G.R.O.W.
Works
You may be familiar with the term “Continuing Education.” This is where people in any number of fields continue to learn as they work. They learn new things that they can apply to their job, or are reminded of things they had once known and perhaps forgotten. I am a firm believer in “Continuing Education.” Without it, people are doomed to become stagnant and dispassionate.
However, “Continuing Education” would be useless if one were not applying the education in their field. The reason CE can be fruitful is that the knowledge is ready to be applied. There are opportunities right around the corner to put the learning into practice.
When it comes to growing in Christ, I feel that works, in the sense in which I will be applying the term, are the purpose for our Christian “Continuing Education.” They are the application to what we have learned and continue to learn. Continuing to learn about God at home, at Church or in any other way can lead to pride and a haughty spirit unless what is learned is lived out. Works, to the Christian faith, are what going to Mexico is to someone who earned their foreign language degree in Spanish. It is what keeps the language fresh in their mind, and the desire to use it ignited.
Without works we may become stagnant pools of knowledge – poisonous swamps and quagmires. Works are the avenue through which our godly learning flows out in streams of life giving water.
One of our favorite scriptures, as believers, is Ephesians 2:8-9 that says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.” (NIV) We love this because it reminds us that we are saved by grace, not by works. We do not have to earn God’s favor, nor could we. God saves us because of His great love and mercy toward us, which have nothing to with anything we ever have done or will do. (See Romans 5:8 and 9:16) However, Paul goes on to say, “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV) That is to say that we are saved by grace not works, in order to do works by grace. We are not saved by works, but we are certainly saved for works. We are not redeemed through works, but we grow through works.
When you push this further you realize that if we are not doing works we are not living out our purpose in Christ. It is as we do these works, that God has prepared in advance for us, that we grow. It would be impossible for a football player to say they are growing as an athlete if they never get on the field. It would be impossible for a teacher to say they are growing as an educator if they never step into a classroom. And it is impossible for a Christian to say they are growing if they never do good works.
James says, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17 ESV ) The larger argument of this section in James is that one who claims to be a Christian but never does good works is suspect at best. There is a good chance they are not a Christian at all. Works are the very evidence of one’s faith. However, embedded in this statement is a truth for one who may very well, truly be a Christian. Faith without works dies. It wanes and flickers until it is nothing more than smoke. It atrophies to the point of lifelessness.
The opposite of this statement would be: faith that has works is alive. And if it is alive it is growing. Even with humans, our ears and noses never stop growing! Before I continue down this trail, I do want to differentiate between works and fruit. Works justify our faith; our faith produces fruit. Works prove that our faith is genuine; and our fruit proves that our faith is in grace. The fruit (singular) of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, goodness and self-control – is something that the Holy Spirit produces in us (passive). The works (plural) we are created for are something we do (active). So, the fruit of the Spirit is passive and singular while the works we do are active and plural. When Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing,” (John 15:5 ESV) I believe He was referring to the fruit that only the Holy Spirit can produce in us. We cannot produce that apart from Christ. However, the works that God has prepared in advance for us to do I believe we can do even when we are not abiding in Christ. Furthermore, I believe that sometimes it is those very works that bring us back to an abiding relationship with Christ.
Let me close by sharing some of the types of works Scripture encourages believers in:
· Providing a meal for others (Mark 8:6-7; Luke 10:40; John 12:2; Acts 6:1)
· Fasting and praying (Luke 2:37; Acts 1:14, 13:2-3)
· Teaching, preaching or sharing God’s Word (Acts 6:4; Romans 11:13; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 2 Timothy 4:5)
· Giving to those in need, especially God’s people (Romans 15:25, 31; 2 Corinthians 9:1, 12-13)[1]
This list is in no way exhaustive, but it gives some examples. And as you look at this list, remember, it is as we do these things that we grow as disciples. These types of good works put our knowledge into practice, keeping us from becoming stagnant.
- Shaun McDonald
[1] This list was adapted from Kregel Dictionary of the Bible and Theology by Henry W. Hollowman, Kregel Publications, (Grand Rapids, MI: 2005), 591.
You may be familiar with the term “Continuing Education.” This is where people in any number of fields continue to learn as they work. They learn new things that they can apply to their job, or are reminded of things they had once known and perhaps forgotten. I am a firm believer in “Continuing Education.” Without it, people are doomed to become stagnant and dispassionate.
However, “Continuing Education” would be useless if one were not applying the education in their field. The reason CE can be fruitful is that the knowledge is ready to be applied. There are opportunities right around the corner to put the learning into practice.
When it comes to growing in Christ, I feel that works, in the sense in which I will be applying the term, are the purpose for our Christian “Continuing Education.” They are the application to what we have learned and continue to learn. Continuing to learn about God at home, at Church or in any other way can lead to pride and a haughty spirit unless what is learned is lived out. Works, to the Christian faith, are what going to Mexico is to someone who earned their foreign language degree in Spanish. It is what keeps the language fresh in their mind, and the desire to use it ignited.
Without works we may become stagnant pools of knowledge – poisonous swamps and quagmires. Works are the avenue through which our godly learning flows out in streams of life giving water.
One of our favorite scriptures, as believers, is Ephesians 2:8-9 that says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.” (NIV) We love this because it reminds us that we are saved by grace, not by works. We do not have to earn God’s favor, nor could we. God saves us because of His great love and mercy toward us, which have nothing to with anything we ever have done or will do. (See Romans 5:8 and 9:16) However, Paul goes on to say, “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV) That is to say that we are saved by grace not works, in order to do works by grace. We are not saved by works, but we are certainly saved for works. We are not redeemed through works, but we grow through works.
When you push this further you realize that if we are not doing works we are not living out our purpose in Christ. It is as we do these works, that God has prepared in advance for us, that we grow. It would be impossible for a football player to say they are growing as an athlete if they never get on the field. It would be impossible for a teacher to say they are growing as an educator if they never step into a classroom. And it is impossible for a Christian to say they are growing if they never do good works.
James says, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17 ESV ) The larger argument of this section in James is that one who claims to be a Christian but never does good works is suspect at best. There is a good chance they are not a Christian at all. Works are the very evidence of one’s faith. However, embedded in this statement is a truth for one who may very well, truly be a Christian. Faith without works dies. It wanes and flickers until it is nothing more than smoke. It atrophies to the point of lifelessness.
The opposite of this statement would be: faith that has works is alive. And if it is alive it is growing. Even with humans, our ears and noses never stop growing! Before I continue down this trail, I do want to differentiate between works and fruit. Works justify our faith; our faith produces fruit. Works prove that our faith is genuine; and our fruit proves that our faith is in grace. The fruit (singular) of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, goodness and self-control – is something that the Holy Spirit produces in us (passive). The works (plural) we are created for are something we do (active). So, the fruit of the Spirit is passive and singular while the works we do are active and plural. When Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing,” (John 15:5 ESV) I believe He was referring to the fruit that only the Holy Spirit can produce in us. We cannot produce that apart from Christ. However, the works that God has prepared in advance for us to do I believe we can do even when we are not abiding in Christ. Furthermore, I believe that sometimes it is those very works that bring us back to an abiding relationship with Christ.
Let me close by sharing some of the types of works Scripture encourages believers in:
· Providing a meal for others (Mark 8:6-7; Luke 10:40; John 12:2; Acts 6:1)
· Fasting and praying (Luke 2:37; Acts 1:14, 13:2-3)
· Teaching, preaching or sharing God’s Word (Acts 6:4; Romans 11:13; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 2 Timothy 4:5)
· Giving to those in need, especially God’s people (Romans 15:25, 31; 2 Corinthians 9:1, 12-13)[1]
This list is in no way exhaustive, but it gives some examples. And as you look at this list, remember, it is as we do these things that we grow as disciples. These types of good works put our knowledge into practice, keeping us from becoming stagnant.
- Shaun McDonald
[1] This list was adapted from Kregel Dictionary of the Bible and Theology by Henry W. Hollowman, Kregel Publications, (Grand Rapids, MI: 2005), 591.