Christian Character Discussion Board 1

[pastorderrick]

“Good works that stem out of a relationship with Christ Jesus are witnesses for Jesus.” Bearing in mind that we are not saved by good works (Ephesians. 2:8-9), give validity to this statement or state otherwise.

Your post should be between 400- 500 words while your reply should be at least 200 words.

Paste the same submission from the previous step here by clicking on the REPLY link just above. Your submission should be made on or before Wednesday the 27th of November 2024.

Then scroll down to see your peer submission and click reply to comment on their submissions. You MUST comment on at least one post with a minimum of 200 words on or before 11:59 p.m. (WAT) on Friday the 29th of November 2024. Your comments will also be graded.

[Ben]

“Good works that stem out of a relationship with Christ Jesus are witnesses for Jesus.” The following, validates this statement:
The word witness in the Greek is the word martureo which means to be a witness, i.e. testify (literally or figuratively):–charge, give (evidence), bear record, have (obtain, of) good (honest) report, be well reported of, testify, give (have) testimony, (be, bear, give, obtain) witness. The word from the dictionary means, evidence, proof.

So a witness, is a proof provider. Therefore, a witness for Christ Jesus is someone or anything that reveals Christ- his nature, his testimony, his message and his power. These works that stem from a relationship with Christ Jesus are termed firstly, “good works” which means that there are bad works. But for a work to be termed good, means it’s acceptable by God and not just by men. (Philippians 2:13, 2 Corinthians 3:18).

1. Sharing the Gospel: a good work that serves as a witness for Christ Jesus to men. The good work of preaching the gospel of Christ reveals to the sinner the unconditional love of God (God as love) and not a judgmental God or a sadist who is out to send men to hell at the slightest provocation. ( John 3:16-18, Romans 5:6-9). When we preach or share the Gospel around and to sinners, we give proof of the love of God and the grace of God that is available unto them in Christ Jesus. So that they can be changed by the same love and grace (Titus 2:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17).

2. Walking in the light: a good work that bears witness for Jesus Christ. Having no part in works of darkness will reveal Christ to men. Living an exemplary life wherever one finds themselves will communicate the testimony and the character of Christ Jesus. ( Ephesians 5:8-11, 1 Timothy 4:12, 2 Corinthians 3:2-3).

3. Walking in love: a good work that bears witness for Christ Jesus. In a world filled with people more interested in themselves and their self-interests, walking in agape love will impact the lives of others in godly ways and will reveal who Jesus really is to them. They begin to see Jesus not only in the message we preach but also in our actions and attitude towards people. (1 John 3:16-18)

4. Walking in the Spirit: a good work that bears witness for Christ Jesus. When we walk in the Spirit, we will be sensitive to take steps and carry out inspired actions that will end up blessing the lives of people; even handling terrible situations which might be going on in their lives. This good work, will bring Christ and his power to a reality in the lives of those who will put faith in him. (Acts 4:13, Acts 5:12-14, Romans 8:14).

In summary, good works that are as a result of the believer’s relationship with Jesus will bring about the revelation of the character of Christ in them (men will surely confirm that they have Christ in them), bring glory to God with their lives and turn men from death to life.

[Wechie]

I love how you cited examples of good works.
I’d like to add that Ephesians 2:8–9 is clear that salvation does not come by works. But we miss the full implications of salvation if we stop reading in verse 9. Our works do not earn our salvation but our salvation should indeed lead us to a life of good works, works God has prepared “for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10 starts with the phrase “For we are God’s handiwork.” The word “for” connects verse 10 with what precedes it, especially the fact that we have been saved by grace.
Yes, we are saved by God’s grace however receiving this gift means living with and for God in a new way. The Greek reads, “in order that we might walk in them,” thus ending 2:1–10 as it began, with a description of how we walk or live. When we receive this grace, we aren’t merely delivered from a bad way of living into some kind of neutral existence. Rather, we are created anew in Christ for a new way of living, a way embodied in good works.

Good works prepared beforehand ; The purpose of God’s creative activity is not merely to have a people, as if he were constructing a work of art. Rather, this new creation is to be active and productive like the Creator. Christians are “to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (contrast to Ephesians 2:2). Salvation is not from works, but it surely is for works, that is, living obediently and productively. In keeping with Ephesians 1:3–14 on God’s planning, choosing, and acting, this verse shows God planned and acted not only to save, but also to mark out the way we should live. John Stott’s words are not too strong: “Good works are indispensable to salvation—not as its ground or means … but as its consequence and evidence.”
God prepared these works for people to do, and they are a way to glorify God.

This “good works “spoken of is possible by an active relationship with Christ. As we fellowship with Christ , engage the Word, spend time communing with Him on the place of prayer,we become more and more like him in our expressions. Our character aligns more and more to His.
We desire to please him. Doing his will becomes our ambition.
We begin to think God-thought, take God-step. We lay aside habits and characters that are not in sync with our new identity. When this begins to happen even those who were not there when we accepted Christ will recognise that a good change has taken place.
That in itself sends a message to those around that an encounter with Christ transforms a man.
It’s a non verbal way of preaching Christ.
In our walk with men, unlike God they don’t see our hearts, they can’t figure out our motives.
Our Actions are rather what is seen. The posture of heart matters to God, however it has to translate to Actions for it to have an impact on those around us.

[Paulpraze]

MY REPLY TO BEN
Your essay shows who a witness is, and also mentions some of the things that a witness does that are or can be described as good works. You have shown, that a relationship with Jesus will reflect in our verbally sharing the gospel, walking after the Spirit, walking in the light, and walking in love, all of which produces good works.
However, what may not be very clear from this essay is the relationship between a person’s good works and receiving salvation. In other words, how do you answer the questions, “can a person be saved by good works?, can a person come into a relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord by their good works?”
The point I am making is that, “good works” may not always be the result of a relationship with Jesus Christ and more so in the context of witnessing, and it is therefore important to point out that such “good works” can not obtain or earn salvation from God.
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus talks about people who claimed to have good works and therefore believed that they had a relationship with Him. Jesus’s response clearly showed that that was not the case.
It is therefore very important to point out clearly that no man, no matter how much “good works” they do, can be saved by their good works, and I think that this was why we were instructed to write our essay bearing in mind that no man can be saved by their good works.

[femionas]

My response to Ben.

Here are some additional things to consider about good works and witnessing:
The authority to witness comes from Jesus Christ himself. Mathew 28:19 -20 says, that Jesus gives the authority to witness. The Holy Spirit gives the power and boldness to witness and the willingness to witness is a personal decision. Furthermore, when the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us, he prompts us to do things that glorify God. John 14:26. Our desire to please God grows as our understanding of him grows, and that desire to please God results in good works.
In another analogy, God wants to produce fruits in our lives, Galatians 5:22 – 23 He is he vine dresser, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. The branches are naturally attached to the vine. From the vine, they get support and the ability to produce fruit. Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches, if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit John 15:5. This is the purpose of the vineyard – to produce “much fruit” Good works follow salvation. So bearing in mind that, we are not saved by good works (Ephesians 2:8 -9} but when we are saved, we should produce good works that will glorify our Father in heaven.

[Paulpraze]

When we think about good works as witnesses for Christ Jesus our Lord, one of the text of scripture that immediately comes to mind is Matthew 5:16. In this text, Jesus makes it clear that there is a relationship between our works and how people, especially unbelievers perceive God. Our good works give them an idea of God that is demonstrated in their glorifying Him.
It is important to state however that salvation is never dependent on our works whatsoever. In Romans 5:6, Paul made it clear that we were hopeless and helpless, unable to provide for our own salvation. In addition to this, Paul further tells us that we are saved by grace through faith, and all of these are of God (Ephesians 2:8-10). He also adds that we could not be saved by our own works of righteousness (Titus 3:5). Over and over again, the Apostle Paul makes this point (Romans 3:20, Romans 4:1-16, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:11-14).
Jesus Christ our Lord Himself, when He declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), ruled out any other means or possibility of having a relationship with God and receiving salvation of Him. The only way to receive the salvation of God is by faith alone in Christ alone. (Romans 1:16-17).
Therefore, any and every work that the unbeliever does is considered to be dead works. They arise from a dead human spirit and selfish motives, and are therefore unacceptable to God, in spite of how good these works may appear in the eyes of men. Dead works are things that must be repented of (Hebrews 6:1).
The word witness is the Greek word martureō. It means to be a witness, that is, testify (literally or figuratively): – charge, give [evidence], bear record, have (obtain, of) good (honest) report, be well reported of, testify, give (have) testimony, (be, bear, give, obtain) witness.
In the new Testament, there are a number of texts that speak about the believer and good works, and the need for good works as an important means of witnessing for Christ. (Matthew 5:16, Philippians 2:15, 1 Peter 2:12, 2 Peter 2:2).
The idea really is that, while it is true that an unbeliever can not be saved by good works, the presence, indwelling and work of Christ in the believer will as a matter of fact, produce certain results or good works that will be evidence or testimony to His presence. James 2:18-24. The point that apostle James makes here is that the presence of faith can only be justified by the works that it produces. In other words, faith is the foundation for good works.
In conclusion, the reality is that people around us can not see our regenerated spirit, but they surely can see our good works. Sharing our faith verbally, coupled with our good works is the most effective tool for witnessing for Christ.

[Author]

Posts