All good deeds, to be really good, must come out of a good life. Even perverse and wicked men sometimes show kindness and do what might be recognized as good deeds, but the good that is truly good in My sight comes out of a life that is controlled by My Spirit and submitted to My will.
This kind of life bears the qualities that speak of My character, and the deeds that are performed reflect back on Me and give glory to Me. They do not exalt the person doing the deeds. I have shown you here the pattern of a truly good life, one that glorifies Me. It is important, if you are going to live as unto Me to be submitted to authority, for in this you show that you are not committed to self will. If you can’t trust Me you won’t be able to live under authority, for you will have to protect yourselves rather than trust Me to work through men. But if you really want to do good deeds, you will have to have a submitted life. Secondly, you’ll have to be patient and kind with all kinds of people, even as I am kind and patient with them. You will have to remember that I did not save you because you were obedient and you were considerate and because you were kind, for you were none of these things. It was through My gentleness and patience, through My love and faithfulness and My self-giving rather than through your merit that you were saved. If you remember My mercy to you and treasure it in your heart, you will be moved to show the same to those who in themselves are unworthy of it. In this way you show yourselves to be My children. You will be quick to meet the needs of others, not because it is easy or pleasant, but because you are moved by My Spirit and by My nature to demonstrate kindness even to the most difficult of people. When you remember that this was done to you when you were unworthy of it, you will not be too quick to pat yourself on the back or congratulate yourself to show kindness to the unworthy. A third way in which you will demonstrate a good life is to avoid unprofitable and worthless controversies. You will avoid getting involved in issues that will sidetrack from the purposes that I have revealed. You will avoid getting involved with people who love controversy for its own sake. You will discern that this will divert you from what is truly good, and you will be careful to avoid it. And finally, you will be sensitive to what are genuine needs in others and you will be ready to meet them. You will not hold on to provision and resources that I have placed in your hands out of fear that you may not have enough for yourselves. But you will be ready to give to others out of what I have given to you, not foolishly or carelessly but under the guidance of My Spirit. Take heed to this pattern and follow it. Take stock of your ways and see if they are being patterned in this manner, and if so then your deeds will be truly good and your ways truly fruitful.
I want to stress to you this morning how important it is that your behavior represents your teaching. You notice it says that older men are to be sound in faith, in love and in perseverance. And older women are to be reverent in behavior, and by that means of reverent behavior they will teach what is good. It is My grace in you that will enable you to live this way. I have said that the grace of God has appeared to instruct you to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age. I am not asking you to be concerned about how people respond to this kind of living. When My Son walked this earth and lived this way there were many who resisted him. That did not mean that His living out My life was ineffective. It meant rather that the truth had been lived out before people and they chose to reject it. So with you, do not be discouraged because it seems that some do not respond, but be concerned about being an example of what you say you believe, not like those who profess to know Me but deny Me.
And be assured that if your example pleases Me, that is all you need to be concerned about, and let no one say you will not know whether or not you are pleasing to Me, for My Holy Spirit will bear witness and there will be fruit.
Sound doctrine is not merely a matter of belief. It is rather a matter of behavior as well. There is much teaching among My people that is labeled sound doctrine, but as you well know in these days My word has been dishonored because the belief that My servants have professed to the multitudes has not been their practice in private. My son, I am calling you to greater perseverance so that what you speak and what you live are one. There are areas in your life that you need to be more temperate. I have been speaking to you about these areas. I have shown you so that you do not need to be misled or confused. You have experienced victory in Me in certain areas and you know how to walk so as to be sustained in that victory. You have applied the “no” of the Spirit to the demands of the flesh, but there are other areas where you know you are not doing this. If you do not your walk in soundness of faith and doctrine will be undermined.
It will be like acid eating away at the foundation of your life, like nibbling at snacks or indulging yourself for a few moments by wasting time.
But I tell you My Son that these are not small things. Though they will not damn you and take you away from Me they will hinder your fruitfulness.
They will undermine the power of your testimony. You have a choice for you cannot speak sound doctrine and have it effective without living it, and I have shown you the way that is perfect before Me, and what I am bringing you to will require this and nothing less. There are some things that you may have been able to do in the past which did not cause great harm because of My grace and forbearance, but I have called you up higher and you can do them no longer. Hear My word and do not take it lightly for I desire you to be faithful so that you can be blessed and fruitful. My daughter, I am pleased with you in most respects. You are well disciplined and your life is an adornment to My doctrine, but I want you to be more careful of your tongue. Though you do not gossip, sometimes you speak things that are not convenient. You must depend upon me for what you say and put a guard upon your lips so that you do not say words to the wrong person. I do not want you to give up My standard because some have not valued it. I will use you to encourage young women for you have much to give them that I have put in you. Some will not receive it, for not all who profess My ways truly love Me and desire to please Me. They want benefit without responsibility and they love worldly comforts and the things of this age, which are passing away. But there are those who truly love Me and need to be instructed by your life and your words. As you give yourself to them you will help them to become fruitful and My word will prosper in them as it has in you. You will not point people to yourselves by doing this, for sound living and sound doctrine points people to Me. I have said here in this word that My Son gave Himself that He might redeem you from every lawless deed. So then, I do not want you to wink at the things that are unclean and unrighteous whether they be in your lives or the lives of others, for I will hold you accountable for both, that is, if you do not live up to the standard to which I have called you and you do not call others to live up to that standard. By following My standards you will adorn My doctrine in every respect.