| Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
16 Let your light so shine before men, that th ey may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
On the contrary to many believer's today, the grace of God should fuel our passion to serve Him so that we may honor our Lord in all that we do. It's obvious to me that the gospel is a visual and tangible lifestyle that others can witness through our good works. There has been much weighed in on the subject of getting into works or religious acts that many now tend to shy completely away from good works altogether. It has become a message of "Thank God! He has my back covered," rather than obeying that unction of "doing" unto others from that divine inspiration. Let's consider this statement from God's word: Colossians 3:23 (KJV)
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.
As we can see from this passage that good works are not to be avoided in fear of getting into some religious practice. Rather we are to consistently do them from a right heart and with the right motives, so as to bear fruit as a testament unto the Father who dwells in us. In fact, Scripture teaches that we were created unto good works (Ephesians 2:15). Therefore, to neglect our service to the Lord by failing to be the extension of His body to the world would be to completely deny or oppose the very Word of God from which you and I are established. I have been recently studying the book of Revelation and landed on a consistent point that the seven churches were all instructed to take note of; that of course was "to them who overcome, that He (Jesus) would grant them a certain blessing." If grace was the all inclusive covering that exempts our responsibility to do the things which our Lord commanded us; then the resurrected Jesus Christ would have not added this important point to each of the churches because everything would be considered "finished" with nothing more left to do. Why would someone think like this? Because they interpret grace to say that Christ did everything for us already through the finished work of the cross. But is that really the truth? I doubt the early church saw it this way at all. In fact, they were willing to constantly lay their lives down for the love of the Lord and their brethren and did not even consider themselves even unto death. Have we not been commanded to take up our cross and follow Him as well? Does our Lord's Word not say that we are more than conquerors? I believe "Grace" is the enabler for us to "act" and to "be" what He has declared we are! Agape love is an impartation that embodies that "Grace" in each believer that we may be able to do whatever good works may be necessary. If we read the book of James (2:17-18) we will find that even works without faith amounts to little no matter how much one would try to convince others of how much faith they had. Works is a by-product that identifies what kind of person you and I really are. In other words, make the tree good or bad. If you remember reading in your bible that it was John the baptist who commanded the religious leaders who had come out to hear him and after he had ripped into them pretty good, he commanded them to go and bring back fruit of their sincere repentance (Matthew 3:7-8). In other words, they were to bring back some outward evidence to their real repentance. Grace is the enabler in each one of us that we may accomplish the same works that Jesus Christ did and even greater works if we would be willing to deny ourselves and follow in His steps. Jesus was continually going about doing the good works of His Father, and so should we as His followers. What we shouldn't do: is measure our value based on these good works. To do so is to enter upon the idea of self-promotion of God's goodness as being our own to which we think earns us favor with Him because we are being so good; but rather, we are to identify that there is only one who is good, and that is the Father within...who through you and me touches people by the things He is allowed to do through us for them. Don't be afraid to shine forth the glory of that holy "Grace" that dwells in you. No one puts a candle under a basket, but rather places it where it can give light to all. We are in a "revealing" family that demonstrates through much divine activity. Therefore, good works in a believer ought to be as natural as breathing and common as anything considered to be an activity witnessed of Jesus Christ when He walked this earth. We are of a divine nature which should be actively involved with reconciling all things unto our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18). We bear the Light of (Grace) within, therefore how can the people of this world benefit from that Light, if its good works are never seen for favor of an introverted grace that has become someone's own personal possession to which they never want to share? Matthew 10:8 tells us that what we have freely received, that we are to freely give it away. That is the Christian way of life, my dear friends! Matthew 4:16 (KJV)
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. | 
