Why we do things matters. That is, what motivates us is known by God and is essential to our ability to do God’s will. What motivates you? An obligation to be seen to do right? Money? Service to a bossman or to rules and laws? Service to God to look right or earn good standing with God? Service to God through thankfulness for what Jesus did for us on the Cross? I think this passage tells us that we have to hold tight to our faith and freedom in Jesus Christ.
The Christian way, very much like the Abrahamic way, is to get right with God, first and foremost - and then to do right by God. The Mosaic way, very much like the Mohammedan way, is to do, act, and look right, to get right with God. Does it even matter? Yes, very much.
Each of us will stand before God one day and we will be judged for the good and evil we have done in this earthly body (2 Cor. 5:9-10). But everything is futile if you don’t know God and if you don’t have a new spiritual life. This passage tells us that the only way you can get life, real eternal life, is through belief in Jesus.
We know very well that the Bible teaches that it is our deeds that speak for our faith. You see that in the tail-end of Proverbs 31 where it says a woman’s deeds publicly declare her praise - it is what she does that matters - but first it is what she believes. We see the same thing in James chapter 2 when James uses the examples of Rahab and Abraham as those who believed in God and then put their faith into action.
That’s us. That’s children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. We care very much about our reputations and how we stand in the community and before God. But we do so out of reverent fear of God and in a mindset of thankfulness for God’s forgiveness and gift of new life.
We see in this passage that faith is accepting God’s promise that He will give us an inheritance in heaven based on what Jesus did. God promises. And, like Abraham, we take Him at His word.
God requires that we live this life out. In good deeds today and every day for Him. Here and now we must decide each day what to do with God’s promise. If you’ve fallen back, get up. Today’s a new day. Repent, ask Jesus for strength and determination, and put your faith into action.
We know that the law was given to show us our sinful nature. My sinful nature is crystal clear - it's strong and stubborn. But not too stubborn for the power of the Spirit of Christ. I can do all things through Christ. God designed his people (all people, men, women, Jews, and Greeks) to be people of faith in Christ. We receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. With God’s freedom, we are enabled to be motivated by thankfulness for God’s gift of life.
As we follow the way we are like the man in the early part of Proverbs 31 - we are not alcoholics or womanizers - that is the ruin of men. And we are like the woman in the later part of Proverbs 31 - we are active and alive with good deeds. We are capable and virtuous. We are trustworthy and industrious and we show by what we do that we care for the poor, we stand for those that can’t stand for themselves, and we let our actions speak for us.
In the Christian way, we serve God knowing that we have victory in Christ. We trust God’s promise.
Lord God, thank you for the opportunities you have for us to serve you. Thank you for your freedom to follow you today. Amen.
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