CREATED
FOR GOOD WORKS
-
Jesus had a purpose in His life - a work to do -
Lk.
19:10
"for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that
which was lost."
-
He knew what His work was while a young child - It wasn't carpentry
Lk.
2:41-50 Jesus at age 12 - accidentally left behind by his parents in
the city
of Jerusalem. When found, His reply: "I
must be about My
Father's business."
-
A little over 20 years later -
Jn.
9:1-7 Jesus healed a blind man at the temple. He told His disciples why
that opportunity had been afforded - then He said, "I
must do
the works of Him who sent Me while it is day..."
-
While on trial before Pilate -
Jn.
18:33-37 When questioned about His kingship, He replied, "For
this cause
I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world,
that
I should bear witness to the truth..."
There
is a reason for our having been created
As
the 24 elders around God's throne fall before Him:
Rev.
4:11 "You
are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You
created all things, and by
Your will
they
exist
and were created."
KJV
= "and for
Your pleasure they are
and were created."
Our
new birth is for a purpose - not
just
for salvation
1
Pet. 1:23-25 We
have
"...been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through
the word of God which lives and abides forever, (24) because
'All
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the
grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, (25)
But the word
of the Lord (incorruptible
seed)
endures forever.'
Now
this is
the
word which by the gospel was preached to you."
Jas.
1:18 "Of
His own will He brought us forth by
the word of truth,
that we might be
a kind of firstfruits of His creatures."
We
were created for good works - If
we fail in our work, where is God's workmanship?
We become a dishonor to the grace of His will.
Eph.
2:1-10 (10)"We
are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works which God prepared beforehand that we should
walk
in them."
The
work of doing
involves continuous
hearing.
Note: he is writing to brethren
Jas.
1:21-25 "...be doers
of the word, and not hearers only..."
We
have been blessed by God as priests
to "proclaim His praises."
1
Pet. 2:9-10 "But
you are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood,
a holy nation, His
own special people, that
you may proclaim the praises of Him
who
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
(10) who once were
not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained
mercy but now have obtained mercy."
We
reject "faith only" - But we must put our actions
where our mouth is. Jas.
2:14-24 We are justified by works, and not by faith only. In
real life situations, we come in contact with people who are
spiritually destitute.
How do we respond?
Lk.
10:25-37 The parable of the Good Samaritan - "Go and do
likewise."
Remember:
Our conduct in the body of Christ & her purpose:
1
Tim. 3:15 "but
if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct
yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living
God,
the
pillar and ground of the truth."
When
the church stops being "the pillar & ground of the truth"
- When
we stop proclaiming the truth & leading the lost to Christ Where
does the rest of the world end up?
Because:
1
Cor. 1:21-25 "...it pleased God through
the foolishness of the message preached
to
save those who believe."
INVITATION
Mt.
25:31-ff On the day of judgment when the books are opened -
will
there be anything to show for your time spent on earth?