tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post7115846049781175151..comments2023-11-03T04:50:42.128-05:00Comments on Confessional Gadfly: Good Works - the Christian Self-DiagnosticRev. Eric J Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747919365522145094noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post-53223319505949338582008-06-18T15:30:00.000-05:002008-06-18T15:30:00.000-05:00I think Lora raises a good point here. It's a goo...I think Lora raises a good point here. It's a good post, except for that line about them "happening," as if they were on autopilot. Yes, our Lord said one hand should not know what the other hand is doing, but we still gotta be moving the one hand, you know?<BR/><BR/>Someone in one of my Bible studies remarked that they had always heard or understood that good works just kind of go by themselves, or that God does them for you or at any rate you don't have to worry or think about them. But we do, else Christ wouldn't have told us what to do, nor would the Epistles be full of exhortations to do good.<BR/><BR/>Don't mean to beat up on your for one little phrase, but here I am doing it anyway ;)<BR/><BR/>Peace!Christopher D. Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03906949438584923588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post-30253172191752974832008-06-18T11:32:00.000-05:002008-06-18T11:32:00.000-05:00Christian must do good works - not in terms of "la...<I>Christian must do good works - not in terms of "law" per se, but that it simply happens. Good works are like breathing - for a person to be alive, he must be breathing. If he's not breathing. . . as Bones would say, "He's dead, Jim."</I><BR/><BR/>But there are times that it doesn't JUST happen, and that we really do have to struggle with our flesh to do what's right, because we want to do what God wills because of the love He has shown for us. Not to be saved, but because of this.<BR/><BR/>Luther makes that point frequently in His sermons. It is an effort. The Holy Spirit is leading us in what is good to do, but we also are contending against our old Adam, the sinful world, and the devil himself, so there really is a battle going on, and we feel how it tears us.<BR/><BR/>While we are not doing good works to save our souls, Luther says that we must do them to subjugate our flesh and to make our salvation sure (rather than to fall away into mortal sin by not struggling against sin anymore).<BR/><BR/>We don't always do God's will gladly. There is a part of us that wants to, and a part that doesn't. We never do good works in complete purity, so we can rest assured that God still sees those efforts and is pleased by them, because of Christ. That is a great reassurance because if now that we are saved, we had to do good works always gladly, we might be paralyzed by it. Still do the work, and repent of the hesitation, and rest assured, we are forgiven.RPWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16686240798146992394noreply@blogger.com