Good Works & Kingdom Righteousness

October 31: Cursing Halloween Darkness or Shining Heaven’s Light?

In the weeks leading up to October 31, many Christians were protesting Halloween. There was much talk about darkness – and how to protest and expose evil by using authoritative words (spiritual warfare) against witchcraft, satanism, and paganism.

There was less talk about the power of light:

• [John 1:5 ESV] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
• [1 John 1:5 ESV] This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

And even less talk about doing good works to shine heaven’s light:

• [Mat 5:16 ESV] In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
• [Rom 12:21 ESV] Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.

Jesus made it clear that good works shine light and overcome evil. Did you curse darkness or shine His light?

Good Works and Kingdom Righteousness

Discussions with Christians about righteousness often devolve into “grace vs works” and “faith vs law” arguments that find their roots in another October 31 event – the Reformation of 1517! Originally protesting “95 types of aberrant religious practices” by the Roman Church, Luther quickly pivoted to make three Proclamations that came to be called the “Three Solas….:”

• Sola scriptura (scripture alone),
• Sola fide (faith alone),
• Sola gratia (grace alone).

By the 19^th century, reformers added two more Proclamations to Luther’s list:

• Solus Christus (Christ alone)
• Soli Deo gloria (the glory of God alone).

Let us each agree and declare that the Righteousness of God is imputed to all of those who place their faith in Jesus Christ Alone, receiving salvation by Grace Alone through Faith Alone, to the Glory of God Alone, in accordance with the teaching of Scripture Alone.

But Jesus set Heaven’s priority as “Seek First the Kingdom of God – and His righteousness.” Whenever Jesus was asked for guidance about living a life that pleases God, He always offered answers that displayed moral correctness arising from faith in God. He didn’t say “Wait right there until I die for your sins, then trust me and you’ll be righteous.” Instead, he said “Be content with your wages;” “Settle disputes quickly with your opponent;” “Do not collect more taxes than people owe;” “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” 

The righteousness of saving faith is an internal condition known only to you and to God. “The foundation of the Lord is certain – He knows those who are His.”

But Kingdom Righteousness is external, objective, practical and cares little of one’s internal state or motivation: “True religion and undefiled is to care for widows and orphans;” “By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love each other;” “Let those who name His name stop doing evil deeds;” and “Let your light so shine that others will see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.”

Now What?

Do believers (saved sinners, saints, Christians, God’s family, Holy Spirit’s temple, the Bride of Christ) have an Obligation as well as an Opportunity to demonstrate their saving faith by their good works? Consider these statements found in Scripture Alone:

Paul

• [Eph 2:8, 10 ESV] 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, … 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
  
  Are you honoring God by walking in the Good Works that He prepared for you?

James

• [Jas 2:18 ESV] 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
  
  Is your faith made of empty words, or solid works?

John

• [1Jo 3:18-19 ESV] 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
  
  Do your works prove that your faith is true, or a lie?

Peter

• [1Pe 4:8-10 ESV] 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.
  
  Are you hospitable and do you serve your neighbors?

Jesus

• [Mat 5:16 ESV] 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
• [Jhn 15:17 ESV] 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
• [Jhn 13:35 ESV] 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Will the world, without hearing you preach or testify, judge you to be “His disciples?”

Three Stories

I’ve been prayer walking my new neighborhood, stopping to meet and bless every neighbor who will take the time.

One neighbor brought us banana bread, invited us to a backyard Karaoke party, borrowed a truck and helped us move furniture, and brought us a sample of freshly-baked bread and contact info from another neighbor who is a culinary institute graduate. He and his wife invited us to Church and introduced us to many friends who are very active in serving the poor, homeless, hungry, distressed, sick, and isolated. Each week for 40 years, their men’s club has wrapped up each Prayer Breakfast by announcing and then staffing a new service project for a needy member of the church or a neighbor of a member. Their motto is “Live and Love like Jesus.” They do.

Another neighbor proudly proclaimed his faith and declared that in the last 10 years “he has witnessed to every neighbor,” but hasn’t spoken to them since discovering that they were members of “that church…” He knows nothing of their health, goals, family situation, or needs. I spoke with his pastor, who proudly proclaimed that their church had separated from other community churches over doctrinal disagreements. Their motto is “Standing strong for the Lord.”

Story 1. Who is Righteous?

[Luk 18:9-14 NLT] 9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:
10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Story 2. Do or Say?

[Mat 7:21-23 NLT] 21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Story 3. Love your neighbor or find excuses to shun them?

[Mat 25:31-46 NLT] 31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!‘ 41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ 45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

To summarize, Sheep:

• See Jesus in everyone, until proven wrong.
• Pay it forward not expecting repayment.
• Create systems that restore dignity to the needy.
• Focus on the worth of the individual and the outcome of good service.

Whereas, Goats:

• See sin, addiction, depravity, and immorality in the needy, until proven wrong.
• Create systems that require the needy to prove their qualifications for service.
• Ensure that their giving does not endorse sin and immorality.
• Focus on the doctrinal correctness of separating secular from sacred.

The Final Exam: Sheep have loved their neighbors and are welcomed into the Kingdom, Goats have loved pure doctrine, and have no neighbors, and are dismissed from the Kingdom.

Golden Rule Living

Good works do not save the unrighteous, but Good Words without Good Works will never make you ready to be the Lamb’s bride. As John reminds us [Rev 19:7-8 ESV] … the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”– for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

Two Practical Suggestions

First, become a KLI / One Church One Day CONECTer. Our core theology is “Pray – AND Obey.”  Each community that implements 1C1D starts with discovering the community’s needs and the leaders’ goals and mobilizes 24x Prayer. Then, as the community’s true needs are uncovered, individuals and churches will mobilize to meet them. As KLI’s CONECTer, you are modeling servant leadership to community’s leaders across the 7 Mountains and 5-Fold ministries.

Secondly, implement Prayer Evangelism in your own neighborhood. Invite neighbors to share a weekly meal or dessert, discover their personal hurts-habits-hangups as well as goals-gifts-gold, then bless them and bring the power of God in Prayer AND in coordinated action to demonstrate both Human Kindness and Kingdom Power. As the Prayer Pastor for your neighborhood, you are building Sheep Nations one neighborhood and one home at a time.

Together, these actions demonstrate “Loving God AND loving your neighbor” in real time.

So, are you content to have a right proclamation, posture and policy – or will you pursue Good Works? [Tit 1:16 ESV] 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

May we emulate John Wesley (who preached over 40,000 sermons and rode 250,000 miles on horseback to win the lost) whose life mission was “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”