Why We Should Do Good to Others

If we pay special attention to the underlined and bolded parts in the passages above, we can easily understand what God’s will is, and what He is trying to teach us.

Through passages such as these, we can see that there is a clear difference between “doing good” as the world speaks of it and “doing good” as God commands it. When the world, that is, everything outside the words of the 66 books of the Bible, tells us to do good, it means doing good “for ourselves and for people.” But when the Bible teaches us to do good, it tells us to do good “for the glory of God.” Therefore, the way of doing good, or acting rightly and kindly toward one another, may seem the same, but the purpose for doing good must be completely different.

Therefore, when people see the good we do, it is only right that the people who did the good should not be exalted or testified of, but that God alone should receive glory through that good. This is because only Jesus, who created us, is worthy to receive glory.

Psalm 148:1-14 “...3Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars of light. 4Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. 5Let them praise the name of the LORD: for He commanded, and they were created... 11Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: 12Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: 13Let them praise the name of the LORD: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven...”

Revelation 4:9-11 “9And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, 10The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Jesus also told us that, as the light of the world, we should do good works before men, but that we should do so for the glory of God.

Matthew 5:14-16 “14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Thus, the will of God is that we do good for the glory of Jesus. Therefore, even toward those who speak against us, or those who treat us harshly, we must patiently endure by keeping our eyes on Jesus. This is because we do good not for ourselves or for people, but for Jesus. When this is the case, even if people repay good with evil, we do not need to be hurt. If our purpose in doing good were for ourselves or for people, we could feel disappointed when others do not recognize the good we have done, and we could become angry or even stumble when people repay good with evil. But because we did it only for Jesus, we can be bold regardless of how others respond.

Therefore, just as Scripture says that it is acceptable with God when we endure patiently for conscience toward God, may we, in the name of Jesus, always first think of Jesus, who suffered for us, and patiently do good to others, even toward those who treat us harshly.

Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Matthew 12:9-13 “9And when He was departed thence, He went into their synagogue: 10And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse Him. 11And He said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13Then saith He to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.”

Romans 2:6-11 “6Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11For there is no respect of persons with God.”

Amen.