Hi John,
I feel like I had one of those “aha” moments when you were preaching tonight about works. It wasn’t that I didn’t already know it was true, but something about what you said tonight made it sink in deeper. I love it when Jesus gives us a better understanding of something.
You were talking about how, when Paul said, “…not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:9), he was speaking of ceremonial works. And then you said that the works we have to do are good works, the will of God. That was so good to me! Good works are not any one particular thing, or kind of things, like helping your neighbor, or doing a good deed for someone, or whatever. Any time you listen to the Spirit and obey, you are doing a good work! Any place in the Bible that refers to doing good works (i.e. James 2:24), you could replace with “doing the will of God”. Good works = doing the will of God. I love that!
Vince