Be Doers of God’s Law

OUR KEY VERSE SERVES as a guiding beacon in Christian life. The Gospel message brought to light the grace of God toward us. His grace is generous—more than we deserve. However, this grace is not an end in itself. It is a door of opportunity opening to the pathways of righteousness. Walking in the way of Christ is not justification alone, but as our Key Verse states, it is being “doers” of the will of God. In doing God’s will we mature in faith and bring forth spiritual fruit. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. … Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.”—II Cor. 9:8,10, New King James Version

An oft repeated theme in the Apostle Paul’s ministry is that none will be justified by works of the law. This has frequently been misunderstood by Christians in saying, “None will be justified by works.” This has contributed to a misunderstanding. It is the works of the law of Moses that will not, and cannot, justify us. However, being justified by faith in Christ and his shed blood, works will come forth. This is the fruit-bearing Jesus spoke of in the Gospel of John, and it is an evidence of our union with Christ and the working of his spirit within us. “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”—John 15:8, ESV

Faith is manifested in actions. Paul acknowledged this Christian ethic in I Corinthians 15:10. “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” (ESV) Paul clearly understood the purpose of God’s grace in justifying us. Being justified by grace makes our works of faith acceptable, even when they are inevitably stained by our human sinfulness and frailty.

James affirmed the relationship between our justification by faith and the consequent works that accompany it. “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?”—James 2:17-20, NKJV

Living a life consistent with faith is of vital consequence. Our works of faith may be evident in public, but they are just as important, perhaps more, in private. One true measure of someone’s character is their conduct when no one else is around. What do they explore on television or the internet? What do they post on social media? How do they treat their spouse, children, or parents when behind closed doors? Let us not merely be hearers the Word of God, but faithful doers in all things. “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”—James 1:22, NKJV