I once delivered a message to a group of Christians in their 20s and 30s.
I entitled it “Living in the Divine Parenthesis.” Among other things, I tackled the issue of good works and the seasonal nature of a local church.
In addition, I spoke about evangelism.
Ever since I’ve been a Christian, I’ve been taught two different things regarding good works.
In my early years as a believer, my spiritual tutors told me that “good works” (also referred to as “good deeds” and “doing good” in the New Testament) was a religious duty and obligation.
Consequently, I (and everyone I knew) viewed good works with a legalistic lens, seeing them as demands that we must fulfill in our own energy.
If you want to make God happy, you have to do “good works.”
Later, I was exposed to another Christian tradition that reacted against this understanding.
This tradition taught that good works was anathema.
“We’re under grace, so good works isn’t something we have to worry about.”
Therefore, those Scriptures that talked about “doing good” were associated with legalism, so we were told to ignore them.
If someone dared to read a text that included the term “good works,” this suggested that they were legalistic.
While I (regrettably) embraced the first kind of teaching, I never bought into the second. Though I knew many people who did.
In this message, I take a look at good works in a way that’s distinct from both views. And I put them in the larger framework of The Missio Dei, God’s grand mission.
If you have an iPod, iPad, or iPhone . . . or the equivalent . . . you can download the audio message and listen to it at your own leisure. (It’s on Apple Podcasts on the Christ is ALL podcast, and many other venues.)
Click here to download or stream the audio message
Btw/ this is the 53rd episode on the Christ is ALL podcast. There are many more episodes on the podcast.
Enjoy!
P.S. The night before I delivered this message, I wrote a new song based on the talk. Click here to listen to a professional recording of the song.
Beyond Evangelical: Part V
Good word Frank! While I was still in the I/C, the culture was much more leaning towards the works-flowing-from-self. And now in O/C, it seems to lean more towards works-for-self-only.
I love how you bring out that Christ in us has/is/will-be working; but the works flow from His love and desire to bless all families of the earth. Amen to that!
The Spirit of Wisdom says “The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.” (Prov 12:24)
A wise man once said to me: “work like it all depends on you, but believe in your heart that it all depends on Jesus”.
Our King is raising up diligent rulers in/for His kingdom, and there’s plenty of work to do. But works from and unto self will be fruitless, but so will selfishness and/or laziness.
great message thank you. very timely.
Richard Foster gives a nice explanation in “Celebration of Discipline” as well.
Isn’t it funny; we find a direction of thought which is right and true, so we travel along that path only to find that somewhere along the track it becomes wrong!Looking around, there’s a track leading in the opposite direction which is right and true; yet the same thing happens there too. It seems that one of the greatest difficulties with theological thought is that we are often required to accept seemingly opposite concepts as both being right and true.
I believe the difference is, Wendy, whether we are following a method…or following The Messenger! I love the way God Calling states this in one of its devotionals, “Jesus makes the busy man to be unbusy, and the unbusy man to be busy…” What is right for one season of life is not necessarily right for another season. That which is legal for us to do may not be expedient! If we are truly seeking and following God’s Spirit, we will know when it is time to change directions, and it won’t catch us so offguard.
Just listened to it. POWERFUL!! Answered a lot of my questions. Fresh perspective. I’m inspired.
I am curious about the use of the language of the “Divine Parenthesis” – Is this dispensationalist language used intentionally? Are you implying that we are living in a parenthesis between different plans of God, as opposed to a more reformed covenantal hermeneutic? Just wondering…
David: Listen to the talk and you’ll have the answer to your question.
Brilliant talk! Pete why don’t you have your group listen to it together?
It’s an encouraging listen Frank. There is a newish member of our group who seems very zealous Evangelistically and wants to get out there and help the poor and homeless on the streets. I don’t think the rest of the group is ready for anything like that though.
Dear Frank
I have really enjoyed the theme of your recent posts of not being left or right, or even centre; not leaning towards John Calvin or Jacobus Arminius(how impossible is that)but trying to find the Divine Plumbline.
I really relate to this quest for the truth but you embark on a terribly difficult journey because you will inevitably make enemies on both side of the theological continuum.
Hosea 7:8 says “Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.”
How we love to choose sides, how we gravitate to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and not the Tree of Life. May we not be overcooked on one side and raw on the other.
Faith without works is indeed is dead.
Hi Frank, I may be a dunce on this stuff . . . but, isn’t the whole point of Christ’s death that we can’t live the “life” (including good works) without Him? Paul’s teaching on grace is well known and explored in depth by many evangelicals . . . but, it seems we skip Romans Chapter 8, where Paul talks about life in the Spirit, surely Christ is present in us? If we “walk in the Spirit” as Paul talks about – isn’t his strength then made perfect – it is not, and should not be about “how much I try”, or doing stuff out of duty, but – as we respond and receive Christ’s love and presence our desire is transformed, it is HE that is work in us, as Ephesians 4 talks about, so we might do those “good works” that have been prepared for us?
Or am I missing something?
Ali: Listen to the message. It answers your question.