A lot of ink has been spilled and much talk spent in religious circles about doing good deeds. In fact, many people assume that “doing good” is what religion is all about. Jesus turned that notion upside down during His earthly ministry. And He made it clear that there is only one reason to do good deeds: to give praise and glory to God.
When Jesus is the center of our being, the light of His life shines brightly, and we will automatically be doing good deeds. The disciples closely watched Jesus for three years. They saw, as we can see, that good deeds do not earn Jesus’ favor. Rather, good deeds are a grateful response for all He’s done for us. We are “eager to do good” (see Titus 2:14) because He has redeemed us.
A pastor friend in Africa invited a neighbor to church many times, but the man always said no. One afternoon the pastor saw the neighbor painting his house. He changed clothes, got a brush, and began painting alongside him. The following Sunday the neighbor showed up in church with his family and gave his life to Christ. Let your good deeds like this bring praise to the Father.