You shall have no other gods Deuteronomy 5:7

What does this mean? 

We should fear love and trust in God above all things.   

The very first and very important work is faith.  Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”     John 6:28-29   and Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” 

“The first thing to know is that there are no good works except those works God has commanded, just as there is no sin except that which God has forbidden. Therefore, whoever wants to know what good works are as well as doing them needs to know nothing more than God’s commandments.”   Martin Luther  

Good people naturally overflow with good works.  Evil people do bad works.  The bad works do not make us bad nor do good works make us good.   It is the other way around bad people do evil.  Good people do good, because faith is the first and foremost requirement.  

The character of man makes his works, therefore faith makes truly good works.  It is simply right and not done for a show but because it is loving and because such a deed is right.  Jesus explained (Mt 7 & Lk 6) it this way.  Good fruit comes from a good tree just as good works come from a strong faith.   Good works naturally grow from faith.  

Such a concept ought to make us fear deeply for our salvation because we do see ourselves sinning.   When we are able to look objectively at ourselves, we hear our thoughts condemning us.  “Few men experience this as David did when he complained in Psalm 6[:1], ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thy anger.’ To believe at such times that God is gracious and well-disposed toward us is the greatest work that may ever happen to and in a man, but of this the work-righteous and the doers of good works know nothing at all.”

So, saving faith is a repentant faith.   Such faith knows the anger of God toward sin and yet goes to him for forgiveness of our everyday wrongdoings and failures.  Faith receives our Savior’s forgiveness for our offences and goes to God in repentance.  Such faith is firmly grounded on God’s grace.     

That faith which truly saves is a faith that trusts that your righteous perfect judge is also merciful, True saving faith is never unaccompanied by good works out of fear of punishment and joyful desire to do God’s will.  How clearly this points to faith as the key to salvation and not works.  

Far too many people think they can be more perfect than perfect.  They think that their man-made good works can overcome the evil they have done.  It is a false hope.  One sin condemns us and no good work can make up for any sin.  

Furthermore, such transactional good works make God out to be a huckster.  Such an idea demeans Jesus’ gracious sacrifice.  So again, the first commandment supports that salvation is by faith alone and that clearly also teaches that we are justified by grace alone.   Some mistakenly say because we preach faith alone, we forbid good works.  It is the exact opposite.  Faith alone is the only way to do good works.  

Saving faith is love for our Savior and respect for his atonement. “Love is the fulfillment of the law.”  Romans 13:10. Therefore, St. Augustine speaks rightly when he says that the works of the first commandment are faith, hope, and love.

The good works that we do, follow and trust in God.  All other commands proceed from this First Commandment.  Because life never sits still let the godly man be constantly full of faith and he will be constantly overflowing with good works.  Even these good works tainted by sin are only considered good because our God is gracious and celebrates the good works he put in front of us to do.   

Still, you ask, “What is a good work?”  It is not complicated, and it is commanded by God.  Simply do your everyday duty in home, church and society.  Going to work, giving a good day’s work for good days’ pay, worshipping God regularly from your heart, cleaning your dishes, washing the clothes, loving you family.   Eccl. 9:7-9 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.   

The last temptation goes directly against this commandment.  Satan accuses us on our deathbeds, “How can I know that I have been good enough for God?  How can you be confident you have done enough?” Faith answers: I am not at all good enough for God.  But Christ died and rose for me.  I have complete and full forgiveness from Christ. 

Pastor Tim Kuske