If God is All About Godliness, Is Doing Good Good Enough for God?

This morning, our men's study launched into a 3-week study of the book of Titus.  Man, I could stretch this into a 3-MONTH study - some great stuff!

One thing that is noticeable in the entire letter to Titus is that Paul uses at least 8x an expression about "doing good."  (1.8, 1.16, 2.3, 2.7, 2.14, 3.1, 3.8, 3.14)  That is 1 in every 7 verses talks about "doing good."

If God is all about godliness, is doing good good enough for God?

In the first chapter, the "doing good" passages contrast with one another.  In 1.16, it is in reference to the home-ruiners who say they know God but "by their actions deny him" (1.16).  They are "unfit for doing anything good."   On the other hand, an overseer is described as "hospitable, one who loves what is good . . ." As this morning's study suggested, while this is often used as a list of qualifications for elders, shouldn't this list in Titus 1 ("blameless" "self-controlled" "upright" "holy" . . .) be what we all strive for?

When you look at the 8 mentions of "doing good" in this brief letter (the Book of Titus only has 46 verses total!), one can begin to wonder if "doing good" is the pursuit of most Christians.  But if we pervert its intention, are we missing the point?  What if we don't do enough good?  Will it be good enough to please God?

The next few chapters may help us, or may worry us.  2.14 says that because of grace and hope, we will be "eager to do what is good."  3.1 says we should be "ready to do whatever is good."  And 3.8 and 3.14 says we must "learn to devote (our)selves to doing what is good."  You can look at these in two ways:

1. Doing good because that's what "do-gooders" are supposed to do
2. Doing good because it is the fruit of godliness in our lives

Fortunately, 3.5 tells us exactly what our answer is.

"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."

We do what is good in response to God's mercy, grace and love.  Not to earn his favor, but because grace bears fruit.  If you are not bearing fruit, you have not received true grace. Do good not to be saved but because you are.

As Paul continues, we are reminded that we are saved by grace through the rebirth we have in Christ and the renewal by the Holy Spirit.  It is not that we are in ANY WAY saved because of the good we may have done.  Nor is it based on how much good we might do tomorrow (we can't "pay it forward").  What about those who have done far more evil than good?  There is an equal implication that a LACK of doing good cannot keep us from being saved either!

There's nothing you can do that will keep God from loving and saving your soul.  There's nothing good that you can do to earn it.  Trust in his mercy!

-Randy