Why Be Good?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10

What good works have you done this day?

       How about this week...?

Many people perceive Christianity as a list of rules, particularly a list of "thou shalt nots". Sadly, even many Christians seem to, in a more pious way, embrace this same perception as those outside the church do. Some, maybe a majority of, professing Christians seem to think that if we avoid doing anything evil, then that makes us good Christians. We should be fine, that should be enough - if we can just steer clear of the "thou shalt nots".

No WONDER the rest of the world thinks that's what Christianity is about. That's what we LIVE like it's about!

One of my favorite pastimes is Dungeons & Dragons, a fantasy storytelling game. In that game, each character has an alignment that determines their personality, and one aspect of that alignment is where they stand on the spectrum between good and evil. There are three options: Good...Neutral...Evil. If even the designers of a secular game can see the obvious truth that "not being evil" does not necessarily make a person "good", then why do we as Christians assume that we can just try to not be evil and that's good enough to call ourselves followers of Christ?

Throughout scripture, we are called, encouraged, and even commanded to DO GOOD. The verse above is a perfect example, but consider these, as well:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16

      - If we don't do good works, works that cause men to glorify God, we are not obeying the direct instructions of Christ. We are not doing what He SAID.

Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? - John 10:32

       - If we don't do good works, then we are not following what Jesus DID, either.

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works - Hebrews 10:24

        - If we don't do good works, then we deprive other Christians of an example of how they should do good works. 

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold , glorify God in the day of visitation. - I Peter 2:12

         - If we don't do good works, we also deprive non-Christians of their opportunity to see and to glorify God.

The book of James tells us twice that faith without works is dead. (James 2:17 and James 2:20) What good is a dead faith? We are not, and never could be, saved by works. But works are the evidence that we are saved. 

Clearly, the Christian life was never meant to be lived coasting along in some easy state of just-good-enough or simply-not-being-evil. We are supposed to be doing good works on a daily basis. Most of the rest of our non-believing neighbors shoot for (and usually hit) the target of "don't do anything overtly evil or grossly immoral". We need do to better than that. 

When people look at us, they need to see us being actively, peculiarly, unreasonably GOOD.