06/06/25 CREATED TO DO GOOD WORKS

06/06/25 CREATED TO DO GOOD WORKS

(A heads up for those who read my previous post. The last part of this post is a repost and will contextualize my thoughts for those who did not read my previous post).

NEW POST...
I realize that no one is inherently good but God. I also realize that salvation makes us good and equips us to do good works.

We use the term, "good," in reference to personal, social and civil actions. This is not to be confused with good, as it applies to righteousness. It is good to be kind, generous, forgiving, considerate. It is good to treat other people humanely. It is good to put other people before yourself. This is not to be confused with inherent and Divine righteousness, which God instills in believers and enables the faithful to manifest.

All sin is damnable, but sins carry different levels of impact on society. The stealing of an apple is not as terrible as a mass murder. Sometimes one evil act is worse than a different evil act. For instance, it is wrong to hate someone secretly, but it is worse to hate someone to the point of actually assaulting or killing Them. Hating someone will be judged by God as hating someone in your heart, but if you outwardly accost someone, there is greater damage, which may be irreversible, therefore the consequences are greater for the outward act. The same is true concerning other sins, such as coveting and robbing, or lusting and sexually assaulting someone physically. Carnal anger (hatred), lust, coveting are sins of the spirit, while assault, adultery, stealing are sins of the flesh. Sin is sin and all unrepented sin (unforsaken sin) separates from God. (And by the way, God's grace saves us from sins of the spirit and the flesh).

The natural man (the unsaved person) is inherently sinful, evil (unrighteous before God). However, on the natural plane, humans are capable of doing "good" things (at least on the social, personal, civil level). Our own good works do not justify us before God, and we cannot save ourselves by our good works, but God enables all people to experience a common grace that keeps us from being the totally untethered monsters we could become.

We can only be redeemed and reconciled to God by believing on Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. However, all humans are capable of doing good things, on a social, personal and civil level. Doing good does not satisfy the righteous judgment we earned by doing evil. Forgiveness and reconciliation require an acceptable sacrifice for sin. Jesus, being the only Person Who has ever lived without any sin, is the only Person Who can offer a worthy and acceptable sacrifice for the sins of sinful people.

Doing evil results in being more subject to evil tendencies and doing more evil deeds. The more wickedness that a person does, the more likely they are to do even more evil in their future. The less wickedness a person does, the fewer will be their regrets and consequences in this world, whether they get saved or not. The more a person sins, the more they become enslaved to their sins and less likely to repent of their sins and get saved.

The answer to good and evil is not simply a REFORMED life, it requires a TRANSFORMED LIFE, from darkness to light, from devil to Lordship of Christ, from death to life, and a CONFORMED LIFE to the image and nature of Jesus Christ. Divine transformation is the way of salvation, not human reformation.

So, we are not inherently good, but God makes us good when we are in a right relationship with Himself. God enables everyone to do good in the personal, social and civil arenas of life, though none of those good things will justify us or make us righteous. But as believers, we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, to be good people.

Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Psalms 34:13-16
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

Psalms 37:3-6
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Psalms 37:27-29
27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

Matthew 5:44-45
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Galatians 6:9-10
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

1 Timothy 6:17-19
17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Hebrews 13:15-16
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

James 4:17
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

1 Peter 3:11-12
11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

PREVIOUS POST...
When an evil person does something (socially, civilly) good, then the evil person is still evil, and the good thing is still a good thing.
Evil (unrighteous) people do good things, but in the eyes of God the good thing does not equal righteousness.
The best that an evil person can do (morally or spiritually) is as filthy rags before God.
It is better to do good things than to do evil things, but no one can be good or do good (morally or spiritually) unless they are redeemed, transformed and enabled by Christ and the Holy Spirit.