again asserts a pre-tribulational rapture. After the Holy Spirit's restraining power is removed the world will plunge headlong into lawlessness (vs. 8 ). The Lord will destroy this "man of sin" with the breath of His mouth (vs. 8 ). The career of this lawless leader is described in verses 9-12 (cf. Rev. 13:3).

Those who will be deceived by this man of sin are the perishing ones (vs. 10), Why? Because they received not the truth. They had pleasure in unrighteousness (see John 3:19). Those who reject God's grace before the rapture will believe the lie after the rapture. God will send them strong delusion (vs. 11). Now is the day of salvation (II Cor. 6:2).

Amazing Grace

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REJOICING IN HOPE
By  FLOYD BAKER, Pastor,



Scripture Reading: Romans 5 :2-5


"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By Whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." This hope that Paul was rejoicing in is ours because of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only because of our "position in Christ" that we have this confident expectation. And it is ours, not because we have been justified by works (Romans 4:1-8 ), or by ordinances (4:9-12), or by law obedience (13-25), but by faith.

In Romans 8:30 the apostle writes, "Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified." Our future glory with Christ is certain because we are "in Christ" and Christ is in us. In Colossians 3:4 we read, "When Christ, Who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory." Again we read in Paul's Philippian letter, "Christ shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (3:21).

Is it any wonder that we are "rejoicing in that hope?" For the child of God the future is always bright. As the days and years pass by that hope becomes even brighter; but let us not forget that God is able to meet our present needs as well: because the "Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts!" (Romans 5:3-5).

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REASSURANCE

Scripture Reading: II Thessalonians 2: 1-5

Paul now specifically aims at assuring his readers that they will not go through the day of the Lord. He had taught them, when personally with them, about this day from the Old Testament (vs. 5). Meanwhile false prophets claiming to speak "by the Spirit" (vs. 2) had entered in teaching that the day of the Lord had already come. A spurious letter, or letters, had arrived claiming Pauline authorship asserting that the Tribulation. was upon the Thessalonians. Had the Lord failed to come for His own?

It would be easy for the Thessalonians to conclude that the persecutions they were experiencing were what the prophets of old had predicted. This certainly disturbed their calmness. So much so, that many had even quit their daily occupations (3:10-12). Their lives had certainly been disrupted by eschatological teaching. Paul says that "that day shall not come except there come a falling away first" (KJV). "That day" refers back to the "day of the Lord" of verse two. All texts read "day of the Lord" not "day of Christ."  The exact translation of verse three reads "for that day will not be except there come the apostasy first." What apostasy is Paul referring to that must precede the day of the Lord? If it is a general departure from the faith, how does that assure the Thessalonians (and us) that Christians will not go through the day of the Lord? How would we know when the apostasy begins? The basic and simple meaning of the word "apostasy" (verb, aphistemi) is simply departure. (Lk. 2:37; 4:13; 13:27; Acts 12:10; II Cor. 12:8; II Tim. 2:19 etc.). What "departure" had Paul previously taught the Thessalonians about? What departure guarantees them, and us, that believers will not go through the day of the Lord? The answer is in I Thessalonians 4:13-18. The departure of the church from the world satisfies our inquiry. So once again Paul is asserting a pre-tribulational rapture. We can be sure of our safety in this regard.

by - Amazing Grace

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THE BLESSINGS OF CRISIS
by C. R. Stam


The Apostle Paul, who had been through one desperate crisis after another, wrote as follows:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28 ).

How many people have found life going along smoothly for years when, all of a sudden, they have found themselves in the middle of some serious crisis!

Perhaps the sudden death of a loved one changed life completely and presented serious problems wholly unanticipated. Perhaps it was the sudden loss of wealth, so that life had to be completely readjusted. There are hundreds of unexpected incidents that can suddenly bring one face to face with stark and stern realities completely unforeseen.

For believers in the Lord Jesus Christ such crises can prove great spiritual blessings. They tend to draw us closer to our heavenly Father, to cause us to pray more and to lean harder upon Him. They show us the insecurity of all that is temporal and give us a greater appreciation of our eternal security in Christ. They give deeper meaning to the Scriptures we study and even to the hymns we sing. They sanctify and enrich our fellowships.

To those -- and only those -- who truly love God and are "the called according to His purpose," all things do indeed "work together for good" -- caused by God, of course, to "work together for good."

This is why God's Word to the Christian is:

      "Be careful [care full] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6,7).

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SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:16-21
By John Walker


Just last week I was teaching verse by verse through Second Corinthians Chapter 5. I was reminded of our spiritual position in Christ. Paul emphasized this by saying in verse 16 that "if also we have known Christ according to the flesh, but now we know him no longer." We now know not the fleshly Christ who walked upon the earth, but we know the glorified Christ who was raised and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We no longer know the physical Christ, but we know the spiritual Christ.

Paul continues this emphasis by stating in verse 17, "so that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old things passed away, behold new things have come into existence." If we are in Christ, then we are spiritual as well. This is because God has done a work in us. We are something new. God has made alive where there was only death. Similarly in Genesis, He has created something out of nothing. In the truest sense, we are walking miracles. We are spiritual beings as He is spiritual. Someone has described Christians as spiritual beings in earth suits.

While we are in our earth suits, God has given a ministry of reconciliation, verse 18, and the message of reconciliation, verse 19. Who better to talk about reconciliation than those who have been reconciled to God? God has given us a special mission as his representatives, his ambassadors (verse 20), to take this message of Christ's payment for sin. More than that, He actually was made sin for the purpose that we might become, or become equal to, God's righteousness, or sinlessness. What a message we have!

People often have to be at the end of their rope, or to hit rock bottom, before they are open to the things of God. In our current financial condition, where there is talk of nationalizing the banks, where people's IRA's or 401K's are in the dumpster, or they may be losing their homes, people may be more open to the things of the Lord. Unlike the world, our investment in Him only grows and is never tarnished or diminished. It is safe and sound, and good for eternity.

Let us be ready to share this good news as I believe the people are ready for some good news. The doom and gloom of our media and politicians is preparing hearts to receive the good news that never ends. The good news is Christ's death is sufficient payment for sins to reconcile them to God (v. 19). Praise Him!

May God bless you as you live for Him who died for you (2 Cor. 5:15).
In Christ's Service,

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FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
by C. R. Stam


    Man, by nature, is afraid of God. When Adam first sinned, he should have gone immediately to God to beg for mercy and forgiveness. Instead he did just what millions are doing today: he ran and hid from God so that God had to come and look for Him, as it were, calling: "Adam... where art thou?" (Gen. 3:9).

Many people who consider themselves as good, morally, as those about them, or even better, nevertheless feel utterly ill-at-ease in a place of worship, where believers pray and praise God together. This is because in their heart of hearts they know that they have "sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).

Such, however, may come to know, love and enjoy God through faith in Christ. He was Himself God manifested in the flesh, come to earth in love to pay for our sins on Calvary's cross, so that we might have "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

Concerning those who respond in grateful faith and trust in the crucified, risen, glorified Lord for salvation, the Apostle Paul says:

"Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5:2).

Peace with God, and the fellowship which naturally results from this is the most precious treasure the human heart can contain. Yet our fellowship with Him here on earth is but the beginning. Read carefully Ephesians 5:25-27 and see how He took upon Him human form, and died, that He might have us for Himself forever:

"...Christ... loved the Church, and gave Himself for it... that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

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THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST
By Pastor Robert Hanna,


Scripture Reading: John I: I

The world engages in the most futile of efforts: the denial of Jesus Christ as deity, as divinely conceived, as the one Mediator, as the only hope of salvation of the lost. "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not" (John I:10). What an indictment! "For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

By Christ's own testimony, He was very God. "Verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58 ). And God the Father said to God the Son, "Thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom...THOU, LORD, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: they shall perish; but Thou remainest......(Hebrews 1:8,10,11). Not only is He here addressed as God, but two characteristics attributable only to God are mentioned: righteousness and eternal existence.

It was God Himself, in the Person of Christ, who suffered in our stead on Calvary's cross; He bore our guilt and presented us righteous before God the Father, Who sees us only through Christ. And now we who have been purchased by His blood are "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of [notice!] THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity..." (Titus 2:13,14). Jesus Christ is 'God and our Saviour'! "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Revelation 22:13).

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TRANQUIL TRUST
By Miles Stanford



"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Prov. 3:5).

Restful trust is developed not so much by what the Lord Jesus does for us, but by who He is to us - and that necessitates fellowship.

"It is a wonderful thing to be so satisfied with the Lord Jesus' company, that we can be tranquil about everything. You will often find that it is the one of the most anxious temperament who finds most in Him, when such an one begins to know Him. I remember when I used to think that I should be happy beyond conception if I were able to say, 'I will fear no evil,' 'my heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' In order to reach this, you must find Him enough, without anything else. We all say that He is enough, but it is quite a different thing to know it practically. You can never prove the worth of anyone, until you are absolutely dependent on him." -J.B.S.

"What do you need? Ask your Father about it. Instead of harassing your mind about it, present it to Him; and it is not said that He will necessarily give you what you ask, but He gives you His peace. You put your cares into His heart, and He will put His peace into yours."

"Our Father's purpose is an 'eternal purpose,' from eternity, embracing an eternity to come. He does not shape His thoughts according as circumstances arise, but the circumstances are controlled by His thoughts and plans. How blessed to know that He is absolute Master in all things; that even 'He maketh the wrath of man to praise Him, and the remainder of wrath He restrains.' It is the only thing that can give the smallest comfort in the midst of such a scene of confusion all around us." ---F.W.G.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6).

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SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN CHRIST
By Pastor Jon D. Bekemeyer



Scripture Reading: I Timothy 2:7

People have always rebelled against God's special messengers for their day. Noah preached for 120 years and only seven people were persuaded to climb aboard the ark. Moses, as the giver of the law, was often rebelled against and his authority was often disputed. And so it was (and is) with the Apostle Paul.

We who serve as evangelists, pastors or teachers, know how difficult it is to be accepted in those capacities. How much more difficult it must have been for Paul to be accepted as the apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13), the revelator of Body truth (Galatians I:11) and the pattern for all Body saints (I Timothy I:16)  Because he was called by the risen, glorified Lord in Heaven, he could not produce one human witness to testify to the veracity of his special ministry. Furthermore, he always refused human forms of endorsement, saying in effect, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" (see 2 Corinthians 3:1). Thus, here in our text, as Paul reaffirms the legitimacy of his ministry, he pronounces a sort of an oath: "I speak the truth in Christ and lie not." Because he pronounced an oath, we know that what he said was very important and generally disbelieved. It is as important today, as it was when Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, to recognize and understand the special apostleship of Paul.

All the Scriptures are truth spoken in Christ. Since the completion of the canon, God's people speak the truth in Christ only as they faithfully proclaim God's written Word.

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REWARD vs. LOSS
By the late Pastor Bob Hanna



Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 3; 14, 15

When the apostle Paul was nearing the end of his life, he exuded complete confidence in his appearing before the judgment (award) seat of Christ. "I have fought a good fight, I have [finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7.) "We must all appear before the judgment (awards) seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (worthless)" (2 Cor. 5:10). Would that we all might have the same expectation as did our apostle as we anticipate that great event.

When we appear at the judgment (award) seat it is not our salvation that will be determined, but the value of our conduct in service of the Lord. "If we suffer we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us" (2 Timothy 2:12). This speaks of loss or denial of reward for our works. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Ephesians 2:10). "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). Thus we are advised of what is expected of us in God's service.

When we are judged, the kinds of works to be examined are described as wood, hay, stubble (which would be determined unacceptable) and gold, silver, precious stones (which would be deemed worthy). "If any man's work abide ... he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (I Corinthians 3: 14,15). This, because " ... after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13).

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SHOULD CHRIST'S BODY WORK?
Part 1 of 3


Have you ever come across some item in your home which doesn't work any more? We have - ever so often! We usually make one of two decisions: either save it with the idea of repairing it so it will work, or discard it as 'junk.'

Should the saved people of this dispensation of the grace of God work? In the words of the above caption, 'Should Christ's Body work?'  'What do you mean?' you ask. After an individual becomes truly saved and thereby becomes a member of the Church, which is Christ's Body, is it necessary for that individual to do 'good works'? How do you answer that question? If you say 'Yes', can you prove it by the Word of God 'rightly divided'? If you say 'No,' can you do likewise?

What saith the Scriptures? Realizing that our glorified Lord has made the Apostle Paul God's revelator to the Church, which is Christ's Body (as Moses was God's revelator to Israel), we turn first to his writings to answer this question. 'For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto (for the purpose of) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared before-hand) that we should walk them' (Ephesians 2:10). 'That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge (full knowledge) of God' (Colossians 1:10), 'For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do (work) of (for) His good pleasure' (Philippians 2:13). 'Who gave himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity (lawlessness). that he might purify unto himself a people of his own, zealous of good works' (Titus 2:14). ''This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men' (Titus 3:8 ), 'As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith' (Galatians 6:10). 'This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of bishop (overseer), he desireth a good work' (1 Timothy :3:1)'.

These are but seven of many more exhortations of God in the Pauline epistles to point out that the members of Christ's Body should engage in 'good works' as a result of being a 'new creation in Christ.'

The Pauline Scriptures especially make it perfectly clear that the believer's forgiveness, justification, and standing in Christ are not matters of humanly produced works. Our standing in Christ is based wholly and totally upon Christ's work which is finished for us upon His death and resurrection. 'This is why our salvation is all of grace through faith: 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not of works, lest any man should boast.'  'And if by grace, then is it no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace, But if it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work' (Romans 11:6). 'But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justified the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness' (Romans 4:5). See also Titus 3:5-7.

Since works (good or otherwise) cannot affect our standing in Christ, are they necessary at all in the Christian walk? What saith the Scriptures? God's maintenance program for each member of Christ's Church is stated in Titus 3:8 (which we have previously quoted). Read it again and think about it. Tomorrow, Lord willing, we'll say more about 'Should Christ's Body ?' In  the meantime let's ask ourselves,

'Are we doing HIS good pleasure?'

Grace, Peace and Love,
Pastor P.  Hume

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SHOULD CHRIST'S BODY WORK?
(Part 2 of 3)
By Pastor  P.  Hume



We saw in part one how our salvation in Christ Jesus is a pure gift from God, 'not of works, lest any man should boast.' As a poet has put it:
     'I'll not work my soul to save,
      For that my God has done;
      But I'll work like any slave,
      For love to God's dear Son.'

On the other hand, the Scriptures (especially the Pauline epistles) make it equally clear that God does have a 'maintenance program' for believers in this age of grace, spoken of in this way: 'This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.' A few verses later, Paul says nearly the same thing: 'And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful' (Titus 3:8 and 14).

Mr. Kenneth S. Wuest renders Titus 3:8 more closely to the Greek text in this manner: '. . . and concerning these things I desire you to be strongly assertive, in order that those who have believed God may take careful thought to go forward in good works.' The idea conveyed here is that the one who has been saved without human works of any kind be now occupied with 'good works' in his daily life.

Commenting on this important theme, in his remarks on Eph. 2:8-10, Mr. Charles Welch, in his excellent commentary, 'In Heavenly Places', states: 'There are some teachers, who, because  they have recognized the utter impossibility of good works ever being admitted as a procuring or a qualifying cause of our acceptance, seem to have developed an antipathy to good works altogether, as though Paul had not continued 'not of works . . . unto good works.' Works are the visible  fruit on the tree, making it evident that the invisible root is alive and active. (Emphasis ours.) 'By their fruits ye shall know them' is a principle true for all time. Just as balance is exhibited in the epistle as  a whole, so is it in its parts. To emphasize the complete exclusion of works as the cause of salvation is right; to omit reference to the need to produce good works after salvation is wrong. The only thing that is true is proportionate emphasis upon both doctrines.' (P. 220)

I think that it is important here to define what 'good works' are. Very evidently they are connected with the believer's walk in Christ, and therefore relate to 'fruit' in the believer's life. Note the prayer of Paul for the believers in Colossae: '. . . that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge (full knowledge, lit.) of God' (Col. 1:10). If 'good works' are related to 'being fruitful,' and these in turn relate to our daily 'walk,' do we not find a key in the words of Paul to the believers in Thessalonica? 'Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and your labor of love. . . in our Lord Jesus Christ.' (I Thessalonians 1:3.)

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul affirms that it is 'faith which worketh by love' (Galatians 5:6). We are also told that 'it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure' (Philippians 2:13). Can we say then that the 'good works' which each one of us who are in Christ should be 'careful to maintain' are the expressions of God's faith and love in our character and our conduct? Think about it!

Grace, Peace and Love

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SHOULD CHRIST'S BODY WORK?
(Part 3 of 3)



Someone has well said, 'A 'Christian should be like a watch: well regulated and full of good works!' In the light of the Word of God, this is true. 'Good works' are God's 'maintenance program' for every member of the Body of Christ in this present dispensation of the grace of God. (Remember again Titus 2:11-14, 3:8, 14, as well as Ephesians 2:8-10, Colossians 1:9-12, Galatians 6: 9-10, and Philippians 2:12-16.)

We have also observed that there is a real connection between 'the fruit of the spirit' (Galatians 5:22-23), 'faith which worketh by love' (Galatians 5:6), and 'being fruitful in every good work' (Colossians 1:10). Hence, we can construct a sort of equation like this:

THE INDWELLING SPIRIT + FAITH = LOVE
AND GOOD WORKS

What are these 'good works'? Are they several activities in which we can engage, like going to church, singing in the choir, teaching a Sunday School class, visiting the sick, serving at a church dinner, or helping a needy neighbor? These are all good, but they are not necessarily 'good works'. We know that 'he that desireth the office of a bishop (overseer), desireth a good work' (I Timothy 3:1). Yet not all spiritual leaders in local churches are performing 'good works'; because they are not in right relation with God.

Now Paul, for example, gives no list of 'good works' because they are not in his epistles. He does mention 'the work of ministering (serving)' in Ephesians 4:12, which every believer in Christ should engage in. He also makes it clear that each member of the Body of Christ has a specific function (Ephesians 4:7-16). He speaks of praying for one another (Ephesians 6:18 ), performing with our hands what is good (Ephesians 4:28 ), 'contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality' (Romans 12:13), and bearing 'one another's burdens' (Galatians 6:2). These are all 'good,' and they are 'works' in the sense that it takes activity to engage in them.

What makes a 'work' good? The best answer we can give is this: a 'good work' is any activity which a believer in Christ does in the name of Christ and in dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Thus  Paul exhorts: 'And whatsoever ye do in word or deed (work), do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him' (Colossians 3:17). He also encourages us by saying: 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as-much as ye know that your labor is not in vain (fruitless) in the Lord' (I Corinthians 15:58 ).

     'If I can do some good today,
      If I can serve along life's way,
      If I can something helpful say,
         Lord, show me how.
      If I can right a human wrong,
      If I can help to make one strong,
      If I can cheer with smile or song,
         Lord, show me how.
      If I can aid one in distress,
      If I can make a burden less,
      If I can spread more happiness,
    Lord, show me how. '
                  (GRENVillE KlEISER)

Beloved, let us seek to 'maintain good works' for the glory of God!
Grace, Peace and Love,
Pastor  Paul Hume