Day 213

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.