Never shun good deeds
Key Verses: 3, 5, 9, 14
When
Christ is in charge of our lives, some things get surrendered. It is like when
we go through an international border and pass through customs. Some things
can’t go through; you must leave them at the border or you can’t come into the
new country. Some things are incompatible with the Christian life. They aren’t
requirements to get in, grace is what gets us in, but grace washes and renews
us. Grace gives us the strength to leave some things at the border.
So what
does this mean in practical terms? Jesus loves us enough to change us. Jesus
loves us enough to work the dysfunction out of our lives. We have eternal life;
now we need to live like we do. We are citizens of heaven; now we need to
incorporate our new citizenship into our daily routine. As Paul says other
places, we must put off the old man and put on the new man. We must devote
ourselves to doing what is good.
To carry
the customs image a little further, we declare what we have at the border. We
confess our sin as part of our entry into the Kingdom. Some people spend a long
time at the border and some move quickly through customs. For some it can take
months, or even a few years, to really come clean with God and others.
Remember, they are still standing in the new country when they are at the
customs station. They don’t get to enjoy all the benefits that come, but they
are still standing on Kingdom soil. When we don’t come clean, we are the ones
who suffer. Confession really is good for the soul.
One of
the things that Paul warned his young son-in-the-faith about was getting
sidetracked with arguments about theological non-essentials. Some people major
on minors, and minor on majors. They spend all their energy figuring out
something that really doesn’t matter, and then they are bound to defend and
justify their expenditure of energy. Some people today get wrapped around
Jewish roots of our faith, and that Jewishness becomes what is important rather
than Christ. Others carry the “once saved always saved” banner to the exclusion
of all other Truth. Or maybe “King James only”, or the “Baptist” banner. Put
them all down and center on Jesus crucified and resurrected. Do those things
matter? Yes, about as much as the color of the border guard’s eyes.
When
someone becomes divisive, always wrapped up in arguments, Paul says we should
take steps to correct them. We don’t try to correct their theology, but warn
them about their divisiveness. After two failed attempts we cut them off. Paul
says to have nothing to do with them. It is almost like we treat them as if
they are still at the border crossing, as if they never properly entered the
Kingdom. That is because being divisive is incompatible with the Christian
life.
Walk away
from such arguments, and those people who continually argue about non-essential
matters. Warn them, and then walk. We don’t want to be unproductive. Let’s not
argue about whether planting seed with your right hand or lift hand is correct.
Plant the seed! Get on with God’s work. Make a difference. Do what God has
called you to do.
Doing
good will provide for those with urgent needs, the poor, widows and orphans,
and cause us to be productive. We won’t be focused on ourselves. We will focus
on the Lord and on the needs of others.