Good WorksWhat is the purpose?

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." -- John Wesley

Ephesians 2:1-10And you were dead in the trespasses

and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—

and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

so that in the coming ages

he might show the

immeasurable riches of his

grace in kindness toward us

in Christ Jesus.

8For by grace you have

been saved through faith.

And this is not your own

doing; it is the gift of God,

9 not a result of works,

so that no one may

boast.

10For we are his

workmanship, created in

Christ Jesus for good

works, which God

prepared beforehand, that

we should walk in them.

I)...not a result

of works, so that

no one may

boast

BoastTo glorify oneself in

speech; talk in a

self-admiring way

"Two men went up to the

temple to pray, one a

Pharisee and the other a

tax collector. The Pharisee

stood up and prayed about

himself:

'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.‘ (Luke 18:10-12)

What should we be boasting

about?● Certainly not in our righteousness

“All our righteousness…” Isaiah 64:6

● Or our strength

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12

Boast in His strength, not ours!

II)...created in

Christ Jesus

for good works

 What good is it, my brothers, if

someone says he has faith but

does not have works? Can that

faith save him? If a brother or

sister is poorly clothed and

lacking in daily food, 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? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works,

is dead. (James 2:14-17)

The Good SamaritanLuke (10:25-37)

Principles of Faith &

Works1. Faith without works?

Dead

2. Works without faith?

Dead

Faith in what/whom?

Acts 4:12  Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be

saved."

Faith AND Good Works must be created

in Christ!

He gives our faith and our works

Life!

“I am the way the truth and the life…”

He is our Savior and our God

III...which God

prepared

beforehand,

Good news!

God has a PLAN

and you have a part in it!

Matthew 5

14"You are the light of the

world. A city set on a hill

cannot be hidden;

Matthew 5

15nor does anyone light a lamp

and put it under a basket, but

on the lampstand, and it gives

light to all who are in the

house.

Matthew 5

16"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and

glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Good works are God’s way of

letting us

participate

- in His plan and our

sanctification

His Plan:Isaiah 48:11

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned?

My glory I will not give to another.

Our Sanctification:

Romans 6:22But now that you have been set free from sin

and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

IV...that we

should walk in

them.

WALK – not REST

Be Active

- not passive!

4 Practical ways to walk in

good works

● Mercy

● Ministry

● Motivate

● Missions

Acts of MERCYFor I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me

drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you

clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you

came to me.' (Matthew 25:35-36)

Participating in MINISTRY

...Jesus said to him, "Feed

my sheep.” John 21:1

Working to MOTIVATE

...equip the saints for the

work of ministry, for

building up the body of

Christ, Ephesians 4:12

Supporting and Engaging in

MISSIONS

"Go into all the world and

proclaim the gospel to the

whole creation" - Mark 16:15

Bottom line:

Good Works are

Bottom line:

Good Works are

an

Outward Manifestation

Bottom line:

Good Works are

an

Outward Manifestation

of our

Inward Transformation

So…What is the purpose of

good works?

Soli Deo Gloria!

Soli Deo Gloria!

God’s glory only!