Toward a Practical Theology of Good Works

Table of Contents

• Introduction

Part 1: God and His Good Works, and How We Participate with Him in Them

• God and His Good Works in Creation
• God and His Good Works in Relation to the Fall
• God and His Good Works in Old Testament History
• God and His Good Works in the Incarnation
• God and His Good Works in Jesus’ Earthly Ministry
• God and His Good Works in Redemption
• Finding Out What Pleases the Lord

Part 2: The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in the Old Testament

• The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in the Pentateuch
• The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in Old Testament Historical Books
• The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in Old Testament Poetry and Wisdom Literature
• The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in Old Testament Major Prophets
• The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in Old Testament Pre-Exilic and Exilic Minor Prophets
• The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in Old Testament Post-Exilic Minor Prophets

Part 3: The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in the New Testament

• The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in the Gospels
• Communal Good Works and the Love of Christ
• The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in Acts 2:42-47 and 4:31-37
• The Practice and Teaching of Communal Good Works in all of Acts
• The Practice and Teaching of Communal Good Works in the Book of James
• The Practice and Teaching of Communal Good Works in Paul’s Epistles
• The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in Hebrews, I,II Peter, I,II,III John, and Jude
• The Practice and Teaching of Good Works in the Book of Revelation
  

Conclusion

• What it Means to be a Servant of God Who is Fully Equipped for Every Good Work

Epilogue

• Modern American Evangelical Christianity, The Evangelical Church’s Missing Middle, and Doing God’s Good Works as an Evangelical Christian in America

Appendix

• Mercy, Mutual Aid, and the Growth of the Church in the Roman Empire and Contemporary China, A Comparison

Equipped to do what?

Imagine that you have signed up for a course at your local junior college called “Construction 101” and the course description reads, “In Construction 101, you will be given tools to build things.”

On the first day of the class, you and your classmates eagerly sit, awaiting your instructor. Soon, your instructor comes in, pulling a huge bin on wheels that is full of tools. After introducing himself, he reaches into the bin, begins pulling out the tools, and distributes them to you and the other students. He pulls out hammers, screwdrivers, levels, skill saws, socket wrenches, tape measures, paint brushes, trowels, shovels, and much more.

After loading you down with a multitude of tools, the instructor says, “Okay, now go make something with these tools. I will visit each of you at the end of the semester and grade you on what you have made and how well you have used your tools. So make sure it is good.”

Immediately, you raise your hand. “Wait a minute,” you say in dismay, “You haven’t shown us how to use these tools. You haven’t told us what you want us to make with them. You haven’t given us any materials to build with. And you haven’t taught us how to build whatever it is we are supposed to build.”

“But I have given you the tools, just like the course description says,” the instructor points out. “You’ll figure out the rest.” With that, he walks out the door.

Jesus hasn’t left us to figure out good works on our own

This rather silly parable describes a paradox many Christians find themselves in when it comes to the topic of good works. We all know that we are supposed to do them. We also know that we have been “equipped” to do them (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But like the students in “Construction 101,” we often have only a vague idea of what actually doing good works entails. What exactly are these good works that we are to do? we may ask. Why are they so important? How are we to do them? Who should benefit from them? How do they relate to our salvation? Is God going to judge us for our good works? A lack of answers to these questions can affect how we do our good works, or whether we do them at all.

The purpose of this series is to provide biblically clear answers to these questions — and many more — on the topic of good works. I have written several posts on this subject in the past. Along the way I have pointed out that Conservative Christians in general, and men’s ministry leaders in particular, avoid this subject. This needs to change because ignoring the massive biblical teaching on good works restricts the proper expression of our faith before a watching world. Hopefully, the following series of posts will help us take a step in the right direction.

This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.