God from the very beginning of time outlined a plan – a destiny – for everyone of us.  He says in Isaiah that He knew us before we were even in our mother’s womb.  Each one of us has a destiny.  We have been created for good works.  

Today I want to talk about those works.

If you didn’t catch last weeks post, here it is. We talked about overcoming temptation.

Our Text 

10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

Romans 2:10 KJV

Good Works

Each one of us was created for God to be used by God.  We were created for good works.

Ephesians 2:10 KJV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

That word good is the word agathos.  It is the most generic word for good in the Greek and it means, “what originates from God and is empowered by Him in their life through faith.”  In other words, God created us to perform works that originate from God. 

This is important because when we understand this we realize that our own “good works” can never get us to heaven.  God didn’t create us to do things our own way.  

It’s not enough for each of us to do our own version of “good” works.  It is only when we surrender to what God is telling us to do that we will find true glory, honor, and peace.  

“Good” works won’t get you to heaven.

Let’s backup two verse in Ephesians and see what I am saying.  

Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 See we were created to do good works (works that God predestined – aka planned – for us to do), but we can only be equipped to perform them after we are saved.  

We don’t get saved BY our good works, but when we GET saved, GOOD WORKS FOLLOW.

That’s the point. 

What happens when we obey?

With God, good things always happen to those who will obey what His Word says.  This is no different.  When we listen to His leadership and spirit and do what God tells us to do we can expect a 3 fold blessing: glory, honor and peace. 

Glory (Doxa)

Glory or “honor, renown; divine quality, unspoken manifestation of God” follows those who will do God’s commands.  This glory is defined in the Greek as “heavenly perfection”.  When we do what God tells us to do we renew our minds to God’s word and become transformed (Romans 12:2).  

Are we sprouting wings and halos?  No.  But in the spirit realm we are perfect because of Jesus.  The more we do the good works God has lined out for us to accomplish here on earth, the more we will start to look like Him. 

Honor (Time´) 

Honor or “value in the eyes of the beholder” also comes on you.  

Peace (Eirene)

“Exempt from the rage and havoc of war”.  There is a peace that is sweet when we do what God has told us to do. When you have truly stepped up and done everything you know to do as best as you can to please God, there is a peace that comes along with that.  

God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, and it starts with our actions.