“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.” (II Chr. 15:7) In this passage, the prophet of God told King Asa and Judah that they should be strong—and if they were, their work would be rewarded. God tells the Church that same thing: “Every man’s work shall be made manifest…the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is…if any man’s work abide, he shall receive a reward.” (I Cor. 3:13)
“And if ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work.” (I Pet.1:17) To every one of the seven churches that received a special letter from Jesus, (Rev. 2,3) the same word was resounded: “I know thy works.” To the church at Thyatira Jesus said, “I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” (Rev. 2:23)
One of the last words in the Bible to God’s people is: “I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according to his work.” (Rev. 22:12)
All of us probably know that we are not saved by works, but unto works. (Eph. 2:8-10) Though we are not saved by works, works are not in any way diminished in importance: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” (James 2:17) Our works, Jesus taught, are seen by the world, and as such they glorify God: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:11)
We would all, if saved, agree to all that has been stated to this point. But one question not often dealt with is, “What is a good work?” Or, “What are good works?” Let me try to answer those questions here, in order that each of us might set ourselves to the task of working…for the night is coming!
The first and most important prerequisite is stated in John 6:28,29: When the Pharisees and others asked Jesus what they could do that “we might work the works of God,” He plainly said that “this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” So, until you have believed on Jesus whom God sent—believe on Him as God’s Son, your Savior—there is no other “work” you can do that would please God. In other words, are you one of His through faith in Jesus Christ?
The second prerequisite is to study the Word of God and “shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Tim. 2:15) All scripture, Paul says, “is given by inspiration of God…that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Tim. 3:15,16) So here are some “good” works, or examples of good works, that one might do:
- Give God a sacrificial gift. Mark 14:3-6 tells us of a woman (Mary) who, while Jesus was eating in Bethany at the home of Simon the Leper, came with a box of very precious ointment and, breaking the box, poured the ointment on Jesus’ head. Some onlookers at once criticized the woman for having “wasted” this ointment—valued at 300 pence, equal to a year’s wages in that economy—rather than giving the money the ointment could have brought to the poor. Jesus, knowing the heart of the main grumbler, Judas Iscariot, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Let her alone; why trouble ye her? She hath wrought a good work on me.” (Mark 14:6) Christ commended the woman, stating that what she had done was tantamount to anointing His body for burying, and reminding all who were there that wherever the gospel would be preached through the whole world, this devoted woman had done that which would be spoken of as a memorial to her. It was a sacrificial gift; it was a good work.
- Feed or clothe a brother or sister who is naked or destitute of food or clothing. James 2:15-17: “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit?” Today, there are rescue missions that not only feed and clothe men and women but also preach the life-saving gospel to them. Also, there are mission-ministries ministering to the needs of people in war-torn countries such as Ukraine or Myanmar—giving them food and clothing and other essentials, along with the love of Christ through gospel preaching. These are good works that demonstrate one’s faith.
- Do something for God that requires extraordinary faith. Gideon took on a massive Midianite army with a paltry 300 men armed with lamps and pitchers—and won. Rahab—once a harlot—demonstrated her faith by hiding the Israeli spies and helping them escape. James says, “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?” (James 2:25) Go preach on a busy street corner. Peacefully picket an abortion mill. Hand out a gospel tract to someone that you are fearful of (a boss?). Do something that requires, on your part, an extraordinary amount of faith. Do it for His sake—and relying on His power—and it just may be that men will see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.
- Exercise Christian hospitality. Paul spoke of caring for widows, I Tim. 5:10: If the church were to care for any particular widow, she had to have been one who was a widow indeed, and the first qualifier was listed as “well reported of for good works.” A list of those good works included the requirement that she had lodged strangers. Peter exhorts his readers to “use hospitality,” and in Hebrews 13:2 we are exhorted to “be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hospitality is surely a “good work”—and one that Christians in America in this 21 century are not taking too seriously.
- Help supply necessities to the saints. Dorcas, a widow who died and was brought back to life, was known as a woman “full of good works” because of the coats and garments she made. She never preached a sermon from a pulpit; never went on a missionary trip; and never gave great sums of money to her local church. But from her heart and with her hands she clothed and covered needy saints in and around Joppa, and when she died people wept. You have some skill; some talent that you can give to God—something that you can do, and do well, that many others may not be able to do. Give it to God, small as it may seem. You, like Dorcas, can be “full of good works” to the glory of God.
“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.” (II Chr. 15:7)
YOU and GOD 