Galatians 6:9-10. The importance of good works.
I. WE ARE NOT SAVED BECAUSE OF OUR GOOD WORKS
II. YET CHRISTIANS ARE ABSOLUTELY EXPECTED TO WORK
III. GOD WILL JUDGE ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS
IV. GOOD WORKS ARE MEANINGFUL IN LIGHT OF OTHER DOCTRINES
V. PREPARATION FOR GOOD WORKS
A. Do you understand the balance between faith and works?
B. Are you prepared for judgment according to your works?
C. Are you under God’s grace as a child of God?
2. Galatians 6:9-10 And let us
not grow weary while doing
good, for in due season we
shall reap if we do not lose
heart. 10 Therefore, as we
have opportunity, let us do
good to all, especially to
those who are of the
household of faith.
3. FAITH AND WORKS
A.Over-reaction to accusations of
salvation by works may cause an over-
emphasis of grace without works.
B.It is very important to understand the
connection between faith and works.
C.James 2:24 You see then that a man is
justified by works, and not by faith
only.
4. I. WE ARE NOT SAVED BECAUSE
OF OUR GOOD WORKS
A. Rom 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he
has something to boast about, but not before God.
B. Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is
the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone
should boast.
C. 2 Tim 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a
holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace which
was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
D. Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we
have done, but according to His mercy He saved
us, through the washing of regeneration and
renewing of the Holy Spirit,
5. II. YET CHRISTIANS ARE
ABSOLUTELY EXPECTED TO WORK
A. Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should
walk in them.
B. Eph 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the
work of ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ,
C. James 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if
someone says he has faith but does
not have works? Can faith save him?
D. 1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be
steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
6. III. GOD WILL JUDGE
ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS
A. Rom 2:6 who "will render to each one according to his
deeds":
B. John 5:28-29 "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is
coming in which all who are in
the graves will hear His voice 29 "and come forth;
those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to
the resurrection of condemnation.
C. Heb 6:10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and
labor of love which you have shown toward His name,
in that you have ministered to the saints, and do
minister.
D. Rev 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to
me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord
from now on.'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may
rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”
7. IV. GOOD WORKS ARE MEANINGFUL IN
LIGHT OF OTHER DOCTRINES
A. PROOF OF REPENTANCE - Mat 3:8 "Therefore
bear fruits worthy of repentance,
B. STANDARD IN JUDGMENT - Mat 25:31-46 "When
the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the
holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the
throne of His glory. 32 "All the nations will be
gathered before Him, and He will separate them
one from another, as a shepherd divides his
sheep from the goats. 33 "And He will set the
sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the
left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on His
right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world: >>>
8. IV. GOOD WORKS ARE MEANINGFUL IN
LIGHT OF OTHER DOCTRINES
35 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was
thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and
you took Me in; 36 'I was naked and you clothed
Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison
and you came to Me.1 37 "Then the righteous will
answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You
hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
38 'When did we see You a stranger and take You
in, or naked and clothe You? 39 'Or when did we
see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40
"And the King will answer and say to them,
'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to
one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to
Me.’>>>
9. IV. GOOD WORKS ARE MEANINGFUL IN
LIGHT OF OTHER DOCTRINES
41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand,
'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire
prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 'for I was
hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you
gave Me no drink; 43 'I was a stranger and you did not
take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and
in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they also
will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You
hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in
prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 "Then He will
answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you,
inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of
these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "And these will go
away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous
into eternal life.”
10. IV. GOOD WORKS ARE MEANINGFUL IN
LIGHT OF OTHER DOCTRINES
C.PROOF OF FAITH - James 2:14-26 What does it
profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith
but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of
daily food, 16 and one of you says to them,
"Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you
do not give them the things which are needed for
the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith
by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18
But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have
works." Show me your faith without your works,
and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You
believe that there is one God. You do well. Even
the demons believe; and tremble! >>>
11. IV. GOOD WORKS ARE MEANINGFUL IN
LIGHT OF OTHER DOCTRINES
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith
without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father
justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the
altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together
with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says,
"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him
for righteousness." And he was called the friend of
God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works,
and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the
harlot also justified by works when she received the
messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as
the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without
works is dead also.
12. IV. GOOD WORKS ARE MEANINGFUL IN
LIGHT OF OTHER DOCTRINES
D. PROPER RESPONSE TO GOD'S MERCY-Rom
12:1-2 I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service. 2 And do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that you may prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God.
E. RESULT OF A NEW CREATION - Eph 2:10 For we
are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them.
13. V. PREPARATION FOR GOOD WORKS
A. STUDY THE WORD
1. Col 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the
Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in
every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God;
2. Col 3:16-17 Let the word of Christ dwell in
you richly in all wisdom, teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And
whatever you do in word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God the Father through Him.
14. V. PREPARATION FOR GOOD WORKS
A. STUDY THE WORD
3. 2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, 17 that the
man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work.
4. James 1:25 But he who looks into the
perfect law of liberty and continues in it,
and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of
the work, this one will be blessed in what
he does.
15. V. PREPARATION FOR GOOD WORKS
B. LISTEN TO EXHORTATIONS FROM OTHERS
1. Heb 10:24-25 And let us consider one another
in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as is the manner of some, but
exhorting one another, and so much the more
as you see the Day approaching.
2. Heb 3:12-13 Beware, brethren, lest there be in
any of you an evil heart of unbelief in
departing from the living God; 13 but exhort
one another daily, while it is called "Today,"
lest any of you be hardened through the
deceitfulness of sin.
16. V. PREPARATION FOR GOOD WORKS
C.GET RID OF SIN IN YOUR LIFE
1. 2 Tim 2:21 Therefore if anyone cleanses
himself from the latter, he will be a
vessel for honor, sanctified and useful
for the Master, prepared for every good
work.
2. Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight,
and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us,
17. FAITH AND WORKS
A.Do you understand the balance
between faith and works?
B.Are you prepared for judgment
according to your works?
C.Are you under God’s grace as a child
of God?