the critical difference between "good works" and "works of the law"

[thinktank]

"Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works" walks hand in hand with Jesus saying, "I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was naked and you clothed me, enter into the joy of your Lord".

This is in accordance with the "new commandment" He gave- that we love one another.

Love is not perfected in keeping laws- but all the law is fulfilled in love, "no greater love has a man than to lay down his life for a friend".

In this renewed covenant in Christ, love is the horse and the commandments are the cart.

Even under the old covenant it was so- read Isaiah 58 again, or Psalm 51.

Love fulfills the law. Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law for all of us through "perfect love"-laying down His life for His friends. The requirements of the law are fulfilled in us as soon as we enter the covenant of His love.

"....against such, their is no law".

What did the deeds of the good Samaritan have to do with law? He did not know the law. Yet the Pharisee and the Levite, who knew, did not fulfill the law because they did not walk in love. The parable was told to explain to seekers how God judges and discerns the heart. As in Romans 1 & 2 where Paul explans that it is the doers of the law(the universal law of love) who are justified, not the hearers- so that those who did not "know" the law, but fulfilled it because the love of God was working in them as righteousness apart from written laws, written on their hearts will be justified in their own conscience before God on the Day. Peace, John

Great post 

"In this renewed covenant in Christ, love is the horse and the commandments are the cart."

Genius!

[Cardinal]

    Just wondering though....how come God brought the cart before the horse? 

[thinktank]

  Just wondering though....how come God brought the cart before the horse? 

lol I was a bit slow getting that. But here's a thought.

The cart was first because men tried to pull the commandments by their own strength, but then came the horse (love, Jesus) to pull the cart that men could not do by themselves.

[eaglesway]

The prophets kept pointing at the horse but the leaders and the people preferred the cart- immobile, under control and full of stuff that they loved, rather than full of the testimony of the "I AM".   Sorta like breaking the wings of the cherubim off of the ark of the covenant and cutting the "bud" off of Aarons rod. Sometimes I wonder if God didn t gather the sons of God together and Satan with them saying, "Look at my servant Israel- I gave him a horse drawn cart- see if you can talk him into killing the horse".

Just kidding of course, but this is a matter that you'll endorse, He's always on a steady course.

[Beloved Servant]

you're dating yourself eaglesway!

[eaglesway]

 

[Beloved Servant]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_PZPpWTRTU

[eaglesway]

THANKS BELOVED SERVANT! :o)

[Beloved Servant]

lol, my pleasure!

[shawn]

IMO, its all about motive.  Lawful works in my mind is works that come from the flesh.  Meaning we are completing good works so that God owes us one, or to earn Gods favor, or even out of fear of hell.  We are basically trying to earn our salvation through works.

I believe good works are works that come from a a natural out flowing of love and relationship with our Savior.  Christ fills us, and we can't help but to fill others.  True relationship changes the heart.  And from this state you can't but help to give, love, and serve.  It's as natural as the law of gravity.  You drop a rock and it falls.  Christ works on your heart and you serve others through good works.

[jugghead]

IMO, its all about motive.  Lawful works in my mind is works that come from the flesh.  Meaning we are completing good works so that God owes us one, or to earn Gods favor, or even out of fear of hell.  We are basically trying to earn our salvation through works.

I believe good works are works that come from a a natural out flowing of love and relationship with our Savior.  Christ fills us, and we can't help but to fill others.  True relationship changes the heart.  And from this state you can't but help to give, love, and serve.  It's as natural as the law of gravity.  You drop a rock and it falls.  Christ works on your heart and you serve others through good works.

I agree, if works are not done out of love or compassion for another then they are of the flesh. I also think that if we do works to even bring ourselves joy, we are doing them for profit. Good works are those that bring joy to another first, not us. We do them because we love them or have compassion for them (of which there is a fine line between compassion and feeling sorry for another).

I myself, when good works are done for another by me, it is not me who does the good work, it is God doing the good work through me,  my body is just the vessel He is working through, thereby He gets all the credit for them - HE GETS THE GLORY ..... not me .... and they may not know it, but when they are thanking me, they are thanking God who is in me.

[lomarah]

IMO, its all about motive.  Lawful works in my mind is works that come from the flesh.  Meaning we are completing good works so that God owes us one, or to earn Gods favor, or even out of fear of hell.  We are basically trying to earn our salvation through works.

I believe good works are works that come from a a natural out flowing of love and relationship with our Savior.  Christ fills us, and we can't help but to fill others.  True relationship changes the heart.  And from this state you can't but help to give, love, and serve.  It's as natural as the law of gravity.  You drop a rock and it falls.  Christ works on your heart and you serve others through good works.

I agree, if works are not done out of love or compassion for another then they are of the flesh. I also think that if we do works to even bring ourselves joy, we are doing them for profit. Good works are those that bring joy to another first, not us. We do them because we love them or have compassion for them (of which there is a fine line between compassion and feeling sorry for another).

I myself, when good works are done for another by me, it is not me who does the good work, it is God doing the good work through me,  my body is just the vessel He is working through, thereby He gets all the credit for them - HE GETS THE GLORY ..... not me .... and they may not know it, but when they are thanking me, they are thanking God who is in me.

I can say an amen to that! He is the One who has put His love in me. All love is from Him and when I truly love another I KNOW it's from Him. When He puts His love in you... you KNOW. And it's amazing! And I am so thankful for being able to be a vessel for His love!