It was most touching to read the article “Malaysians open wallets, give back to community at free markets” [by Melita A Jalil, Malaysian Insider, 24 January 2016]. It was reported that generous Malaysians “dug into their poc- kets to help others in need even in a sour economy”. Not only were stalls offering used items, but also new items were given away at that Sunday free market in Putrajaya. One participant, Isa Nawawi, said: “There are 4 of us. We are just a bunch of friends who came together to do our part for  others, and we bought things that people can use daily…We are blessed and we want to share the blessings.”

This bunch of 4 friends reminds us of the 4 friends in Mark 2:3-4, who carried their paralyzed friend and literally delivered him to the feet of Jesus – via the roof!

For the followers of Christ, these are beautiful and powerful reminders of Ephesians 2:8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this 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 workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

The grace of God is the origin, source and cause of our salvation; faith is the channel of response in receiving this salvation by a confident trust and reliance upon Christ Jesus as the sole means of obtaining salvation [ie deliverance from the final judgement wrath of Almighty God]. Once a believer is in Christ Jesus, that person experiences being “born again” in the re-creative power of God, “to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

When we do “good works” we reflect once again the pristine and unfallen state of the Garden of Eden, as intended by God from the very beginning of creation. Even if it is only for a moment, “good works” will reflect not alienation but harmony with God, with creation, with other human beings and with ourselves– which was the Divine intention in the Garden of Eden. When that original Divine intention is fulfilled – then the glory of our Father Creator will be seen. So Matthew 5:16 declares, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

John Wesley teaches that in the Bible, grace, faith, and works are necessarily connected. We possess the faith of a child of God when in Christ Jesus God justifies us and brings us to new birth through grace. This faith empowers us to know, love, and trust in God, conclusively and assertively reorienting and redirecting our hearts. We start to love as God loves, and want what God wants [Gal 5:6 – faith working through love]. Our lives begin to reflect that change and transformation when our hearts begin to be governed by new motivations and desires. Holiness of heart leads to holiness of life, and that is revealed and shown in good works.

The bond between faith and good works is as indissoluble as that between heart and life. John Wesley goes on to say in his sermon - The Scripture Way of Salvation, “It is incumbent on all that are justified to be zealous of good works, and these are so necessary that if a man willingly neglects them, he cannot reasonably expect that he shall ever be sanctified”.

Wesley’s good works of mercy is summarised by Wesleyan scholar Richard Heitzenrater as being “teaching, feeding, and clothing poor children; furnishing gainful employment to the jobless; giving loans to struggling entrepreneurs; visiting the sick and the prisoners; providing food, money, clothing, shelter, books, medicine, and other essentials to the needy” [The Imatio Christi and the Great Commandment: Virtue and Obligation in Wesley’s Ministry with the Poor” in The Portion of the Poor. ed., Douglas Meeks]. Heitzenrater further asserts that “the deeds Wesley performed were uncharacteristic for an individual of such distinction and background. Wesley’s interest in social works was not normal for an Oxford don who was educated at one of the best Oxford colleges and was from a background of scholarly parents”.

Wesley’s social ministry was also focused on the sick. Wesley’s depth of compassion is illustrated by one of his most important sermons, “On Visiting the Sick” (1786). Wesley established free medical clinics in London, Newcastle, and Bristol. In addition, Wesley’s Foundry clinic is sometimes called the first free public medical clinic in London. Wesley is known for founding the group known as “visitors of the sick,” in 1741 to minister throughout places with Methodist presence.

Another category of good works [that the Methodist Church in Malaysia also inherited] is Wesley’s educational programs. Wesley held education to be pertinent not only to train children, but also to liberate uneducated adults. In order to fulfil this good work, Wesley founded schools in many places including the Foundry, Bristol, and Newcastle, but he is most famous for establishing the ever demanding Kingswood School of 1748. In this aspect, the Methodist Church in Malaysia continues to pursue and provide education with mission, excellence and compassion.

There are two fundamental reasons for the unbreakable bond between faith and good works. Firstly, James [3:14] declares that faith without works is dead. Wesley commented that in this James does not “oppose faith to works,” but insists “true faith…cannot subsist without works” (Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament). It becomes clear then that a dead faith is not faith at all, and a faith is only living if it produces the fruit of good works rooted in sincere and authentic repentance (provided there is both time and opportunity).

The second reason for this important unbreakable bond is that good works are not only manifestations of living faith and a changed heart, but also means of grace for our own growth. Works of piety such as searching the Scriptures, the Lord’s Supper, prayer, fasting, worship, etc not only put love into action, but are means God uses to enable our growth in the knowledge and love of God. Wesley says that works of mercy are likewise both manifestations of obedience to God and love for others as well as means used by God to increase that love and relationship with Him.

In summary, the nature of this linkage in the Scripture is: grace enables faith; faith, in turn, produces works. Ours then is a theology of grace and love, which has at its center the promise of transformed hearts and lives.

In this New Year, let us then be determined to personally and communally pursue a year of goodwill and goodworks which is most sorely needed in our troubled land. Let us as God’s people called Methodists, rise above the darkness and hardness of  bigotry, growing poverty, mistrust, resentment, anger and violence enveloping our beloved country. We can do this when we carry out specific and tangible good deeds for strangers, neighbours, colleagues, family and nation.

It will be helpful if we bear in mind the following and act upon them: to forgive offences more readily/willingly, to bear wrongs patiently, to comfort the afflicted and sick, to visit the lonely, imprisoned and infirmed, to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, to  shelter the homeless and clothe the naked, to defend the oppressed as necessary and let us not forget…..

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Luke 6:36 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because
he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”