To do good works and walk in them is God’s will for us. God has created us in Messiah to do good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. Our doing is God being through us, to will and to work for His good pleasure; One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all. Messiah Jesus is the true vine, we are the fruit bearing branches in Him.
Do good works and walk in them For we are his workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
Our doing is God being through us So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13
One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know Messiah’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Messiah Yeshua to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21.
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one immersion, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all. But to each one of us, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Messiah. Ephesians 4:1-7
Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Yeshua, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Yeshua the Messiah, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
Messiah Jesus is the true vine, we are the branches in Him “I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.
That you bear much fruit “In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples. Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.
I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:1-16
Good works involve the doer and receiver in one another relationship. When we walk worth of the Lord, we personally do for one another in our homes and among the community of our King, Messiah Jesus.
“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”He stretched out his hand toward his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Jesus Matthew 12:48-50
The natural setting for good works is where one another participation thrives primarily in our own family. It spreads among fellow followers of Messiah in small group settings, especially around our communion table in our homes and includes the least among us: the unnoticed, the unwanted, the hurting, the poor, those in need … Messiah has each of us sharing His love. He provides one another love to His body through every part working to fulfill its function. This informal interpersonal sharing is ministry of the first order.
Anytime we do anything motivated by God’s love, we are doing a good work.
The good works in which God planned for us to live are prompted by the Holy Spirit and motivated by agape love. We feel the tug of divine love prompting us to share God’s kindness, righteousness, and justice (Jer 9:24). The life flow of the Vine motivates and empowers us to bear much fruit. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit wells up within us. God’s nature and His power helps us love and be loved in word and in deed. Jesus helps us be fruitful branches of the Vine—faithful, humble, kind, courteous, hospitable, forgiving, and helpful—life sharing fruit bearers. Thus, we do the spiritually motivated and empowered good works of the kingdom and walk in them.
A husband loving and nurturing his wife and children is doing good work. Protecting and providing for one’s own family is good work. Raising children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is good work. A wife respecting her husband is doing a good work. A mother loving and nurturing her children does much good work. Her love takes the sting out of the hurts and wounds of this world; whether it is a child’s owie or hurt feelings, an adolescent’s meltdown or an adult’s heartache. Children obeying their parents are doing good works. Harmonious and helpful relationships with our brothers and sisters in the Lord are good works that thrive in the body of Messiah Jesus that He builds.
Good works are inherent in the nurture, fellowship and kinship God our Father blesses us with in the kingdom of His Son (Col 1:9-14). Serving God by loving one another fulfills our deepest longings to be loved and to be useful and productive in the noble things of eternal importance. We get to live and walk in the mutually supportive environment of good works that is created as we stay in Jesus’ love and bear fruit.
Now our Lord Yeshua the Messiah himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17