To Do Good and To Be Good

In Scripture, James presents a two-part command for followers of Christ: “to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27 NRSV). We are essentially called to do good and to be good. 

As we aim to do and be good, we should guard against three common errors: 

1. Distance – The Essenes were a Jewish sect that led an ascetic, monastic lifestyle. Believing the world was wicked, they retreated into their own enclaves. They stayed away from those people. Likewise, we may also distance ourselves from society: attending Christian schools, listening to Christian radio, only engaging with those in our small groups or InterVarsity communities. We may surround ourselves with those culturally similar to us. While these things have their merits, Jesus did not save us for our own comfort. He sent us to proclaim the good news—in word and in deed—to a hurting world. 
2. Discrimination – Unlike the Essenes, the Pharisees engaged in mainstream society. In fact, they set standards for cultural behaviors and social status—who’s in or out, clean or unclean, worthy of respect or not (Luke 11:43, 46, 52). Material blessings were seen as a sign of God’s favor. The less fortunate were assumed to be morally deficient. Though you and I may not hold those exact views, we may also pass judgment on strangers. We may draw lines between who’s deserving or undeserving. We may shun the least of these—which Jesus warned against (Matthew 25:45). 
3. Dichotomy – One of the most pervasive ideas came from the Gnostics. They believed that the spiritual world was good, while the material world was evil. To them, only the soul matters. The allure of this false dichotomy remains today. We hear church leaders pit doing good works against saving souls, calling the former a distraction. But the gospel is wholly redemptive, not either-or. Jesus died for people’s eternal salvation, but he also cared for their physical needs. It would be ridiculous to bless a starving man without actually feeding him (James 2:15-16). 

To be clear, our good works do not save us. They do not determine how we get into God’s kingdom but impact whether others can see God’s kingdom in us. 

The pendulum can swing too far one way or the other, and we want to make sure we’re not focused only on good works or on saving souls.   

Jesus and the Indestructible Life 

Jesus modeled for us how to be connected to the needs of a broken world while remaining without sin. He didn’t stay in the comforts of heaven but stepped into this world. He didn’t shun the poor and vulnerable but walked among the lowest in society. He didn’t join the religious elites but called out their hypocrisy. 

Jesus lived a perfect and indestructible life (Hebrews 7:15-16). While we are imperfect, we are still called to follow him. As we follow, we find that the primary purpose of life is neither to do the most good or to be the most good. It’s not even to balance the two. These are mere indicators that we are, in fact, walking with Jesus. 

This is no easy task. It requires us to engage with the world in ways that are challenging and uncomfortable, but ultimately worthwhile. 

That’s the heart of a faithful walk with Jesus.