Thought of the Day 06.23.10

Just how important are good deeds to a normal Christian life? In answering this question, some people make the mistake of saying that good deeds save you, while others make the opposite mistake of saying good deeds are irrelevant. So, what’s the right answer?

In one of the shortest books of the New Testament, the Apostle Paul clearly affirms to Titus that we are saved according to God’s mercy and not on the basis of our deeds (3:5). But he also emphatically reminds Titus no less than six times about the importance of doing good deeds (1:16 by contrast, 2:7, 2;14, 3;1, 3:8, and 3:14). He even implies that God’s reason for saving us is so we can do good deeds (1:16, 3:14).

But why would Paul feel the need to repeat himself so often about this in such a short letter? Precisely because he realizes that the most natural error in Christianity after understanding the Gospel’s offer of free grace is to then think that it doesn’t matter what we do with that gift. And if the “apostle of grace” thought such emphasis on good works was necessary to avoid that error, perhaps we should listen to him.