New Testament Christianity is a religion based upon work. God worked through history in preparation for the great blessing He had in store for mankind. Christ’s presence on this earth was defined by His working the works of Him by whom He had been sent (John 9:4). The Holy Spirit caused many in the first century to work marvelous miracles through His influence and power (Acts 2:17-18). And man is expected to work in the service of God as well. Ephesians 2:10 describes all children of God as “his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Therefore the statement made by one preacher does ring true: that the blessings of God are free, but they are not cheap. What place, then, must these “good works” mentioned by Paul have in the lives of every Christian?
Later, Paul would write to a young preacher named Timothy and answer that very question. He said:
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (II Timothy 2:20-21).
Therefore in answer to the previously mentioned question, the answer is that good works must have a faithful presence in the life of every Christian, and that no life is complete without them. When Paul said that this servant would be “prepared unto every good work” he literally meant that this servant would be ready, willing, and appropriately equipped to serve God in every conceivable way in which he/she was able. This degree of preparation infers a sense of initiative upon the part of the individual to assure this readiness, much like a young person taking the initiative to study hard in school with the intention of preparing themselves for success in the work force. The earnest Christian is going to grow and make preparation through life with the intention of successfully serving God in every conceivable way every time opportunities arise. But in what areas might we find opportunities to serve God, using our preparation and zeal to do good works?
One area of good works in which all Christians should seek opportunities to serve God is in glorification, or giving God glory. Since God is God, or Divine, He deserves all glory and praise (Psalm 108:1). And this glory can (and must) come in two ways: in private devotion and in public worship. We can give glory to God privately, for example, through a healthy prayer life. Paul told the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17), or in other words, to always be devoted to a life of prayer. Prayer provides an outlet unto the Father whereby Christians can not only petition Him for our needs, but give Him glory for all He has done. Not only must private devotion be a fixture in the lives of all, but also public worship. The assemblies of the church are not only wonderful opportunities to come together as Christians and worship God, but they are also responsibilities of all (Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:25). Is the glorification of God a good work in which we are all prepared?
Another area of good works in which all Christians can serve is in the evangelization of the lost. Often it might be assumed that evangelism is an area which one can afford to ignore because everyone else is involved or that it is only the job of certain people in the church. One’s unwillingness to share the gospel reveals that person’s true feelings of it. Is he ashamed of the gospel? Is he unsure of its power in changing the lives of men? Is it of little value to him thus assumed that it would be of little value to anyone else? The gospel should be of such value and the souls of men should be of such concern to all children of God that like Peter and John the attitude of all Christians must be that “we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Is the evangelization of the lost a good work in which we are all prepared?
A final area of good works that can be mentioned (though there are others) is in the support of the good works of others. There are so many outstanding Christian works occurring in this world that need the resources with which they can function, and without those resources their work becomes impossible. As little as anyone likes to talk about money and its importance in religion, the truth of the matter is that like most other areas of life, in the work of New Testament Christianity it is a necessity. Corporations grow and thrive because they have the resources to which they can turn in order to support their work, but the work of the church seemingly is expected to continue with little to nothing. Not only can Christians serve God by being active in works themselves, but likewise in helping to support others in their works. Is the support of various good works (either through the local church or individually) a good work in which we are all prepared?
Purchased by the blood of Christ and redeemed from the darkness of sin, Christians are expected to be given to the service of God. We are His workmanship, we are His vessels of service, and we are His band of loyal followers. Are we prepared unto every good work? If not, why not?