John Piper:
Over and over in the New Testament the writers stress that we were created and converted to be engaged relentlessly in a life of public good deeds. Indeed, Titus 1:14 says that Christ died to "purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." The term "good deeds" does not mean sitting at home watching wholesome videos instead of going out and watching dirty movies. Good deeds means designing ministries for caring for AIDS orphans in Africa, and feeding the malnourished, and housing the homeless, and teaching the illiterate and ignorant, and freeing the addicted and fighting crime and visiting the prisoner and befriending the lonely, laboring in the cause of protecting the unborn and relieving the crisis of unexpected pregnancies, and a thousand other visible ways of doing good to others in the name of Jesus (see Titus 2:7-8; 3:8; Hebrews 10:22; Matthew 5:16).
Larry,
ReplyDeleteThis really convicted me, especially when I realized that I can't do this. Being a true Christian seems impossible! Then I realized that Christ fulfilled all righteousness on the cross! Wow! The good works have already been done for me. Now, I feel like going out and loving my neighbor.
The only thing the law can do for me as a believer is humiliate me and drive me to the cross. Even if I could do these things perfectly, my heart wouldn't be right as I was doing them. However, when I look at the cross, loving my neighbor is an inevitable effect. What's sad, is that I used to look at a quote like this and make it a checklist, instead of looking to Christ in my sorrow over not doing these things and finding myself forgiven.
Will