Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Psalm 119:153-160 draws a sharp distinction. Those who hear and obey God’s Word are the good people. They are specially blessed by God. On the other hand, those who do not keep God’s commands are counted as evil.
The conflict between good and evil is a difficult idea in today’s world. Increasingly we are aware of the complex interactions between good and evil. We may even doubt that we can identify what is good or what is evil. It frequently gets pulled into a sort of radically individualistic morality which is not evaluated in concrete terms.
Over against the individualism rampant in our world, there are those who would portray morality as an adherence to a number of civil codes which could easily be checked off on a list. Don’t drink, don’t smoke, avoid dancing at all costs, etc. This is more of a behavioral code than a moral code. It says nothing about ethics. It speaks only to actions.
How do we do the works of God? In John 6:29 Jesus says the work of God is to believe on God the Son. It’s as simple as that. Through the lens of salvation by grace through faith the work of God, believing on Jesus, brings forgiveness and restoration to fellowship with God. This is decidedly good. However, it defies measurement.
As we strive to obey God’s commands, then, we look immediately and primarily to his call to believe Jesus. Since that is not measurable, we see if our lives then reflect the kind of ethic and even the kind of behavior that Jesus showed. We pattern our lives, as much as we are able, on the life of Christ. This serves as an encouragement to our neighbor as well. Through Christians acting Christianly, the world an come to know what Jesus is like.
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