Good Works Without Abiding... Are They Good?

Steve Behlke

Last week I mentioned that sometimes our obedient actions are works of the flesh. 

Think of it, those who do not believe in Christ still carry out kind and noble acts. They rescue people from fires, help to feed the poor, aid their children with their homework, and open doors for ladies. The flesh is capable of fine morals, not only among nonbelievers but believers.

Yet there is a difference between morality and spiritual growth, morality and Christ's life abiding in us.

When a believer does not abide in Christ and in His love through trust and submission, we may try to maintain God's favor (and our sense of acceptance by God) by doing good works. When we do not actively believe that we are, by means of our union in Christ by grace through faith, freely loved and accepted by God, because of His character not our just reward, our worried conscience may drive us in an attempt to earn Abba's favor by our performance, our dedication, our good behavior, through our obedient actions.

This important: when our "good works" do not flow from trust in the grace of God to us in Christ, or when our good works do not proceed from abiding in Jesus Christ and His unconditional love for us, then even our most religious and righteous appearing acts can actually be wicked before the LORD. 

Remember, Isaiah did not tell the redeemed nation of Israel that their unrighteous acts were as filthy rags but their "righteous acts" were as filthy rags before the Lord. They were proudly clothing themselves in what they felt were beautiful clothes, "O, look at me," but before the Lord they were adorning themselves with foul, soiled, and repugnant garments. 

This is a call to live intentionally, by faith in Jesus; to deliberately live in the belief that we are freely loved by God; to plunge ourselves into the depths of God's love and to remain there and be changed by His love so that others see the difference in our lives. "By this all men will know that you are disciples, if you love one another; as I have loved you, love one another." 

Abiding in Christ's love for us ("as I have loved you"), we are free to love God and others ("love one another").