Good for Nothing

 

          “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

          According to God’s predetermined plan, every Christian ought to be good for nothing.

          Clearly, His plan is NOT that His children be of no practical value to Him or humanity. Light and salt are essential in this world; therefore, a righteous disciple of Jesus is of great profit to a spiritually dark and decaying world (Matthew 5:13-16).

          To be like Christ—“who went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), His disciple must be zealous for good works (Titus 2:14), rich in good works (1 Timothy 6:18), and learn to carefully maintain good works (Titus 3:8, 14).

          The motives for such goodness are enormously important:

  • Good works are to be done to glorify God (Matthew 5:16), not receive the praise of men (Matthew 6:1).
  • Good works are to please God, not produce self-satisfaction.
  • Good works are to help those who can never repay you, not ingratiate you to those who can (Luke 14:12-14).
  • Good works fulfill the possibility of imitating God; they cannot possibly place God in your debt through some imaginary accumulation of spiritual extra credit.

          A good-for-nothing child of God does good for no other reason than it is the right thing to do. It is a high and holy calling.

          Can it truthfully be said you are good for nothing?

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Author: jchowning

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