What must we do…? A sincere heart, does the sincere things it does, sincerely. It cannot help but do the thing it is led, prompted, to do, sincerely, naturally.
First: see and fear God “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Prov 9:10 (Pr; 1:7)
Next: Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:29
And then: live this out… sincerely, naturally, as a matter of the fact that you and I have been set apart by God for this very purpose - having been loved by God, we now know and love God and desire to make Him known to those we love that they may love Him Who loves, too...
Luke 3:7-15 John the Baptist’s answer to the sincerely repentant, if what they have professed to be so, as to how they should now live as a natural response to that repentant heart. (Matthew 5-7 Jesus’ parallel teaching to any and all who have followed Him and are not only sincerely repentant, but now, believing and following Him, born again, baptized not just with water, but the Spirit.)
Matthew 3:13-17 13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him, I am well pleased.”
This Spirit that anoints Jesus and declares the Father’s love, pleasure and intentions, is that same Spirit is now in us who believe.
Ephesians 1:13-14 “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
And, now, what must we do? Or, what do we get to do?
We now get to join Jesus in the good works of the kingdom.
Ephesians 2:10 “...we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works prepared in advance for us to do.”
What are those good works we are to do?
James 4:17 (Ja 1:19-27; 2:14-26: Prov 21:13) “...the one who sees and knows the good, the good work they should do and does not do it, sins.”
They have missed the target, to miss the mark. What is the target, what is that mark? To be like Jesus, to exercise the righteousness we have been given and made, to do good - the good works God has prepared for us and prompts us to do.
1John 3:17; (1Tim 6:17-18) “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
He’s not necessarily saying the love of God is not in them, but “how can it be that you have the love of God in you and not…?!” in essence “God, forbid that be so”
Luke 3:7-15 “what must we do…? Do this…” we do the things that we would naturally do - the things we do every day - we do as if we were doing it with and for Jesus - because - we are. The very things we do because that’s what we do, but now with God and others in mind, the sincere desire to bless others according to their need.
Matthew 5:14-16; 43-48 “Let your light, the advent of Jesus (in you), shine before men… Let them see your good works that they may glorify your Father in heaven (1Pe 2:12)
To whom? To all.
Matthew 5:7; Luke “Be merciful just as your heavenly Father is merciful”
14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor i and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Perfect: lacking nothing to completeness; mind and character of one who has reached their proper height of virtue and character (in an absolute sense, God) as respects understanding and goodness
Therefore God can say to us, being in us (Gal 5:22) and our being His workmanship (Eph 2), working in us (Rom 5; Eph 1) to will and desire His good purposes (Phil 2) and then indwelling and empowering us to do so - prompting us, enabling us to see and giving us both the example of compassion (having experienced His 2Co 1) and a heart of compassion, to be, in essence, “perfect, as He is perfect”, or “holy, as He is holy” (1Peter 3)
As it has been done to us, how we would want it done to us, now we are to go do… keeping “the royal law” (Mat 7:21; Ro 13:8; Ga 5:6; Ja 2:28)
Luke 6:27-38
27“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Remembering that in all of this, the good that we do is, the expression of the good that we are, having been made good in Jesus - we are truly being God’s workmanship, as God works in, on, and through us, to desire to accomplish His will and purposes, and that is to express Him and His love by doing the good works - of the kingdom - which He has graciously prepared in advance for us to have the privilege to do - of joining Him, our Father, in His doing (John 5:19; 14:10)
“So Jesus replied, "Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”
And so we now do the same - that we might shed light (back) on Him to bring Him glory. (John 14:12)
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
As Jesus pleased the Father, so we now please the Father, by the Son and the Spirit that resides in us. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
20Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
