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“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see YOUR GOOD WORKS and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 (emphasis added)

It seems to me that there has been quite the imbalanced teaching in the circles of Christianity that says once a person comes into a relationship with Jesus Christ there is nothing left for him to do but merely exist comfortably in the knowledge that he is now a child of God.

Because human nature seems to gravitate towards extremes, we have seen the ebb and flow of spiritual tide. Instead of a consistent level on the banks of theological wellness, we have seen spring and neap tides of theological disease. Men first gravitate towards works of the flesh believing their ‘works’ earn them favor with God and guarantee their security in heaven as their eternal home. A temporary season of balance seems to invade their thinking bringing them to the ideology that ‘works’ are important only as external billboards of a changed heart. It is not long before the tide hits an all time low and rends men’s thoughts towards a lazy existence of a ‘non-work’ environment leaving them to believe all the must do is ‘abide’. While it is true that we “abide in Christ” and rest in the assurance of His love, we must never forget that ‘works’ are indeed a very important part of every believer’s life. Jesus Himself said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” John 9:4. The apostle Peter told us that those who “work righteousness” are accepted by God (see Acts 10:35) and when speaking of Jesus he said, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about DOING good.” Acts 10:38 (emphasis added).

Friends, be careful that your theology stays well balanced with the WHOLE of scripture (see I Peter 5:8 in the amplified). It is the extremes that get us into trouble. While we do NOT have to work in order to earn salvation, we do have to ‘work’ so that God may be glorified through us. It is our responsibility to go about doing good just as Jesus did: feeding the poor, healing the sick, taking care of widows, visiting those in prison – the list goes on and on. Our ‘light’ shines when we are ‘working’, not when we are ‘speaking’. It is time we quit talking a good talk and start ‘doing’ a good ‘work’.