You speak of good works.
Yet you are the one that does not even know the meaning of the good fruit produced by a good tree...
Of what good is love if you see your brother hungry and do not feed him?
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? (1 John 3:17 [ESV])
The fruits of the Spirit are not just happy and fluffy emotions, they are ACTIONS. You demonstrate the love in your heart by DOING GOOD. Understand,
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Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (
Matthew 7:21 [ESV])
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (
Matthew 7:19 [ESV])
“‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:
She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. (
Ezekiel 16:49-50 [NIV])
Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary of bearing them. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you: yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make yourself clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil;
Learn to do good; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. (
Isaiah 1:13-17 [NLT])
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go,
sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (
Matthew 19:21 [NIV])
When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done.
Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (
Luke 18:22 [NLT])
Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “
Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (
Mark 10:21 [NLT])
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. (
Luke 12:33 [NIV])
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “
Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “
Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
(
Luke 19:8-9 [NIV])
They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. (Acts 2:45 [NLT])
that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. (Acts 4:34-35 [NIV])
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands,
so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. (
Ephesians 4:28 [ESV])
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (
Matthew 3:8 [ESV])
Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles,
that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. (Acts 26:20 [HCSB])
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed
you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (
John 15:16 [ESV])
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times,
you may abound in every good work. (
2 Corinthians 9:8 [ESV])
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy,
useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. (
2 Timothy 2:21 [ESV])
that the man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work. (
2 Timothy 3:17 [ESV])
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient,
to be ready for every good work, (
Titus 3:1 [ESV])
having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation. (
1 Peter 2:12 [NHEB])
In the same way, let your light shine before others,
so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (
Matthew 5:16 [ESV])
and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children,
has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. (
1 Timothy 5:10 [ESV])
And
let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (
Galatians 6:9 [ESV])
Remember therefore from where you have fallen;
repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. (
Revelation 2:5 [ESV])
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If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. (
Leviticus 25:35 [ESV])
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but
you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. (
Leviticus 19:18 [ESV])
and said, ‘Cornelius,
your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been remembered before God. (Acts 10:31 [BSB])
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Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn... (
Isaiah 58:6-9[ESV])
...
Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.’ (
Daniel 4:24-27 [NASB])
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (
James 4:17 [NIV])
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and
ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside. (
Matthew 23:23 [DBT])