Not all concepts land in the controversial pile of modern Christianity’s slump. Some ideas, although rare, can be agreeable. For example, we hope that the encouragement for good works is something that would cause all Christians to nod their noggins. Sure, some Twitter Theologians cooped up in their firewall of isolation would find qualifications to argue about. Some people can’t leave an opportunity for disagreement on the table. But I do believe that even the contrarians among us would eventually cede to an unqualified point that good works are good things. Christians are called by our Lord to shine our light in such a way that others would see our good works and glorify God. Apostle Paul, you know, that one, explains that we are created and saved for good works. A crucial aspect of a Christian’s purpose on this planet is to do good. Liberals would fundamentally agree, and Fundamentalists would liberally approve.
However, scrounging about in this zoo of ours is never boring. Even though Christians agree that we ought to have good works, the agreement ends as soon as we try to actually have some. What are we allowed to board in this house of “good works”? What rooms are in this hall? Sharing a house with other families is not as congenial of a time as at first might seem. Definitions matter. The words we use, and what they mean, impact how we live. Meaning is our battlefront. It’s at that level that our lives demand clarity – clear thoughts, formed into clear words, and hardened into clear living. Hence, we write.
So, what is allowed under the heading of “Good Works?” Mediating the answer to this question, is not, of course, an unbiased task for the referee of this Octagon. I can call out foul play when I see it. But in this match, everyone is in. If I see an opportunity to add some weight to the side I think should win, I may not be able to help myself. I’ll probably tell you what I think.
Some Christians include more than they ought to in the category of good works, while others don’t include enough. This distinction is not drawn cleanly down the middle between liberals and fundamentalists with a snap-to-place line. It’s more of a free-form drawing, with swirls, arcs, and loops encircling Christians from different backgrounds. In the group throwing all sorts of trash in our treasure chest would be those who try to make a Christian justification to support Cultural Marxism, Critical Theory, and bringing “gay culture treasures” into the New Jerusalem. Attempting to justify socialism, or social justice – or nearly any dogma beginning with some form of the word “social – on the basis of Christian good works would be identifying things as good which Christ identifies as evil. That’s probably not a very good thing to do.
However, limiting good works to categories that Christ does not limit them to is equally not a good work. Calling evil, good, and good, evil is evil, not good. Actually, to some extent, the latter sin feeds the first. The effort of limiting our understanding of good works to a narrow interpretation has led others to hyperextend it. When the people are oppressed, revolts arise. If the leash is too tight, the beast breaks out. If you corner a tiger, well, enough with that. My point is that because Christian leaders in the modern west have placed unbiblical restrictions on good works, social justice ideologies have corrupted the church. So, it’s this aspect of limiting good works to categories that Christ does not, that the remainder of my words will be limited to.
The idea of good works seems simple enough. But when you start pressing in for definitions, people’s lives start to make more sense. Ironically, good works – a word that is associated with doing things – have been limited to spiritual connotations. There are two categories that encompass the kind of good works that claim to generate a heavenly return on our investment: evangelism and ethics.
Because sin has corrupted our lives under the sun, we are told our time is to be spent with our minds above it. Having your head in the clouds is not going high enough. We are to live with our minds in the spiritual realm, even if our bodies are still meandering in the physical one. But we can redeem our material exasperation if we make it a means to get other people’s minds above the clouds. Evangelism, we’ve been taught, is the end for which we ought to interact with other people. Evangelism is the ultimate good work – the bombshell, the mic-drop, the winning touchdown. Missions is our mission. If converting people affects eternity, then isn’t that the most important work we can be doing? And if you’re not doing what’s most important, you’re risking opportunity cost. You’re wasting your life. Don’t waste it. Just don’t.
Some people aren’t very comfortable with evangelistic efforts, though. They’re probably just weak Christians. But we’re supposed to help the weak. So, the other way we can have good works is if we simply demonstrate our ethics. Ethical behavior is the way to shine our light. We don’t lie, we don’t cheat, we don’t curse. Just follow the 2 Stone Tablets and you’ll be okay. Sure, the more mature are on the front-line with their evangelism, but Christian ethics is a part of our commissioning. We’re told to teach them to obey all that Christ has said. Demonstrating our morality is a proper use of time. It’s not five talents. But it’s two. Or is it one? Should we bury it?
Limiting our good works to evangelism and ethics has caused a few generations of believers to pull out of the world. It’s like they’ve been raptured prematurely. Their bodies are here, but their souls are not. They meander like purposeless zombies, not knowing where and how to actuate themselves. Men work at their jobs all day and feel meaningless. Women think raising kids and making homes is minor league. Food is tasteless – used simply as a means for sustaining this life without a soul. There’s no use in cultivating competence in your craft or excelling at your endeavors. No wonder Christian movie productions are so weak. Who even cares about good screenwriting? Our feasts are lame. Our grief is mediocre. Our art – boring. Our science – flimsy. Our love – weak. Our hate – immature. We’re dualistically flippant.
Even Christians who’ve had great results in “worldly” endeavors feel a sort of guilt associated with it, and try to go “from success to significance.” As if the entire time they spent excelling at their endeavors was a waste, because it was focused on the material world. It’s no wonder so many Christians get lured into Marxist ideologies, promoting a “Social Gospel”, and trying to redeem themselves with pseudo-philanthropic activism.
I can see how my words might come across as arrogant, antagonistic, or discontent. For what it’s worth, I hope to have my gravestone engraved with the words, “I was holding back.” I am most definitely thankful for the Christian efforts over the last century. We have had many faithful brothers and sisters fighting the good fight, and still do today. I am a recipient of much undeserved blessings due to the good works of other people. I love the Church. And, I do believe that much of our light has been hidden under a basket. Our salt has grown flavorless, and so our good works are impotent.
Our good works have been limited to spiritual ends because our understanding of the Lordship of Christ is limited to spiritual realms. Evangelism and ethics are most definitely good works. We should be promoting and encouraging more of them. However, Christ is not Lord only of the spiritual realm. Christ is Lord over every dust particle on my keyboard, and every word I compose. His Lordship involves both his interest and dominion. He cares about all of it, and requires its submission. And – here’s the thing – His care for this material world is unmediated. It’s direct. He delights in an inhabited world, period, stop. God loves a heavy world full of good things.
The way to fill up the world with good things is through our good works. Our work is not good only if we qualify it with opportunities for evangelism or ethics. Material reality is not a means to a spiritual end. The end of all things is the eternally, incarnate Christ – the One with visible marks of the nails in His hands and feet. The end we are after is a material one, as is the world we minister in. We dig a hole in the ground He created in order to erect a fence to be a good neighbor, and praise the Good Lord. We clean up our 2-year-old’s pooping accident for the third time today to bless her, and praise the Good Lord. We cultivate our competence and excel in our execution, working towards filling up God’s world with our good works, and praise the Good Lord. Our life is to be lived with our soul intact.
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