Never underestimate the ability of the human race to corrupt good things, and that extends to good works themselves. Now that the church has a two thousand year track record, we have plenty of examples of how even Christians can turn good works into bad things. Here are several ways good works can be corrupted.
We can make good works a requirement for salvation.
Salvation is a free gift that we receive by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Salvation involves no work on our part, lest we become boastful.
We can think good works are special.
Only evil people think doing good is special. Good works are just what we Christians do. “I am an unworthy slave. I’m only doing what I’m supposed to be doing,” should be our attitude (Luke 17:19).
We can mistake ordinary living for good works.
On the other hand, simply living out our lives as good citizens, husbands and parents is not living a life of good works. Good works are different from ordinary living because they accomplish God’s special purpose for our salvation. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10)
We can ignore good works.
Because good works are not a requirement for salvation, we can conclude that good works are not all that important. “After all,” we may think, “God is primarily concerned that we spend eternity with Him, isn’t He?” Such an attitude is dangerous and must be avoided. God has saved us to do good works.
We can turn evil things into good works.
“The time will come,” Jesus said, “that whoever kills you will think they are doing God a favor,” (John 16:2). In early New England colonial history, baptist were martyred for their faith.
We can make good works onerous and burdensome.
“You experts in the law, woe to you,” Jesus warned the Jewish leaders, “because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to lighten their load,” (Luke 11:46). The bane of Christian ministry is that it’s easier to tell people what they should do than it is to actually do it.
We can become proud of our good works and brag about them.
We are to be discrete when we do our good works. “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” Jesus commanded in the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 6:3).
So how do we maintain an appropriate view of good works? Titus 2:11-14 tells us.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (NIV)
This post originally appeared in NewCommandment.org.
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