Why Good Works appear in NT but not at all in the OT?

1 Cor 3:11-15 - 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Why Good Works appear in NT but not at all in the OT? - Stan's Question & his discussion:

People like to say that Christians like to do good works, but the prob is when Christians say that, they mean they must do gd works to satisfy God and please God... but actually God is not really concern abt ur good works. 

Judgement seat of Christ = Bhematos- reward where those who did well get their wreaves. Those who dun rank dun get shot to death, dun receive anything at all.

Whether your work is good or not is decided by God, even if it is not good works it does not get punished just no reward... ie wasted effort. (see verse 15)

But then you have to go back to 1 Cor 3:11 - no one can lay foundation under than on Christ. Your gd works are build on the foundation ofo Christ so you must be sure and assured that you are saved by grace through Christ. So you know that your good works are based on overflow of grace, not to justify or earn your merits. If your foundation is Christ, you wun feel it is a burden becoz not trying to earn your way.

V15- your salvation is already assured, so even what you do the fire burn away everything, you are still saved. Unscathed because foundation is Christ.

If you do good works expecting rewards and recompense - it is "wood" and "hay" already.

Some ppl worry that if they dun do gd works they will perish, but God says dun worry you wun perish. Gd works are not the foundation, Christ is the foundation.

What is the purpose for good works if it is not to gain you brownie points? -

See Matt 5:16 - In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Our good works show people what God is. It brings glory to God the Father in Heaven.

Your good works are not to glorify you but to glorify God!

See 1 Peter 2:12-

Conduct yourselves properly (honorably, righteously) among the Gentiles, so that, although they may slander you as evildoers, [yet] they may by witnessing your good deeds [come to] glorify God in the day of inspection [[a]when God shall look upon you wanderers as a pastor or shepherd looks over his flock].

Titus 3:7-8

so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

Our good works are to benefit fellow men and glorify God- He does not benefit in other way. When you offer to help someone, you benefit the person and glorifies God.

Good works are not just helping in missions or spiritual or religious works. Any work that benefits your fellow men is a good work. It is not just about praying for many hours.

Good works is not one off but a lifestyle. We maintain good works, not do one or two. Lifestyle because in Christ so the grace graces you to reach out to do all these things.

You don't purposely go and think about it, but it becomes a natural thing for you to do it.

It is also a FRUIT. The root and foundation is Christ and so good works is a fruit.

Titus 3:14

Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.

When you meet someone's needs = good works. The key verse is also "that they will not be unfruitful." So when you abide in Christ, the good works will come out.

Eph 2:10

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

We are created in Christ for good works.  We are saved FOR good works, not saved by good works.

Eph 2:8-9 says clearly that by grace we have been saved through faith, that it is not by works.

So if you look at the whole context, you are actually saved by grace, not by good works and for good works. 

You are predestined to walk in good works, because if you are plugged into the root of Christ, the fruit of good works will spring forth. 

If you dun see good works in a person, not fruitful and his root might not be in Christ. Or the root is there but haven't really caught hold of what it means to be in Christ.

If not built on Christ, the good works will crumble becoz dun see the reward.

When in Christ, you are not actively looking for reward but the reward comes by itself. And in fact when the reward comes, you will feel more paiseh haha.  

So good works = build on foundation of Christ, good works not built on Christ = dead works.

So always go back to the foundation, Christ.

A lot of Churches tell the people must do this and must do that, it becomes built on good works not foundation. They might make tithes, good works, missions into foundations instead of Christ. It becomes like building on sand. When we build on the foundation of Christ, we are building on Christ the rock and tithes, good works, missions are built on this rock. If you build sand on sand, it will all collapse.

Some churches preach imputed righteouness comes through Christ - starting point. Then after that you must work and built on it or else dun receive salvation =pp

There is no salvation process... Christ IS the salvation. The rest are fruits.

How about the guy hanging on the cross next to Jesus? He didnt have a chance to do good works. What about a Christian who accepts and dies? Remember the story of the master who hired people who work at different times of the day and all received the same reward. It is not about what you do, it is about what Jesus did.

All the other religions major core is also good works. This is the pride of men.

But this is not about our pride, it is about glorifying God.

Adam and Lucifer fell becoz they wanted to be like God.

In NT has the term sins not imputed, there is no term such as imputed righteousness. 

Some people seem to think do good works is to earn points for blessing. They are accumulating credits on their credit card. So they think they are accumulating credit so that later on when they need blessing, they will go "I did this and that what... so God how come never help me? He should what."

Why Pastor keeps repeating the same message? He is reminding us constantly that the foundation is Christ.

What the church should teach is not disciple-ship but son-ship. Jesus never said you become disciples by memorizing bible verses, doing works, doing missionary... This is what He said:

John 13:35- "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Good works make you pretty. 

1 Tim 2:8-10

For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.

When you adorn yourselves with good work, the beauty comes from inside out not just purely through dressing. It grows out from you.

Good works actually gives you favour esp with authorities -

Rom 13:3- For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

We dun do it to gain favour but when we do it, we have favour. 

We are meant to do good works. See 1 Tim 6:17-19...

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Eternal life = that you may know God --> not redemption itself. See the following in Jn 17:3-

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

You have to read in context and go back and see 1 Cor 3:11-15. We are to be rich in good works and not just material-wise in this present age.  

We dun trust in uncertain riches. If you are rich now, dun think in terms that you will be rich materially forever. For example those wealthy people who were recently cheated in the Madoff affair.

We are truly rich when we are rich in good works. When the money flows through you, it will flow back to you - milk and honey. We are blessed to be a blessing and we are rich (2 Cor 8:9).

When we do good works, we are making this statement that we are rich. 

The bible prepares us for good works. See 2 Tim 3:16-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

People mostly miss out that scriptures are meant for instruction in righteousness. So if you are not strong in the Word, you are fully prepared for good works. 

What we do is an extension of our identity in Christ and if we dun have the right understanding ie instruction in righteousness, we misunderstand what the purpose and intentions of good works are. Thus not thoroughly furnished for good works. You can still do good works but because not thoroughly furnished, you will burn out.

The problem is many churches use the Word to reproof and correct, but dun give the full instruction for righteousness.

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Heb 5:13 - Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

Milk is still from the bible but it is the bit on reproof, doctrine, etc. Easy to teach. Instructions in righteousness is solid food is harder to eat.  It is like going by steps- you need to see what grace is not, then you can better see what grace is. 

So why OT dun have good works?

In the OT, what God is doing is before his redemption plan. The first part of that plan is to set apart Israel. Notice how He tries to isolate  Israel from the gentiles. But contrast to the NT when the redemption plan starts and it is based on the church which began first in the Jews, then the gentiles were brought in.

See John 10:16- I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

In the OT, the Jewish nation had to be created first, and God's glory can be seen through God's own works (eg. parting of the Red Sea- Joshua 2:10-11 - "We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea [a] for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. [b] 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.")

Now in NT, the church's good works that show the non-believers God's goodness and glory.

Matt 5:16 - In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.