Good Works

We are not saved and given a home in heaven because of our good works, and yet we must work as though our getting into heaven did depend upon our works. Man may do a great many good deeds and yet be far away from God; it is true that those who are near to God are active in good works. One of the surest evidences that we are gaining a closer walk with Jesus is that our lives are becoming fuller of good deeds; that we are more eager to do something to His glory. God wants a people to walk with Him; therefore He saves us from evil works, makes us new creatures in Christ, and prepares us for good works. Is that not wonderful and glorious? God has ordained that man should walk in good works (Ephesians 2:10). He provides the works and prepares man for the work. God has provided plenty of work; and if those whom He has prepared become neglectful and fail to do what He has provided, He will cast them out.

“Let us not be weary in well doing…. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men.”* (Galatians 6:9-10) You desire a closer walk with God, but you are not willing to share your abundance with the poor widow in want. You sit down to your table bountifully spread, while some of God’s dear children somewhere are crying for bread. To have a closer walk with God is to have ears that can hear more distinctly the pleadings of the poor. If you are not willing to let all your earthly possessions work for Jesus, you cannot walk with Him. You want to be nearer to God, but you are not willing to get up early in the morning or spend half a night praying for the souls He died to save. God has some children in dark heathen lands calling for the gospel, but you are not willing to lose a few hours sleep to pray God to send them someone with the words of life. You long to feel yourself growing in grace; but you spend Sunday afternoon asleep in your easy chair or visit some neighbor and talk with them of unprofitable things instead of taking your Bible or some good book and going to read something helpful to the needy. You are praying to be more like Jesus, but in your carelessness let many opportunities of doing good pass by you daily unimproved. It is not my purpose now to read you everything the Bible says about good works; but if you will take that blessed book and your concordance and in some quiet evening read all the texts relative to the subject, you will no doubt be benefited.

Let me say, however, that there is something for you to do. There is much for you to do, and much you must do if you would walk with the Lord. Oh, that all beloved saints could only realize the great responsibility resting upon them! God makes you greatly responsible for the salvation of souls. What has God chosen you for? What has He sanctified you for? To prepare you unto every good work and to make you meet for His use. God wants to use you; He wants to use you in saving other souls, which are of more value to Him than the world. Will it not be an awful thing in the day of judgment to know that there is a soul in hell that would have been in heaven if we had only let God have His own way and will in us? It seems that heaven could scarcely be heaven to us should we have such knowledge. Some may think that God will not permit a soul to be lost that would be saved; that if He does not save by one means, He will by another. This is not correct. God wants to use you, and no one can do your work and do his own, for each one has all he can do. God could gain nothing by taking someone else to do your work; for if someone is used to do your work, then some of that person’s work must go undone. If you fail to do your work, it will never be done. The good that you can do will never be done unless you do it.

Will you listen closely and prayerfully while I read you a few words from God’s Holy Book? “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”* (2 Timothy 3:16-17) God has done all that you might be furnished throughout unto all good works. He has given you the Scriptures; he has given ministers and tells them to put saints in mind “to be ready to every good work.”* (Titus 3:1) We have before said that our good works do not take us to heaven. This is true; but it is equally true that if we are not zealous of good works we shall never gain heaven.

In Titus 3:8 are these words: “This is the faithful saying.” What does the apostle mean to say is a faithful saying? It is this: “Being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”* (Titus 3:7) This fact of being heirs according to the hope of eternal life is a faithful saying; and he would have ministers to affirm this faithful saying constantly, “that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.”* (Titus 3:8) This clearly implies that to be heirs according to the hope of eternal life we must be careful to maintain good works. Work to be done is at your hand constantly. You need never be idle because of a lack of anything to do. There is a kind word to be spoken, a child to be instructed, a cup of water to be given; there are the hungry to be fed, the sick to be cared for, and all men to be prayed for.

You would be very industrious in waiting on Jesus if He were here. Well, He is here. That poor woman who called on you for aid, that was Jesus. That old man who wants a few pennies, that is Jesus. The sick child who wanted a flower, that was Jesus. And those around your own fireside that need your help so often, they are Jesus.

I will tell you a story I read years ago. One cold winter night as a man was returning to his home from his place of labor, he passed near a soldier at his post of duty-keeping sentinel. The laboring man saw that the soldier was very thinly clad. Going up to the soldier, the man said, “You may have my heavy coat to protect you from the cold of this wintry night.” While speaking, he took off his coat. Handing it to the soldier, he went on to his fireside, to his supper, to his bed, and to his dreams.

That night he dreamed that he saw the Savior coming in the distance. As He came nearer, the man saw that the Savior had his (the man’s) coat on. When Jesus came near enough, the man said, “I let the thinly-clad soldier have my coat last night, and how has it come about that You have it on?”

Jesus answered, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”* (Matthew 25:40)

Whenever you do a good deed to anyone with a pure motive, you do it to Jesus. Be zealous therefore of good works.