“and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”
John 5:29 LSB
Dictionary says Deeds are: something that is done
//evil deeds
//did my good deed for the day
The Bible says deeds are:
agathos
of good constitution or nature
If a deed is of good constitution, what could be an evil deed?
-Sure its easy to point out purely evil deeds. If deeds are just “something that is done” than theres a whole myriad of evil deeds. Lying, cheating, stealing, and anything else that is physical sin.
-But what about evil deeds that aren’t physical? Deeds are also of a “good nature”, but what is nature? If you look up the definition of nature it has a laundry list of definitions. Why? Nature is a word that when you try to understand its basic meaning, it will lead back to God.
Nature could be the external world, natural scenery (physical) which usually leads to the question, what created nature? However, nature can also be used in reference to our true nature or “inner force (such as instinct, appetite, desire) or the sum of such forces in an individual”. Where would that force come from? Another definition is: “humankind’s original or natural condition” (not suppose to use a word to define a word but they did). Our inner nature seemed to be defined by the things that can lead to sin and that is our original condition. In that condition, as we say “in Adam” all our deeds are evil. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false witness, slanders.” Matthew 15:19 LSB
Is then “doing you deed for the day” of “good nature”?
With this understanding then of deeds, what “good deeds” is Jesus talking about that lead “to a resurrection of life”? If all our deeds are evil, how can we do good deeds?
“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst—ever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”John 4:14 LSB
“And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:3 LSB
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 LSB
We don’t do good deeds. The Spirit does them through us. Our only part is drinking from the water and allowing it to flow from us to others. Growing in our faith through taking in the Word of God will lead to more and more fruits.
Do we still do “evil deeds”, yes. We falter, we stumble, and if you say you don’t, then you do cause you just lied. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 LSB
God’s unwavering grace and mercy forgives us when we do stumble, so that only our good deeds remain. ““For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12 LSB. Praise God, thank Him for making us a part of The Kingdom. Working thru us to do Your will and we get to witness the building of Your Kingdom. Glory always to God. Amen.
33 and a Third 