This past week we looked at being salt and light for the world. Jesus said that we are to live our lives in such a way to where people see our "good" works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Of course, we brought up that "good" used here in Matthew is the Greek word Kala. There is another Greek word that is used for "good" and it is agathos. The former word stands for "attractive." For example, Cheri my wife is kala! But the latter word, agathos, is used for good content (i.e. that book I just read is very agathos). So Jesus is not saying we are to just have "good content works." Afterall, many people in the world have and live "good" lives. In fact, we might even say that many religious people live "good" or agathos lives. They got the agathos gig going. Jesus is saying that His followers have much more. He is saying that we have works that are "attractive."

 Now the question is "what exactly makes the followers of Jesus works attractive, different, and beautiful?"

 I want to suggest that the ultimate reason is the Gospel of Grace. Jesus, even in the Sermon on the Mount, blesses before He commands. I think when we are operating out of His grace and as a result of His life in us our works are very different and for very different reasons then the good works of the world. The world does "good works" because it is "practical". No problem there on my end. I love people who are "good people." I would rather play golf with a "good person" than a "bad person." But performance and works as the result of relationship and grace is a very different story. There is a different feel, emphasis.... attractiveness! I am talking about something that is far more dynamic, timeless, even transcedent!

 Martin Luther summed up the Gospel, which is the key to understanding "attractive" works due to the Gospel. I want to paraphrase him. He said the Gospel is not "I obey to be accepted" -- we might call that agathos obedience. He said that the Gospel is "I'm accepted, therefore I obey" -- we call that kala obedience. The false gospel listed above tries to glorify self (read Matthew 6:1-4; the Pharisees are obeying to be seen, to be accepted... I guess they thought that if people were impressed with them then God would be impressed). But the true Gospel of Grace always glorifies the Father because people see that our good works are not really our own, but rooted, founded, and resulting in the grace, love, and freedom that Jesus has brought to our formerly broken hearts of sin. And even if they don't comprehend what they are seeing... they will "feel" a difference; they will note that there is a goodness about the followers of Jesus that is different then the usual "good works" they see. (this would be a good place to read 1 Peter 1:11-12; Philippians 2:12-18; both of these passages are amazing parallels to Matthew 5:16).

The Sermon on the Mount is the greatest text for the doctrine of santification because santification is just like justification -- by faith alone through grace alone. So on the one hand Jesus is going to tell us our responsiblity; but then He is going to constantly remind us that our good works are as a result of His life in us and His Word to us. Without His life, presence and even His Word spoken over us, we will never produce anything more than religious "good works" or secular "good works" which do not glorify the Father or ignite passion in people for God.

This week you might meditate on a passage of Scripture I have been meditating on as I study Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. It is found in Titus 2:11-14 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to uprify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." I think this is a perfect elaboration on the "good works" Jesus is talking about in Matthew 5:16.