The Good News and Good Works

(1) Good News and Good Works

In Ephesians Paul says something very important that is being largely overlooked:

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. (Ephesians 4:28) (ESV)

It is not very likely that Paul was talking about a person who was literally a thief; why would he say that a thief should earn money to donate to the needy? No, only Christians were donating to the needy. Paul is referring to someone who could work but was not working and was therefore eating at the love feasts, making him a thief. But Paul does not merely say that he should work for his own food, but that he should work so he can provide food for others. The early Christians were doing far more than most Christians in America today. Believe it or not, there were Christians in the first 300 years who actually sold themselves into slavery so they could use the money to redeem another person from slavery or to feed starving people. Any volunteers? No?

In approximately 125 A.D., Aristides, a philosopher of Athens, wrote the first known apology of Christianity to Emperor Hadrian. He is also known as St. Aristides:

Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God. And whenever one of their poor passes from the world, each one of them according to his ability gives heed to him and carefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food. . . . (Translated from the Syriac version by D. M. Kay, B. Sc., B.D., Assistant to the Professor of Semitic Languages in The University of Edinburgh.)

Think about that. We would consider those who were fasting so they could give food to others, as themselves being very poor, otherwise they would have had money to buy food to give away. The prosperous Christians in America don’t want to give up their big screen TVs or video games so others can eat, while the early Christians actually went without eating so they could help others. The difference is striking. The early Christians make the present day Christians in North America and Europe look like a bunch of materialistic, money-loving sissies. Can you imagine Americans fasting so they can give the food they would have eaten to others? No, what I hear coming from churches and TV preachers is, “give me money and God will feed you.”

In Philippians, Paul instructs the people on the importance of doing good works and the attitude they should have toward such work:

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. 6 Who… 7… made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant …(Philippians 2:3-7) (NIV)

Paul is not talking about things in general or work in general, but is specifically referring to doing good deeds. We should not do such deeds with selfish motives or because we think we are better than someone else because we are doing charity work, but all charity work should be done in humility, as a servant who is below the ones he serves. Notice also that Paul presents Christ as an example for us, because he became a servant, so also we are to be servants to others.

In Colossians Paul says that one of the ways we can be pleasing to God is to do good deeds for others:

[S]o as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10) (ESV)

Here Paul says that bearing the fruit of being a Christian is doing good works. This is the only proper explanation for this passage. This means the vast majority of Christians today are not bearing fruit and would be considered nonbelievers because of their lack of fruit.

As the above verses illustrate, there are far more verses in the Bible which tell us to do good works than the average Christian is aware of. Yet, most churches do not teach that Christians must do good works. Only a very small fraction of professing Christians today ever engage in good deeds. By their actions they are denying Christ!

While we were with you, we gave you the order: “Whoever doesn’t want to work shouldn’t be allowed to eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) (GW)

How could Paul or the church prevent someone from eating if they were not willing to work for a living? There are two possible interpretations of this passage. One is that it is not talking about someone who was not working for a living, but someone who would not do good works, and that person should not be allowed to take part in their love feasts. The second interpretation is that the church was providing food for people, so a person who could work for a living but was just lazy, should not be among those which was given food. Now we go to 1 Timothy where Paul refers to widows:

Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. . . . 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5: 3-4, (ESV)

Here Paul says that widows in need should be taken care of, but if a widow has relatives, her family should be the ones to provide for her. Notice that Paul says anyone who does not provide for his family “has denied the faith.” How could this be? Only one way, the Christian faith includes taking care of others, especially your own family; which is why Paul said helping the widow was showing godliness. This one passage is powerful when it comes to showing beyond any doubt just how important helping the poor and needy was to the Early Church. So much so that anyone who refused to help his own relatives financially had denied the Christian faith!

Paul goes on to say that those widows who should be supported must have a record of doing good deeds for others:

9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. (1 Timothy 5:9-10) (NIV)

This tells us that when a woman got old she was not to get free food unless she had spent a lot of time doing good deeds while she was able. This also shows that the local church supported the elderly, it was the first type of Social Security, and it was instituted by the command of Christ. In the United States the elderly get a Social Security check, but in many other countries, like India, they do not. Christians in India need to start practicing the true and original Gospel of good works by helping the elderly, if they are not already. But since we are all related in Christ, Christians in America need to take notice and help them too! So this program will work in many nations even today.

Paul goes on to say in the next passage that even people who are rich must do good deeds, even though they also give money to the poor:

Command those who are rich . . . to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. (1 Timothy 6:17-18) (NIV)

Sharing wealth does not refer to giving money to a preacher so he can build a million dollar church or ministry headquarters. It refers to giving to the needs of low income people. Now we go to the letter Paul wrote to Titus where Paul said that Jesus came to “purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14) (NIV). Paul says here that Christians are a people who have been especially chosen and cleansed for the purpose of doing good works. Another version says:

He gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good. (GNB)

Several other translations say “zealous for good works” (GLT, NAS, NKJ). To put it another way, Jesus died to purify us from wickedness in order to form an army of do-gooders who spend their lives helping others. Again, this is a very powerful passage with major theological implications, but it is being overlooked by modern Christianity which has become self-centered and selfish. They would rather play golf, go bowling, or just watch TV than spend time helping others.

There is much good that needs to be done, such as operating a homeless shelter for homeless teenage girls to keep them from prostitution, running a medical clinic for poor people, providing summer jobs for disadvantaged youth, or even paying a poor kid’s way through college. We should be busy doing many good works today, but 99.99% of Christians in North America are not doing these things.

Murphy Oil Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in El Dorado, Arkansas, announced in 2007 that it would set aside 50 million dollars to provide full college scholarships to all students of the El Dorado school system. It was done because of a similar program in Kalamazoo, Michigan which is funded by anonymous donors and designed to spur local economic growth. The Michigan program succeeded. The El Dorado city council heard about the Michigan program and asked Murphy Oil if they would fund a similar scholarship program, and they quickly agreed.

This is another case of Christians sitting back and letting others take their place. There are plenty of Christians rich enough to have started such a program for the purpose of giving to others in the name of Christian love, but that did not happen. These programs were started for selfish reasons. Christians need to step up and start helping others in the name of Christian love and stop letting the government or the marketplace take their place.

Many people who are in need are hesitant to even ask for help, but if we make it a practice to help as many people as we can, others will know that we enjoy helping people and will more likely ask for help when they need it. “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works” (Titus 2:7) (ESV). The NAS says, “in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds.” Here Paul tells Timothy, a young minister, to be an example to others in doing of good deeds.

It is important to continue examining the most important passages that refer to doing good works because of the prevailing false doctrines today that say we don’t have to make an effort to do good and those who are doing good are accused of trying to earn their salvation. What the Bible says, the Bible says. Whether you like it or not, we have been commanded to do good works, therefore, we must make an effort to do good.

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work . . . (Titus 3:1) (ESV)

The Scripture passages just keep coming, showing that we must do good works, but modern theologians are blind as bats. Paul continues from the above verse to say that Christ has saved us by his grace “not because of works done by us in righteousness” (ESV), then goes on to emphasize the importance of doing good works, saying that Christians should “insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8) (ESV), the NAS version says “careful to engage in good deeds.” The literal translation says, “the ones believing God should take thought to maintain good works” (LIT). How can I say this any stronger than the apostle Paul?! Christ saved us, not because of any good works we did, but now that we are saved, we must be very careful, we must take great thought, we must be devoted to good works.

Paul obviously considered doing good deeds to be very important to repeat it so often in several of his letters. I find it incredible that the Christians today have gone so far away from the teaching of the New Testament. Paul concludes this letter to Titus by re-emphasizing the importance of good deeds:

And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. (Titus 3:14) (ESV)

Notice that Paul again connects good deeds with bearing the fruit of a Christian. I am afraid that when most Christians in North America today, die, they will either end up in hell or will be street sweepers in heaven. Barnes Notes on Titus 3:14 says:

That it may be seen that their religion is not barren and worthless, but that it produces a happy effect on themselves and on society . . .

It refers to providing for the needs of others, including the needs of those in full-time ministry. The verse just before the above verse says:

Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. (3:13) (ESV)

Let’s look at the above verses together in another translation:

Do your best to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos to get started on their travels, and see to it that they have everything they need. Have our people learn to give their time in doing good works, to provide for real needs; they should not live useless lives. (GNB)

Paul commanded Titus to provide everything those two ministers needed, but those needs did not include a jet plane, or limousine, or diamond watch. Paul then went on to say that the Christians must learn to devote themselves to doing the same type of good deeds. Good deeds that supply daily necessities to others, thereby they do not live as unproductive Christians, but will bear fruit, showing themselves to be true Christians. Paul would condemn most Christians today as living useless lives. The author of Hebrews, which was probably Paul, agrees with Paul’s letters:

For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. (Heb. 6:10) (ESV)

This passage tells us that we demonstrate love for God when we help people with whatever it is they need help with. It also says that we will be rewarded for this good work. The writer of Hebrews continues with more emphasis on good deeds:

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works . . . (Heb. 10:24) (ESV)

We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things. (GW)

It is easy to sit back and do nothing. We must not only cheer ourselves on to keep doing good works, but urge others to keep doing good works. The last chapter of Hebrews reminds us yet again:

Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God. (Heb. 13:16) (ESV)

Not only should we do good deeds to others, we should do so sacrificially. The evidence is overwhelming, Christians are commanded in the strongest terms to spend their lives engaged in good deeds, but the pleasure loving apostate Christians today spend weeks planning a vacation to Disney Land. If they would just spend 50% less time watching TV as they currently do, and use that time to do good works, it would change the world and the world’s perception of Christianity!

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) (ESV)

One person cannot change the world, but you can change the world for one person.

I believe He wants us to love others so much that we go to extremes to help them. I believe He wants us to be known for giving – of our time, our money, and our abilities – and to start a movement of “giving” churches. In so doing, we can alleviate the suffering in the world and change the reputation of His bride in America. (Crazy Love, Francis Chan, page 19)

Churches try to bring in as many members as possible to sit and listen to our beautiful rhetoric week in and week out. This is the direct opposite of Christ’s instruction to us, which is to get people saved, train them, and release them to change the world they came from. (Church Shift, Sunday Adelaja, page 154)

(2) Bearing Good Fruit

Jesus never said that you will know true Christians by their doctrines; he said you will know them by their fruit. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit…. by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:18, 20) (NIV). The works he speaks of is not joy, peace, etc, but is doing good to others. There is a connection between bearing fruit in this passage and doing the will of God in the next passage, because they are the same:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) (NIV)

The New Testament says the calling of God is not something you can repent of; it is not something you can decide to reject. Therefore, there will be many people who are called into the ministry, some will choose to believe false doctrines; but they are still called to the ministry. Some may even perform great miracles, but because they do not do the will of God, they will be cast aside on the Day of Judgment.

“22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:22-23) (ESV)

A lot of speculation surrounds these verses because commentators have a hard time figuring out why Jesus sees the preachers mentioned above as false ministers. First, in the verses above Jesus talked about having good fruit, then he said only those who do the will of God will enter heaven. It is a mistake to assume that “fruit” in the Gospels refers to the Fruits of the Spirit listed by Paul, and are mentioned nowhere else in the Bible; the fruit Jesus referred to was good works.

Helping the poor was unknown among the Roman pagans, so helping the poor was evidence that you were a follower of Jesus. The pagans were only concerned with themselves; they were much like the Hindu are today who believe that those who suffer did something to deserve it. They call it Karma, so they do not help others the way Christians used to! Helping people was once referred to as “the Christian thing to do,” but the modern gospel is so selfish that it no longer applies to modern Christians. So he is talking about obeying God’s command to feed the hungry and clothe the naked.

The Greek for “lawlessness” does not mean “without law” but “law breaker.” How can a nonChristian break God’s law? Only those who are expected to keep the law can be guilty of breaking it (that is, the spirit of the law, which is loving God and loving our neighbors). So this must refer to people who are genuine Christians.

Notice that Jesus said these ministers cast out devils and perform miracles, but he said nothing about helping the poor. The reason these ministers are not true ministers is because they don’t help the poor. Clearly, doing the will of God means more than preaching the repent-Gospel or casting out devils and performing miracles. We already learned that all the law and the prophets center on loving God and our neighbor; so these ministers do not keep the most important parts of the Law. This is why they are workers of lawlessness.

The ministers who cry “Lord, Lord” in this verse are those who build big churches but don’t help the poor. They drive big cars passed the hungry but will not stop to feed them. Only those who do the will of God will make it into the Kingdom! Casting out devils and performing miracles are signs that follow those who are preaching the Gospel, but doing them does not excuse the preachers from the requirement to feed the hungry and clothe the naked.

Jesus was saying that it is not enough to profess to be a follower of Jesus, only those who do what God commands will enter the Kingdom. Only those who have the outward evidence, the fruit of good works, will enter the Kingdom. About this passage in Matthew 7, Justin Martyr writes:

And let those who are not found living as He taught, be understood to be no Christians, even though they profess with the lip the precepts of Christ; for not those who make profession, but those who do the works, shall be saved, according to His word. (First Apology)

There are over two billion people who profess to be Christians today, which is about ten-times more people than the total population of the world in the first century. So if there ever was a time when we could expect to see ministers who cast out devils and perform mighty miracles, but who will be cast out because they are guilty of not feeding the hungry or clothing the naked, it is today!

If you have ever read any books or articles on how to have a good marriage, you are likely to have read something that expresses the same principle that Jesus taught: There is no better way to show your spouse that you love him/her “than with time and affection. Just saying ‘I love you’ isn’t enough — this demonstration requires action and active support” (4 Ways to Say “I Love You” By Emily Battaglia, lifescript.com). So also we must put outward action behind our worship of God, with acts of love. To love God is to love our neighbors.

Doing good works does not mean that you are earning your salvation. Though salvation is a free gift, we must obey the commands of God, otherwise, it is a slap in God’s face. Refusing to reach out a helping hand is the opposite of love. It reflects badly on God for his people to not heal the hurts of others. God expects us to help people; those who do not, bear bad fruit.

(3) Prove you are Disciples

The subject of this section is not faith vs. works, but is about the fact that we have been commanded to do good works. If we do not do good works, we are sinning and have departed from the faith. What is the true Christian faith? Believing in God and forgiving others? That is the start of it, but the brother of Jesus said:

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27) (ESV)

Christians today have failed at both of these commands, they are not doing good deeds and they are virtually indistinguishable from the world! So the true Christian religion is all about helping others and living right! Does this sound like the Christianity that is being taught today? No! James continues talking about the importance of good works:

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:14-17) (ESV)

The Good News Bible says, “what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it?” This passage clearly says that if you do not do good works, then your faith is worthless and cannot save you from hell. Yet many people today refuse to accept what this passage teaches because they do not want it to be true. They want an easy faith; “just believe and you are saved.” This passage would be powerful even if it were the only one, but there are numerous passages as we have already seen, and more will be presented, that totally back up the assertion that this passage should be taken for exactly what it says. Paul said that those who do nothing to provide for the needs they see around them have “denied the faith,” (see section 1 of this chapter) which is the same thing that James said here. There must be faith, plus good works. You are not a genuine Christian unless you help others!

You can claim to be a Christian all you want, and even attend worship service seven days a week, but if you absolutely refuse to help people in need, you are, in Paul’s words denying that you are a Christian, and you are worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8). No-wonder your prayers are not being answered, your faith is dead!

James said that Abraham was considered righteous because he obeyed God; “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did” (2:22) (NIV). James then went on to say, “You see a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone” (James 2:24) (NIV). Would Paul agree with such a statement? Yes! He would and he does, (which will be described shortly). James then said, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (2:26) (NIV).

Protestants today greatly reject those clear words, claiming that the verses do not say what they appear to say, because official Protestant theology says that we are saved by faith alone. Either James was wrong or our theology is wrong, we cannot just reason away such clear and powerful statements. Because of James’ clear statements, Martin Luther rejected the book of James as he did Hebrews, Jude, and Revelation. He put them all at the back of his German bible and said that the author of James was not James the apostle; “I maintain that some Jew wrote it who probably heard about Christian people but never encountered any” (Table Talk, 1542. Paul Althaus, The Theology of Martin Luther, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1966). Luther further stated in his preface to the book of James:

He does violence to scripture and so contradicts Paul and all of scripture. He tries to accomplish by emphasizing law what the Apostles bring about by attracting men to love. I therefore refuse him a place among the writers of the true canon of my Bible. (Martin Luther: Selections from his Writings, by John Dillenberger, Anchor, 1958, page 36)

Apparently, Luther was not able to separate works of dead religion from the good works which God requires of us. We are not to engage in worthless ritual, such as sacrifices, repetitive prayers, burning incense, crawling on your knees to the church, kissing an icon of a saint, etc.

Here is Paul’s agreement with James: Paul said he traveled throughout Israel and among the Gentiles, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20) (NIV). What!? You mean Paul said we have to prove our repentance by doing good deeds? But what do other translations say?

I told them to do things that prove they had changed their lives. (GW)

I preached . . . that all must forsake their sins and turn to God – and prove their repentance by doing good deeds. (Living Bible)

. . . that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. (ESV)

. . . and do the things that would show they had repented. (GNB)

The literal translation says, “turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance” (LIT). What nerve! What happened to faith alone? This shows beyond any question that the Gospel Paul preached was not salvation by faith alone, but was faith plus good works! Here again, this is an enormously powerful statement, yet, ministers today will totally disregard it and the large number of other passages that support it, while they emphasize one or two passages that seemingly support their claims of faith plus nothing! They disregard:

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. (2 Cor. 9:13) (NIV)

WOW! How did our Protestant forefathers miss these powerful verses? Perhaps it is because this is a modern translation; how does this line up with the original Greek and other translations? The literal translation says, “through the proof of this service, they glorifying God” (LIT). Here is good translation of this passage:

The way in which you have proved yourselves by this service will bring honor and praise to God. You believed the message about Christ, and you obeyed it by sharing generously with God’s people and with everyone else. (2 Cor. 9:13) (CEV)

Here we are told that the Corinthians had proved that they were believers by helping others. It also shows that the message they believed about Christ was that when we join the faith we must share generously with others! This is the Gospel message that the Corinthians heard and believed! This passage is strong evidence of the true forgotten Gospel. It is understandable that the English-speaking Protestants did not understand this passage because of the poor King James translation; “While by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ” (KJV), but Martin Luther was a German, so he and others had no excuse.

So, the Bible shows that Paul taught everywhere he went that Christians must prove their faith by doing good works; would the apostle John agree with proving you are a Christian? Yes, as he states:

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, (1 John 2:3-4) (ESV)

This is exactly the same thing that James and Paul said, that faith alone is dead; it must include doing what Jesus commanded. If you were to read the entire New Testament, then ask yourself, “what did Jesus command?” dominating over all his commands is feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. John continues on from the above verses:

but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:5-6) (ESV)

We must live the same as Jesus lived. How did Christ live? He spent his life doing the Work of God. There are no two ways about it, just look at all the expensive cars that fill church parking lots every Sunday morning, while many thousands of Christians struggle to have enough food, some have no shoes to wear or a bed to sleep on. Is this true Christianity? No it is not! It’s dead religion! And dead religion cannot save you!

Even the Gospel of John agrees with the above verses that we must prove that we are Christians by doing good works. Jesus said:

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:8) (ESV)

WOW! The truth just keeps exploding from the pages of the Bible! The NIV says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:8). True followers must bear fruit; which is doing good needs. It does not refer to the fruit of the Spirit. Are you bearing fruit? Are you making a difference in someone’s life? It is not enough to merely believe. Read it again in other translations:

“This is how my Father is glorified, when you produce a lot of fruit and prove to be my disciples.” (ISV)

“You give glory to my Father when you produce a lot of fruit and therefore show that you are my disciples.” (GNB)

“You give glory to my Father when you produce a lot of fruit and therefore show that you are my disciples.” (GW)

So even Jesus said we must show that we are Christians by doing good deeds, which brings glory to God. Living in an expensive house while other people just a few blocks away are suffering in want, does not bring glory to God.

If the assertions in this book are true, then there should also be evidence within the writings of the Early Church, and there are many examples. The 1^st Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians states:

Let us clothe ourselves in mutual tolerance of one another’s views, cultivating humility and self-restraint, avoiding all gossiping and backbiting, and earning our justification by deeds and not by words. (Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers, by Maxwell Staniforth. Barnes & Noble Books, New York, 1968. Page 30)

Knock me down with a feather! Could it be true? Has the genuine Gospel been forgotten? The revelations presented in this book could cause a New Reformation if people will listen and believe the words of Jesus, the apostles, and Early Church Fathers. Let us continue with even more evidence. Clement also said:

Rich men should provide for the poor and the poor should thank God for giving them somebody to supply their wants. If a man is wise, let him show his wisdom by good deeds, not by words; . . . (Ibid, page 43)

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians says:

. . . sing aloud to the Father with one voice through Jesus Christ, so that He may hear you and know by your good works that you are indeed members of His Son’s Body. (Ibid, page 76)

This passage does not refer to singing in church as good work; it means that doing good work is a form of praise to God. When he hears that praise he will know that you are true Christians. In other words, you prove that you are a Christian by doing good works. About the early Christians, Theophilus wrote:

They exercise wise self-control. They practice continence, observe monogamy, guard chastity, and wipe out injustice, destroying sin with its root. With them justice is lived out, laws are kept, and faith is witnessed to by deeds. . . . (Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus Book III.15) (Arnold, The Early Christians in Their Own Words, page 126)

In other words, their faith was proved by their deeds. Selfish Christians in America do not like to hear this because they are the Laodiceans of Revelation 3.

The apostle Peter said, “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:17) (NIV). He also said, “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:19) (NIV). These people were not suffering for preaching the Gospel or living right, but for doing good works. The pagans hated it when Christians did good works because doing good to others is like a bright light shinning in the eyes of darkness. So Peter commands us to do good works even when we suffer for it. Peter goes on to say that the proper way to use the gifts and talents God gave us is to use them to help others:

Open your homes to each other without complaining. 10 Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God. (1 Peter 4:9-10) (GNB)

How many Christian homes in America could I knock on and ask to stay a few days in their house? Could I stay at your house? We are all the family of God and we should be totally available to each other in whatever way is needed. God has given each of us unique abilities which we can direct towards the service of others. The NIV Bible Commentary says:

The purpose of mutual Christian service is that through Jesus Christ God will be glorified. Serving fellow Christians does glorify God because people will praise him for his grace that comes to them through Jesus and through his followers. (Vol. 2, p. 1056)

Many preachers today claim that the proper way to use the talents God has given us is to use them to make money; that somehow, the making of money brings glory to God. This is an abominable teaching, “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24) (NIV). The apostle John is extremely firm on demonstrating God’s love, in two translations:

. . . Everyone who doesn’t do what is right or love other believers isn’t God’s child. (1 John 3:10)(GW)

. . whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:10) (ESV)

Let’s look at the literal translation of this passage with a nearby verse:

7 Little children, let no one lead you astray; the one practicing righteousness is righteous . . . 10 Everyone not practicing righteousness is not of God . . . (LIT)

Practicing righteousness absolutely refers to doing good works. John goes on to make it abundantly clear a little later in the chapter what he means by practicing righteousness; which is sharing our material wealth with other Christians:

We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers. 17 Now, suppose a person has enough to live on and notices another believer in need. How can God’s love be in that person if he doesn’t bother to help the other believer? 18 Dear children, we must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words. (1 John 3:16-18) (GW)

The NIV translation puts it this way:

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Here John said basically the same thing that James said, and agrees with the other apostles and Jesus, that it is not enough to express concern with words, we must back it up with actions. Anyone who does not show love for his fellow Christians in this way is not a true Christian. These are strong words, but they are the words of the Jesus and the apostles. They had to use strong words because people do not easily live such lives.

We must be willing to sell our stocks and bonds to provide for those in other countries who are barely surviving. We must be willing to sell our Corvette and give the money to help homeless Christians who cannot get hired because they have a committed a crime many years ago. We must be willing to sell our big nice home and live in a smaller one so other families can have a bed to sleep on or so their children can have shoes to wear and food to eat.

The pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California sold his home and moved into one half the size, so he could give more money to needy people in other countries. His church has grown to the point that they need to build a big new building, but instead they will build an outdoor amphitheater resembling those of ancient Rome, which costs twenty million dollars less than a building would. They will do this so they can give away more money!

Tears come to my eyes when I think about some of God’s people I have had the privilege to meet in the past few years. These are people with families, with dreams, people who are made in God’s image as much as you and I are. And these people are suffering.

Many of them are sick, some even dying, as they live out their lives in dwellings that we would not consider good enough for our household pets. I am not exaggerating. Much of their daily hardship and suffering could be relieved with access to food, clean water, clothing, adequate shelter, or basic medical attention. (Crazy Love, page 137-138)

His church is putting action behind their faith. Even here in America, many people are struggling to survive. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there and many people are never the best applicant for a job, so they do not get hired or they are struggling to live on a low wage. So what are they suppose to do? How can they pay rent, buy food, buy a car, pay for car insurance, health insurance, buy clothes, and supply all the other requirements of living in this modern world on a low wage? It’s just not possible. One person cannot live on minimum wage, let alone support children!

Faith without works is dead. The way we can tell who is a true follower of Christ and who is not is by their willingness to sacrifice their material goods. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22) (NIV).

An anti-drug public speaker, Milton Creagh, relates the story of a single mother who was working two jobs and still could not make ends meet. She desperately needed help but could not get it from the government or even from her local church, but the Moslems offered to provide her with free child care so she converted to Islam. Religion is supposed to be good for society. What good is your religion? Some churches have day care centers, but they usually charge more than standard centers! No, it should be free to low income people!

Finally, on this same topic of faith and action, apostle James said that if we know we are supposed to do good works but do not, we commit sin. Some modern translations of this verse are technically accurate but actually obscure the fact that it refers to good works, like the ESV:

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:17) (ESV)

The New King James and Good News Bible relate the truth clearly:

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (NKJ)

So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin. (GNB)

There you have it, if you do not do good works when you know you should, you commit sin! Claiming you did not know is not a defense because the Bible clearly tells you to do good works over and over again. You can blame your church for not telling you the truth, but in the end we are all accountable directly to God. About this verse, Barnes Notes says:

If he understands what his duty is; if he has the means of doing good to others; if by his name, his influence, his wealth, he can promote a good cause; if he can, consistently with other duties, relieve the distressed, the poor, the prisoner, the oppressed; if he can send the gospel to other lands, or can wipe away the tear of the mourner; if he has talents by which he can lift a voice that shall be heard in favor of temperance, chastity, liberty, and religion, he is under obligations to do it: and if, by indolence, or avarice, or selfishness, or the dread of the loss of popularity, he does not do it, he is guilty of sin before God. No man can be released from the obligation to do good in this world to the extent of his ability; no one should desire to be.

The highest privilege conferred on a mortal, besides that of securing the salvation of his own soul, is that of doing good to others – of alleviating sorrow, instructing ignorance, raising up the bowed down, comforting those that mourn, delivering the wronged and the oppressed, supplying the wants of the needy guiding inquirers into the way of truth, and sending liberty, knowledge, and salvation around the world. If a man does not do this when he has the means, he sins against his own soul, against humanity, and against his Maker; if he does it cheerfully and to the extent of his means, it likens him more than anything else to God.

I wish I could have said it that well!

(4) The Treasure of the Kingdom

Most Christians are so busy storing up treasure here on Earth that they are unaware of the treasure of the Kingdom. They do not know that they can store up for themselves vast amounts of treasure in heaven:

“19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Mat. 6:19-20) (ESV)

How do you store up treasure in heaven? If you give your money to the poor, it is as if you had deposited it in heaven. Which means the more you give to the poor, the richer you will be for all eternity. Treasure in heaven is permanent, whereas the treasure you acquire here on Earth is not anything close to permanent; it is like sand in your hands. You can never loose your heavenly treasure.

The false teachers say there is so much gold in heaven the streets are paved with it, and so they teach that you can get some of that treasure here on Earth. But the treasure up there is spiritual, not literal. Jesus was not referring to actual gold when he said we can store up treasure in heaven. You will not get to heaven to discover that you have amassed ten chests of gold. Gold has no monetary value in heaven, which is why it is like payment. The treasure Jesus referred to is heavenly reward. Jesus said, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42) (NIV). In other words, he will not lose the reward for that good deed. He has acquired heavenly treasure.

This means there are at least two ways to acquire treasure in heaven, by giving money to the poor and by doing good deeds. So even though we are required to do good deeds as Christians, we get paid in heavenly reward for all the good works that we do. And I believe it is possible to collect some of that heavenly reward while we are on this Earth, but it does not appear in the form of earthly gold, it is in the form of joy, peace, happiness, contentment, and all the riches of this life that are truly riches.

The best life is one that is spent helping others. Whoever achieves worldly success will reap only emptiness, a wasted life. But whoever spends their life helping others will find true happiness and contentment in this life and eternal life in the next. Paul was probably referring to the statement Jesus made about treasure in heaven when he said:

17 Command those who are rich . . . 18 . . . to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others. 19 In this way they will store up for themselves a treasure which will be a solid foundation for the future. And then they will be able to win the life which is true life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19) (GNB)

Notice that he mentions storing up treasure in heaven, the same as Jesus; but goes into more detail and actually says that the way you store up treasure in heaven is by doing good works and giving money to those in need. Wealth can be useful here on Earth, but the best use of it is to give it away in exchange for treasure in heaven. About this passage, John Wesley said:

Treasuring up for themselves a good foundation — Of an abundant reward, by the free mercy of God. That they may lay hold on eternal life. This cannot be done by alms-deeds; yet they “come up for a memorial before God,” Act 10:4. And the lack even of this may be the cause why God will withhold grace and salvation from us.

There you have it, John Wesley understood that we are not saved by good works but the lack of good works could send you to hell, because God requires it. This is totally rejected by those who teach the false doctrine of eternal security, which is exposed in great detail in a later chapter.

Here are a few passages that speak about Jesus and God himself doing good works:

But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” (John 5:17) (ESV)

Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” (John 10:32) (ESV)

If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (John 10:37-38) (ESV)

If God the Father himself and Jesus are doing good works, then surely they expect us to also be active in doing good deeds. Are you showing the world good works from God? Finally, here is another powerful verse:

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. (Romans 2:6-8) (ESV)

As you can clearly read in this passage, Paul said those who keep doing good works will be rewarded with glory, honor, and eternal life. So this is another powerful verse that is not being given its due. His reference to “those who are self-seeking” refers to people who do not want to spend time helping others, but spend their time on themselves; on what pleases them. Here Paul is speaking about good deeds, but later in the book of Romans he begins talking about the works of the Law, which are not good works at all but are merely doing everything necessary within one’s ability to keep the Law, especially the sacrifices and festivals.