If I were to ask you, “What are some things a Christian ought to do?” what would be on your list? Hopefully, your answers would be Bible-based and not opinion-based (seeing as the Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice).
I recently asked a group of teens this question, and these are a few of the responses they came up with:
- Talk to God
- Let God Speak to you from His Word
- Memorize the Word of God
- Tithe
- Resist temptation
- Obey your parents
- Tell others about Jesus
- Go to church
I wonder, what would you add to the list?
Ephesians 2:8-10 has some insight on the ‘why’ of what we do. We often use verses eight and nine when it comes to sharing our faith:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Our acceptance by God is based 0% on our own deeds and 100% on the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary! This is a powerful scripture that shows the truth of the gospel, but in its context, it’s written to believers. In fact, the verb tense in the original language gives the sense “For by grace you have been saved…” He’s talking to Christians. Christian, he’s talking to you.
That’s where verse 10 comes in:
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Did you catch that? We are not saved by good works but we are saved unto them (underlined in the verses for emphasis). Can I ask it this way? If we aren’t accepted by God through our good works for salvation, why would our good works or lack of them make us more or less accepted/loved/liked by God after salvation? Again this truth is for the believer! We don’t do the good things a Christian “ought” to do to gain God’s favor. God doesn’t love us any more or less based on what we do for Him because His favor isn’t based on us at all. Remember? It’s based on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Therefore we already have 100% of His acceptance. We already have His unconditional love. His unmerited favor is already given to us completely!
If the reason you do what you do as a Christian is to try to be “good enough” for God, I’m telling you, you’re leading yourself into a miserable Christian life of ever wondering if you really are good enough for Him.
So remember, we live for God not for His acceptance, but from His acceptance.
Ephesians 1:6 — To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.