Iwona The Bible says a lot about works. We, as spirit-born people, often approach the question of deeds with some suspicion, seeing a lot of work in them. I always turn on the red light, when I hear that someone will have a „good deed” or that someone else is doing a lot of good. Since I’m with Jesus, I don’t look at good things like that – first, I don’t know what motivation a person had. Only God knows it – I don’t know the heart of man. So I don’t know if his actions expressed the LIVING God or were … dead.
The Bible also has many examples of bad intentions – for example, doing good things for show.
Secondly, I do not know if this „good” thing was to be done at that time, place and by this man. Perhaps, when I was just spending the fifth hour on „relationship with God,” He wanted me to pay attention to my husband or feed my pets? It could have been an activity (deed) according to His heart. Theoretically, I did not do anything wrong, but I did something according to my own idea – something that was not needed at that time – instead, I was more needed elsewhere, in other circumstances God wanted to exist through me.
I remember the day I stopped celebrating Shabbat – what I did for 7 years. I just stopped feeling it, I wouldn’t be honest with God. But I brought this matter to His throne. And He solved it in a wonderful way.
Is tithe given out of a sense of duty, fear of a lack of God’s blessing, or is it a good, bad, living or dead deed for people’s favor? Guided by God’s heart, it must be recognized that a dead deed is simply a wrong deed. And even if it is not a sin, it is a body deed.
The old covenant is full of deeds of the flesh where quantity counted. The New Covenant is quality and love. Let us be honest with ourselves today – it will free us to truly serve God, to focus on His goals, His desires.
If you have a problem with this, you can always ask God – the best cardiologist – to give you the right motivation.
Let our most important prayer today be: God, examine my heart.
