Faith in Practice

The good works

We have inherited a sinful nature from our parents. When one sees a small child lying in the cradle, one does not think that this seemingly innocent child is already sinful. Yet, it is so. Parents soon realize this after the birth. Good deeds do not come out of a sinful nature, just as good fruits cannot be picked from a bad tree. Only when someone believes in the Lord Jesus can he do something good. Do you know why? God gives such a person a new nature. A nature that is from God and not from the sinful Adam. With this new nature, we can do good works. These are works that God gives us to perform.

We will now focus on the good works. It's best to start with the verse you already read at the end of the previous lesson:

For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has before prepared that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

So, good works are the acts that God gives us to perform. In this, the Lord Jesus is our model.

1

The Lord Jesus Himself speaks of His works when the Jews want to stone Him. What does He say to the Jews who want to stone Him in John 10:32?

Your response:

  • Many good works
  • for which work
  • of my Father;
  • of them
  • have I shewn you
  • do you stone me?
2

All the works that the Lord Jesus did were from His God and Father and for the blessing of mankind. When Peter preached the Gospel at the house of Cornelius, he presented the actions of the Lord Jesus to the audience in impressive words. What do you read in Acts 10:38?

Your response:

Jesus who was of Nazareth: how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power; who went through all quarters     , and     that were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him.

3

The Lord Jesus traversed the land, leaving a trail of good deeds in His wake. Where He had been, He left happy and thankful people.

Many examples in the Gospels demonstrate this, with five of them from the Gospel of Luke mentioned below.

The following will quote the beginning and end of an incident. What matches together?

Your response:

Luke 5: And lo, men bringing upon a couch a man who was paralyzed; and they sought to bring him in, and put him before him.
Luke 7: And as he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she a widow, and a very considerable crowd of the city was with her.
Luke 13: And lo, there was a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent together and wholly unable to lift her head up.
Luke 17: And as he entered into a certain village ten leprous men met him, who stood afar off.
Luke 18: And it came to pass when he came into the neighborhood of Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging.
And immediately standing up before them, having taken up that on which he was laid, he departed to his house, glorifying God.
And one of them, seeing that he was cured, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice ...
And the dead sat up and began to speak; and he gave him to his mother. And fear seized on all, and they glorified God ...
And he laid his hands upon her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
And immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God ...
4

Don't you also want to resemble the Lord Jesus? Certainly very much!

Do you know the secret to how we can achieve this? No? Then read John 15: 1-8. It's about the vine and the branches.

The branches must bear fruit. How this happens is in verse 5!

Your response:

I am the   , you are the   . He that   in me and I in him, he bears much   ; for   me you can do nothing.

This is just a preview

Start the course to view and edit the complete lesson.

Start now!

Participation in this Bible course is completely free!

Bible course: Faith in Practice

Previous Lesson Next Lesson
Saved