https://odb.org/2025/03/14/were-made-to-do-good
Ephesians 2:6–10 (NIV): 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The natural tendency of people is usually to mind your own business. Perhaps it’s a city or urban thing. In the natural, we are not inclined to do evil or to hurt, but we are not obliged to help either. You live your life, and I live mine. I said earlier it may be a city or urban thing as people in the countryside and smaller towns are usually more helpful. Or if you see an accident on the roadside, people stopping to help are usually motorcyclists, ordinary people rather than the elite. In terms of races in Malaysia, the Malays are often more helpful compared to the Chinese, and this could be because of their rural based DNA and upbringing. People in the city are often chasing time, rushing from one destination to another, and are thus less inclined to make pit stops.
Actually, deep inside us, we are created to do good. As human beings, our bodies will naturally release dopamine, a reward hormone that gives us pleasure when we achieve something or do good. Like endorphin that releases feelings of euphoria when we exercise or oxytocin (the love hormone) during feelings of connection, bonding, or intimacy, we are made to do good. But sometimes, when left to our own devices, our fleshy desires take control, and we may want to do harm rather than do good.
However, as born-again Christians and believers redeemed by the blood of Christ and who, by God’s grace, found and accepted salvation from God, we must always remember to do good. In fact, Paul says that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Therefore, in the natural as humans, we have been created to do good. In Christ, we are now commissioned to do good works as God has prepared in advance for us. It speaks of a list of good works that we are tasked to do and complete in Christ. That is why James emphasised that salvation without works is dead. We may be saved by grace, but as the redeemed, we are to do good works. Jesus reminds us of this in the parable of the ungrateful or unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35.
I think it is a timely reminder that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Our bodies will help us achieve this by releasing dopamine, which will make us feel good when we have done a good deed. In the process, our Lord, who is seated at the right hand of the Father, will also be happy with us. It is a “win-win-win” situation! Hallelujah! Amen!
Ronnie's Thoughts 