“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works ” (Hebrews 10:24, KJV).
It is our job to consider one another and to provoke (arouse, stimulate, encourage, spark, fire up, incite, or instigate) to love and good works.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, KJV).
In a spirit of love let your light shine. Be known for doing good works – not to be seen by others or for your own glory – but to glorify God (Matthew 6:1).
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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10, KJV).
This short passage says a lot. We are saved by faith, by the grace of God when we believe, repent, confess and are baptized. This passage says that we don’t merit or earn it by our many good works. It is the gift of God. We can’t boast to God about how many good things we did and cash those in for salvation.
So works deserve little attention, right? Wrong.
We are “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (vs. 10). We were created in Christ Jesus for what? For good works that “we would walk in them” (vs. 12). Walking in them is not something we do occasionally here and there. It is our walk, our way of life, what we all do in all of our lives. We do good works on the way to work or school, in traffic, amongst those we work with and those we serve, in our classes, at the store, ballfields, basketball courts, in our neighborhoods and our communities. We do them in the nursing homes, and jails, and anywhere we find ourselves.
Do what you were created to do. Do good!
For the elders, Gary Woodall