God remembers.
I wish to empower people towards love and good works; or doing things ‘for God’ by reminding everyone that God sees and treasures our works. The good works that came out of you through grace didn’t just go unnoticed by Him. It didn’t just fly away into oblivion as what some voices would say.
I meet lot of brothers and sisters who have been demoralized from trying to live for Christ because of the belief that their works didn’t matter to God anymore. I feel it’s like a staff in the workplace who never received a good feedback for their hard work and sacrifice. Motivation will eventually fade away and hopelessness will reign from within.
The issues of doubting the worth of our ‘good works’, have stemmed from weird and non-Biblical teachings. You may have encountered some of them before:
Weird Teaching #1: What we do no longer matters
These people keep emphasizing that salvation is by faith and not by works. Our good works therefore don’t mean anything but are only there to satisfy our pride. While I totally agree with the doctrine of salvation by faith and by faith alone (Sola Fide); like the apostle James, I’m speaking about living a healthy and effective Christian life here on Earth. I am not speaking about working for our salvation. It’s just like people who come for Christian Counselling, it is rarely about obtaining salvation but about improving their quality of life so that they can glorify God in their own ways through the fulfillment of their calling.
Weird Teaching #2: God is surrounded by millions of powerful angels, what makes you think He needs your help?
We serve God not because He “needs” us but simply because He told us to. This is the spirit of obedience and even of faith that work in us making us feel satisfied for simply following Him and His word. Serving The Lord has nothing to do with catering to His needs, as If The Almighty will ever have any. As a loving Father, He wants us involved in His work. Just like I love my daughter and I enjoy it when she prepares breakfast with me. My daughter knows well that her papa can do everything faster and better without her; but she comes and obey anyway knowing that she will be enjoying her time with her father. It’s the same way with Christians and doing God’s work alongside with The Lord Jesus Christ. Doing things for God has nothing to do with ‘helping Him’.
Weird Teaching #3: Your good works are not worthy to cover up your sins, they are worth nothing to God.
Again, this has nothing to do about salvation. As Christians we do good works; we love one another simply because it is pleasurable to do so. I would even go as far as saying that good works are logical and beneficial for everyone! The only camp that doesn’t want us doing good is God’s enemy! So, don’t let these negative voices discourage you from doing things for God.
The Bible is very clear in showing the truth that God is all knowing and He knows what we have been up to – especially those that are meant to honour His Son:
The Book of Remembrance
Do you know that there are literal books in Heaven? There’s The Book of Life (Revelations 20:12) and there’s also The Book of The Lamb (Revelations 13:8). I believe that The Bible itself will still be found in Heaven as it is the eternal word of God. Another curious book mentioned is The Book of Remembrance found in Malachi 3:16-18. It is a book that bears record to all the good deeds of the righteous; even for the times spent thinking about The Lord.
The Book of Remembrance was illustrated in the story of Mordecai (Esther 6:1). It was in this book of records where the king remembered what Mordecai did for him. Mordecai thwarted an assassination attempt on the king and this act, although forgotten for a while, remained in the book of records which was brought back to the memory of the king. This seemingly little act led not just to the sparing of Mordecai’s life, but also to the salvation of the Jewish nation. All these happened because of a small kind act he did for the king. And the king remembered.
Doing small kind acts in the name of God doesn’t go unnoticed in Heaven. In Matthew 25, The Lord Jesus Christ Himself would say to the righteous:
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:40
This verse gives me chills. For it shows that God doesn’t just see what we do. No, Jesus Christ is saying that whatever we do directly involves Him! How can people say that what we do is not important to God?!
Nathanael didn’t believe Jesus as The Messiah until The Lord told him: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (John 1:48) Everyone who has prayed or even says “hi” to Jesus, I want you to know that He sees you.
The smallest of things we do for The Lord are recorded and are remembered. The good that you do for Jesus Christ is never put to waste. Keep this truth in mind to empower you and give you hope: you are glorifying The King.
Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9
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