Do Good Works

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

(Ephesians 2:10)

Another question that many people ask is “What does God want me to do?” God wants us to do good works. God called us and saved us that we might do good works. He has called us to help the poor, to reach out to those in need, to help people during times of distress and disaster, to aid widows and orphans. We are to always be involved in doing good works – in the city where we live, our country and abroad. We are to look for opportunities in our home and our neighborhood, at school, at work, in every arena of our life. Always look for opportunities to do good works and take advantage of these opportunities. Because God called us to do good works.

But the concept of doing good works goes way beyond special opportunities to do good works such as missions trips or church work or volunteering in a homeless shelter.  Doing good works is a mindset, a way of life, it is a style of living that touches every aspect of our time on earth.  Our entire life  should amount to a good work. Our job should result in us leaving the world a better place than we found it.  Our presence at home should result in good works in the lives of our family members.  Our neighborhood should benefit from our living there.  The profession we choose should be a profession that makes the world a better place, improves the lives of others, and so on.  Our very existience should result in the world being a better place, like the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  We are to live a life of doing good works in all things and at all times. In every arena of life that we find ourselves in, in every activity that we set our hands to, in all that we do we should work towards accomplishing what is good.  We are to create and cultivate what is good while we are here on earth.  This is godliness.

And remember, we are doing good works because that is why God called us. We are not doing them to earn our salvation. Rest assured that ultimately our salvation depends on God and not ourself. We are saved because of God, because of what Christ did on the cross. We cannot add anything to what Jesus has already done. We do good works out of appreciation for what God has done for us. The love of God inspires us to do good works. It is a joy to do good works. Salvation-wise, our life is now hidden with Christ, it is in God’s hands and nothing can snatch us out of God’s hands. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. So enjoy your life, and trust in God that He will finish what He has started in you. And while you are here on this earth, do good works.

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“Choose you this day whom you will serve…..but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua 24:15

Published by Ed Levy

Growing up Jewish, the extent of my knowledge about Jesus and Christianity was limited to what was on the rock album "Jesus Christ Superstar". Becoming born again in college, that changed. Jesus showed up, and my life has never been the same. I thank God every day for bringing me into His kingdom, and write these blogs to remember what He has shown me, and to share them with my four sons and others. I owe much to several pastors who have strongly influenced me over the years, including Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Robert Lewis, John Ortberg, John Eldredge, and most recently Tim Keller and David Levine. Many of my blogs are the 'aha' moments that I have had over the years from listening to their sermons and reading their books, and I owe them a great debt of gratitude. My prayer for you is that you will be blessed by these writings, that God will become more real to you, and that your relationship with Him will become more profound as you grow in His grace.

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