What are Good Works Really?

Credit: Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

A "good work" can only be deemed good is one which fulfils the following criteria (4G):

1. Vertically: It glorifies God, in another words, it gives God a good name and causes the receivers of good works to praise God (even though they may not be believers).

2. Horizontally: It is "gospel in action", i.e. it shows love to those receivers (love your neighbour as yourself); it brings joy and relief (good news) to them because God loves them; it is an expression of "doing justice and righteousness".

3. Internally: It is one's action or deed done out of gratitude to God's salvation rather than for our selfish motivation, e.g. to show off or to increase your own reputation.

4. Externally: It will cause the receivers to see the goodness of our Lord so that they too will consider God's salvation.

All four criteria must be present. Only then can we say a good work is good.

In the strictest sense, so called charitable works or good works done by non-believers are not "good" works because they lack one or more criterion above, especially their works do not honour or glorify God. In fact, their works drew people away from God as people will look upon them as "saviour" and "source of hope".