The more I become like Christ in virtue, the more I become like Him in deeds. When we look at the parable of the Good Samaritan, we cannot ignore the direct connection Jesus makes between doing good deeds and eternal life. This is not to say eternal life is earned through good deeds. We know salvation is by grace alone. However, Jesus’ teachings and those of Paul (as examined last week in Matthew 16 and Romans 2) warn us to not forget that our good deeds will be judged. And in our message tonight, as we further examine the parable of the Good Samaritan, we see that our station in life, our apparent religiosity, or any other outward appearance is no substitute for good deeds. As human beings we carry this intuitive sense that goodness measured by deeds matters, even when our depravity makes those good deeds seem impossibly beyond our reach. We in turn desperately clamor for Jesus or anyone us to tell us what we must do and what we must avoid. But Jesus resisted those demands, only sparingly telling people what to do. Jesus’ aim is not memorization that results in programatic compliance. Jesus promises transformation. When we make a vow of devotion to Jesus and are born into the family of God, we begin the lifelong journey of a cooperative effort with the Holy Spirit of becoming like Christ in character. This is one of the central aims of our church, to help guide people in their efforts to become like Christ, believing that a virtuous heart produces Godly deeds. Every good deed assigned to each of us this side of Heaven is the inevitable outcome of a virtuous heart! And in this message we introduce how we believe every person can be strategic in our their efforts to work with the Holy Spirit in becoming a virtuous person.
by City Life