Goodness: A Good Thing?
Again: Please, don't comment on the title of this post. Just don't. XD
The focus of today's post is:
Goodness? Are we not saved by grace and therefore not beholden to works?
Yes, yes we are. And yet we must do good things anyway.
Allow me to explain.
Your parents tell you that they'll get you ice cream if you can wash all the dishes and babysit your younger siblings. You agree because you want the reward. However, you don't have to do this in order for them to give you dinner, a roof over your head, and a good education (hopefully. If you do, something is seriously wrong with your family.) That's just built in because you know that your parents love you.
But you (again, hopefully) don't just do what you're told to because you want a reward. You do it because you love your parents and you want them to be happy.
This is why we obey God- why we are good, if you will.
It's because he saved you and me and he did everything to get us here and he does not require us to keep working to be saved but to trust that his grace is enough. (Wow, that last sentence was controversial. Unintentionally so. O_O) There's nothing more we can do to save ourselves. All we can do is trust that we are saved and keep growing in the knowledge of Christ.
But the response to this is that we now have a duty and privilege of obeying our Father. We are called to do the right thing, and we do it because he loved us first and gave us the capacity to obey in the first place.
Goodness is a gift we give to our Father. It's like a four-year-old scribbling something with crayons as a gift for his father who provides everything for him. It's worth next to nothing; it's no work of art. But to his daddy it is priceless. That's how we should view our gifts to our Father.
Worth nothing on their own... but through Jesus, worth everything.
29 comments
This series is so good, keep it up! :)
ReplyDeleteThnx Gray :)
DeleteAnother amazing post. Great job, Faith! (BTW, I know you said not to comment on the title, but I really don't think its as bad as you think it is.)
ReplyDeleteGod's grace and love for us is so amazing. (I know, I use that word a lot.)
God bless you!
iviewrites.blogspot.com
Haha, thank you so much :)
DeleteI love that word too, although I prefer awesome.
You too!
Yes, I use awesome just as much. I need to find new adjectives. XD
DeleteI love this series so much - and this one of the best posts in it! Thanks for sharing, Faith <3
ReplyDelete~ Savannah | Scattered Scribblings
Aww, thank you, Savannah.
DeleteFAITH. THIS WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. Your analogies hit it SPOT. ON. It brought such a deep, meaningful understanding of why we should live obediently, why we WANT to live obediently.
ReplyDeleteI am just so blessed by all these posts. Thank you so much for sharing! <3
Thank you, Christine. <3
DeleteAmazing Faith! I can't think of an adj to describe this series! Very eye opening! You go girl!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much :)
DeleteThis is such an important lesson that is undervalued in today's society-- everyone wants to do something for the sake of gaining another, which they shouldn't! The best gifts are priceless anyways.
ReplyDeletexoxo Abigail Lennah | ups & downs
Yes! We should all think less of ourselves. :P
DeleteWow this is really beautiful <3 I can't believe I didn't follow or find your blog before now! Everything you post is so deep and really strikes home to my heart. Keep it up Faith!
ReplyDeleteAnna C. S. - www.worldthroughherheart.blogspot.com
Aww, well thank you (for your sweet words and the follow :D) It really does mean a ton to me.
DeleteThis was beautiful! I love the last sentence. Sums it all up!
ReplyDeleteThat was the goal! ^_^
DeleteI agree. I also think that, when we have that true faith, good works will pour from us naturally, to one extent or another.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteThat's wonderful. When we help our friends out and maybe give them a place to stay when they don't have anywhere to go, you do it unto God. Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto God.
ReplyDeletePlease look up Mathew 25:35-47 and read it all. It's so deep. God's heart reaches out to the hurting and he loves them. No matter who they are. Maybe it's loving and helping a parent who's hurt you or abused you for years. it doesn't matter. When we love like God loves, we'll love them too. God is so good to us, why not reflect his light and be good to others. Not only are we honoring and pleasing him, we help others and show what God's love really is. Some may be hesitant to come to the Lord because of past experiences and others not reflecting what God's love and life really is. I'm not saying it's out faults that people don't come to Christ, but I'm saying that our love really effects others.
For example, I went on this trip with our Church. We had fun and just acted like ourselves. At the end of the trip, the manager (I think it was the manager) came to our pastor when he was leaving the place and told him that our group was the best group they ever had. They said that we behaved so well and were loving. (I'm just saying what i'm remembering. I'd have to ask my pastor again). Just being ourselves and reflecting God's love made a difference. People notice the difference i us from others. We didn't even do anything different.
The cool thing is, we went as a group to the place and everyone saw that we were with the Church.
Sorry that was so long!!! I was rambling. lol
God Bless you! <3
I love those verses. Honestly, the whole Bible is so deep :) I That's terrific. I'm so happy for all of you guys.
DeleteThanks! You too!
I mean, they're very blunt. Right to the point. lol God's...deep. His love is so amazing. I can't get over it.
DeleteI'm glad that that's how the worker's saw us. That's exactly what Im aiming to do!
You're welcome, and thanks. :)
Beautiful! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteHey, you're so welcome!
DeleteI really love your metaphor! I don't need to help wash dishes and babysit kids to have a roof under my head. I do it just to please my parents (and get the reward!) I love these posts, Faith. So good! ^_^
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad God showed me that metaphor XD I had no ideas when I sat down to write this so... yeah. But I'm so glad you like them!
DeleteThis... is... absolutely amazing. I love your example at the beginning: that's such a perfect description of something I know but have always struggled to explain, yet I'm blown away by the example's simplicity. Absolutely beautiful <3
ReplyDeleteAlexa
thessalexa.blogspot.com
verbosityreviews.com
Oh, Alexa. Thank you so much. :) Your words are so sweet, and I'm glad this encourages you.
DeleteSorry this is late, my computer doesn't like me.
ReplyDeleteFaith, this is so amazing and beautiful and true! You have such a gift of writing! I am so blessed to have found your blog and tp be able to read it.
Have a wonderful rest of your day!
God bless!
Hello, friends! Do make yourselves comfortable and stay for a while--I'd love to chat with you! I simply ask that you keep it clean. :)