Do Gooders

Warning: Below I am challenging concepts and not saying that I do not believe in good works as believers. I am just challenging the way it is currently being used and why. As James tells us, works without faith is dead, so good works are important, but to what end is the question.

Romans 10:14-17,“But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How welcome are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things! But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”

Lately, just about every new book coming out in the Christian market and the new wave for Americans to attack Christians, even within the Christian circle, is to say that Christians need to do more good. When we do “good” then people will see it and come and ask us about our faith and then we can tell them.

There is a couple of problems with the people that I tend to hear this from today, and the books I tend to read it in, and that is most cannot tell someone why they believe what they believe and they have their own opinion of what good is. They keep saying Christians need to be good, but never support it with Scripture as to what they mean by good. There are plenty of Scriptures talking about good.

Good means one thing to some and something else to another. The Bible tells us to take care of the poor widows, and our brothers and sisters who are Christians. But most of the people who tell Christians to be good do not do this, and in my opinion many times just making excuses as to why not to be involved with the church. Which is another problem with most of the complainers, they are not involved themselves. They sit on the couch and complain, yet are not involved in doing good, whatever that is in their mind.

Is it good to save babies from death by abortion? Then why do people who say to do good vote for people who are “pro-abortion (death)” and not those who are “pro-life?” How well do the same people follow the Christian ethic below that say Christians should be doing good, or what is defined as good in the above verse? Is it good to let sex offenders out of jail, even though they showed no desire to change? Should adult stores be allowed to be by schools? Would that be good? Well, a very popular candidate wants to allow all the above and voted for such. This candidate is supported by Christians, and for the life of me I cannot understand why. They speak one thing and do completely another. There is a word for this. . . .Hypocrite.

Good to most of the people that keep talking about it seems to be just an excuse to not do anything with their faith. It is an excuse to sit on the couch and complain, because from what I have seen is that the ones complaining about this are no better, and sometimes worse then those they are complaining about. Like the old saying goes, “He that doth protest too much.” My last question is this: Those of you that talk so much about doing good first to show your faith, how many people have you told about the salvation of Christ through repentance of sin and accepting Him as Savior and Lord?

Romans 12:9-21, “Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written:

Vengeance belongs to Me;
I will repay, says the Lord. But
If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”

What is the ultimate good but Christ and the salvation He offers us? Not to tell someone about Christ when you know they do not them could be the ultimate evil there is. How do you know you will have another chance? It is not deeds or things, but Christ. One cannot even talk about the good without first knowing the Good through His Word.

Here are some verses for thought about good:

Psalm 119:17, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn Your statutes.”

Gal. 6:12-14, “2Those who want to make a good showing in the flesh are the ones who would compel you to be circumcised—but only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even the circumcised don’t keep the law themselves; however, they want you to be circumcised in order to boast about your flesh. But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

Titus 3:4-5, “But when the goodness and love for man appeared from God our Savior, He saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

Again, I believe we should be doing good according to Scripture, but that we need not brag about it and just do it. Ultimately it should not be for us to boast, but to lead others to the ultimate Good, Jesus Christ. Otherwise it is robbing them of eternity and then becomes evil. What is doing good to others knowing they are on the highway to hell?

Do good, but preach the Word. Do not neglect one for the other.