The True Essence of All Christian Good Works — Good Works in Paul’s View

 

The True Essence of All Christian Good Works — Good Works in Paul’s View

According to Colossians 1:10, the good works spoken of by Paul are not merely doing good things, behaving morally, serving diligently, or accomplishing religious activities. The true essence of Christian good works is Christ Himself being lived out from within us—Christ lived, Christ growing, Christ expressed, and Christ multiplied.

In Life-study of Colossians, the “fruit” in Colossians 1:10 refers to living Christ, growing Christ, expressing Christ, and multiplying Christ in all things. This is “the true essence of all Christian good works” and is what Paul had in mind concerning good works.

I. Integrated Summary Table

Spiritual Item	“Good Works” in Paul’s View	Biblical Basis	Ministry Burden	Spiritual Reality & Application
1. Central Definition	The true essence of good works is not merely “doing good”; it is “living Christ.”	Col. 1:10; Phil. 1:21	The “fruit” in Col. 1:10 means living Christ, growing Christ, expressing Christ, and multiplying Christ in all things. This is the true essence of all Christian good works.	The question is not merely, “How many good things have I done?” but, “Is this Christ lived out through me, or merely my natural goodness?”
2. Beginning—Knowing God’s Will	Good works begin with knowing God’s will, not with natural zeal.	Col. 1:9; Eph. 1:5, 9, 11	The “will of God” in Col. 1:9 refers especially to God’s will concerning Christ and His economy, not merely to decisions concerning our daily circumstances.	God’s will is not first that we “do many things for Him,” but that we be filled with Christ and take Christ as our life and person.
3. The Way—Walking Worthily of the Lord	Good works must flow from a living that is worthy of the Lord.	Col. 1:10	To “walk worthily of the Lord” means to please Him in all things; a walk worthy of the Lord is a walk in which Christ is lived out.	We do not merely imitate Christ outwardly; we allow Christ to be our life and person inwardly.
4. Highest Standard—Pleasing Him in All Things	The standard of good works is not human approval but the Lord’s pleasure.	Col. 1:10; Matt. 3:17; 17:5	The Father twice declared concerning the Son, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I have found My delight.” Nothing pleases the Father more than our living Christ.	We should ask not only, “Is this good?” but, “Does this please the Lord? Is Christ being lived out in this matter?”
5. Inner Source—Christ as Life	Good works are not products of the natural life but the outflow of Christ’s life.	Col. 3:4; John 14:6; Phil. 1:21	Christ does not merely help us to perform good works; Christ Himself is the inner source of all genuine good works.	We do not rely on natural zeal, ability, personality, or self-cultivation. We say, “Lord, I cannot, but You can. Live Yourself in me.”
6. Inner Position—Christ as Our Person	We do not merely let Christ “help us”; we take Christ as our person.	Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:10–11	Brother emphasizes that Christ should be our life and person.	In making decisions, relating to people, serving, speaking, and shepherding, we do not act merely according to “what I want,” but according to Christ’s feeling and leading within us.
7. First Aspect—Living Christ	Good works begin with Christ being lived out in our daily living.	Phil. 1:21; Gal. 2:20	The “fruit” first includes living Christ in all things.	In our family life, church life, service, relationships, and daily activities, we do not merely try to “be a good Christian”; we let Christ become our living.
8. Second Aspect—Growing Christ	Good works are not isolated actions but the result of Christ continually growing in us.	Col. 1:10; 2:19; Eph. 4:15	The fruit-bearing in Col. 1:10 is related to growing through the living knowledge of God.	To grow is not merely to accumulate religious knowledge or activities; it means Christ gains more ground and has more place in us.
9. Third Aspect—Expressing Christ	Good works are Christ within us being expressed through us.	2 Cor. 4:7, 10–11; Phil. 2:15–16	Genuine good works are not the display of natural virtues but Christ being manifested through the earthen vessel.	People should not merely see our humility, gentleness, or patience; through these virtues they should touch Christ Himself.
10. Fourth Aspect—Multiplying Christ	Good works ultimately result in the multiplication of Christ into others.	John 12:24; 15:5, 16; Matt. 28:19	Fruit-bearing also includes multiplying Christ; the riches of the inner life flow into others so that they receive Christ as life.	Preaching the gospel, shepherding, feeding, perfecting, and prophesying are not merely for increasing numbers but for ministering Christ into others.
11. Good Works vs. Natural Goodness	Natural goodness may be “I doing”; genuine good works are Christ doing.	Matt. 7:21–23; John 15:5	A person may be humble, kind, generous, or zealous and yet not live by Christ. Such natural goodness is not necessarily a walk worthy of the Lord.	Natural goodness ≠ spiritual good. Spiritual good is the expression of Christ’s life.
12. Good Works vs. Religious Work	Religious work emphasizes “doing something for the Lord”; Paul’s good works emphasize allowing the Lord to do something through us.	Matt. 7:21; John 15:4–5	Christ is not only the center of God’s will; He is also the reality of our walk and of all our genuine good works.	The important question is not “How much have I done for the Lord?” but “How much of what I have done has been done by the Lord through me?”
13. Good Works and Joy	A person who lives Christ experiences genuine joy.	Phil. 4:4; John 15:11	Brother points out that natural humility or gentleness may not produce joy; but when we take Christ as our life and person and live Christ, we experience genuine joy.	The most joyful Christian work is not forcing ourselves to do good, but enjoying, experiencing, and living Christ.
14. Good Works and Knowing God	Good works are related to our growth in life, and growth in life produces more genuine fruit.	Col. 1:10; John 17:3	The “knowing” of God is not merely mental knowledge; it is a living knowledge of God in the spirit.	The more we know the Lord, the more we live Him; the more we live Him, the more we grow; the more we grow, the more we bear fruit.
15. Good Works and Fruit-bearing	Good works are not something externally added to our Christian life; they are the overflow of the riches of life.	John 15:4–5, 16; Gal. 5:22–23	Fruit-bearing is the overflow of the abundance of the inner life. The flow of life brings life to others.	Life → riches → overflow → fruit-bearing. Genuine service begins not with working but with receiving the abundance of life.
16. Good Works and Loving the Lord	Loving the Lord causes us to be filled with Him; being filled with Him causes Christ to flow out through us.	John 21:15–17; 14:21; 15:9–10	When we love the Lord, we are filled with Him; the inner filling then flows out through us.	Love the Lord → enjoy the Lord → be filled with the Lord → live the Lord → minister the Lord → multiply the Lord.
17. Good Works and Shepherding	Feeding and shepherding the sheep means ministering Christ into people.	John 21:15–17; 1 Pet. 5:2	The Lord’s commission to Peter was not merely to “work” but to feed His lambs and shepherd His sheep. Love for the Lord is the inward motive for shepherding.	Genuine shepherding does not merely solve people’s problems; it ministers Christ into their life.
18. Good Works and the Body Life	Christ is expressed through His many members, becoming a corporate expression.	1 Cor. 12:12, 27; Eph. 4:15–16	The believers are the members of Christ, formed together as the Body in the divine life; Christ’s riches are expressed through the members.	Good works are not individualistic heroic achievements but are carried out in the Body, in coordination, and in mutual supply.
19. Result—Christ Expressed	The ultimate result of good works is not human glory but Christ being expressed.	2 Cor. 4:10–11; Phil. 1:20	Our living and work should cause Christ to be magnified in us.	If the work is accomplished but people see only “me,” we have missed Paul’s concept of good works. If people touch Christ, there is genuine fruit-bearing.
20. Ultimate Result—God Glorified	The expression and multiplication of Christ ultimately result in the Father being glorified.	John 15:8; Matt. 5:16	Fruit is the overflow of the inner life, bringing life to others and causing the Father to be glorified.	Not for our spiritual reputation, but for Christ to be expressed, the Body to be built up, and the Father to be glorified.

 

II. The Spiritual Progression of “Good Works”

Colossians 1:9–11 gives us a remarkably complete sequence concerning the Christian life and good works:

Sequence	Colossians 1:9–11	Spiritual Significance
1. Know God’s Will	“Be filled with the full knowledge of His will”	See that God’s eternal will concerns Christ and His economy.
2. Walk Worthily of the Lord	“To walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing”	Take Christ as our life and person in our daily living.
3. Bear Fruit in Every Good Work	“Bearing fruit in every good work”	Live Christ, grow Christ, express Christ, and multiply Christ.
4. Grow by the Full Knowledge of God	“Growing by the full knowledge of God”	Have a living knowledge of God in the spirit, resulting in growth in life.
5. Be Empowered with All Power	“Being empowered with all power, according to the might of His glory”	Christ becomes the inner power enabling us to live such a life.
6. Endure and Be Long-suffering with Joy	Col. 1:11	The divine life is expressed in endurance, long-suffering, and joy.

Thus Colossians 1:9–11 can be condensed as:

Knowing God’s will → taking Christ as life and person → walking worthily of the Lord → living Christ → growing Christ → expressing Christ → multiplying Christ → bearing fruit → growing in life → glorifying God

III. Natural “Good” vs. Good Works in Paul’s View

Natural Concept of Good	Good Works in Paul’s View
I do good things.	Christ does things through me.
I have good behavior.	Christ is lived out through me.
I am humble.	Christ is my humility.
I am gentle.	Christ is my gentleness.
I am loving.	Christ is my love.
I am zealous.	Christ is my zeal.
I do many things for the Lord.	The Lord does what He desires through me.
The more work, the better.	The more Christ is expressed, the better.
I receive human praise.	I please the Lord.
I improve myself.	I allow Christ to grow in me.
I help people.	I minister Christ into people.
I increase religious activities.	I multiply Christ and build up the Body of Christ.
My accomplishment.	Christ’s expression.
My glory.	God’s glory.

Therefore, the most important distinction can be expressed this way:

The question of “good behavior” is: What have I done?
The question of “good works” is: Who has done it?
Paul’s answer is: Genuine good works are Christ Himself doing His work through me.

IV. The Four Aspects of Christ as the Content of Good Works

The explanation of “bearing fruit” is especially significant. We can summarize it in four aspects:

Stage	Content	Key Question	Result
1. Living Christ	Christ living	Is Christ living in me?	Christ becomes my living.
2. Growing Christ	Christ growing	Is Christ increasing in me?	Christ gains more ground in me.
3. Expressing Christ	Christ expressed	Whom do others touch through me?	Others see and touch Christ.
4. Multiplying Christ	Christ multiplied	Is Christ being ministered into others through me?	Christ is multiplied as life in others.

Therefore:

Living Christ → Growing Christ → Expressing Christ → Multiplying Christ

These are not four unrelated kinds of good works. They are four aspects of the same Christ-life moving from within outward.

V. The Formula of Good Works in Paul’s View

This spiritual reality can be expressed as follows:

Christ as Life + Christ as Our Person

↓

Living Christ

↓

Growing Christ

↓

Expressing Christ

↓

Multiplying Christ

↓

Bearing Fruit

↓

Building Up the Body of Christ

↓

The Father Glorified 

This reveals a very important principle:

Good works are not an “addition” outside the divine life; good works are the “overflow” of the growth and riches of the divine life.

The principle of the vine in John 15 illustrates this perfectly. The branches do not labor independently to manufacture fruit. Rather, they abide in the vine, receive the supply of life, and bear fruit as the natural outflow of the vine-life.

Therefore, genuine Christian good works are not primarily “worked out” but “lived out.”

VI. One Crucial Balance

There is a very important balance here:

It is not “do not do good works”; it is “do not do good works apart from Christ.”

The Bible certainly calls believers to good works:

Ephesians 2:10 — we are created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Titus 3:8 — believers should be careful to maintain good works.

Matthew 5:16 — people should see our good works and glorify our Father in the heavens.

The issue, therefore, is not whether we should do good works. The issue is:

What is the source, essence, content, means, and goal of those good works?

Paul’s answer is:

Aspect	Paul’s Answer
Source	The life of Christ
Essence	Christ Himself
Content	Living Christ, growing Christ, expressing Christ, multiplying Christ
Means	Abiding in Christ and enjoying Christ
Result	Fruit of life
Goal	Christ expressed, the Body built up, and the Father glorified

 

VII. The Most Important Spiritual Line

The Transformation from “Doing Good Works” to “Living Christ”

This is the most important transformation in this subject.

Not merely:

I see a need → I try to do something good → I accomplish a service.

But:

I contact the Lord → I enjoy the Lord → I allow the Lord to live in me → Christ flows out through me → I bear fruit → others receive Christ → the Body is built up → the Father is glorified.

Therefore:

The true essence of all Christian good works is not merely “goodness,” but Christ; not merely “work,” but the outflow of life.

VIII. Scripture Overview

Scripture	Relation to “Good Works in Paul’s View”
Col. 1:9–11	The central passage: knowing God’s will → walking worthily → bearing fruit → growing in life.
Phil. 1:21	“For to me, to live is Christ” — the inward reality of good works.
Gal. 2:20	“It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” — the life principle of good works.
Gal. 1:15–16	God was pleased to reveal His Son in Paul — Christ as the center of God’s revelation and work.
Matt. 3:17	The Father’s delight in the Son — Christ is the center of what pleases God.
Matt. 17:5	“This is My beloved Son, in whom I have found My delight” — the highest standard of pleasing God.
John 15:4–5	Abiding in Christ is the way to bear fruit — the source of genuine good works.
John 15:8	Bearing much fruit glorifies the Father — the ultimate purpose of good works.
John 15:16	Being appointed to bear fruit and have fruit that remains — the multiplication of Christ.
2 Cor. 4:7, 10–11	The treasure in earthen vessels — Christ expressed through human vessels.
Eph. 4:15–16	Holding to the Head and growing into Him — the Body being built up through the supply of every member.
John 21:15–17	Loving the Lord and feeding His sheep — the practical expression of good works in shepherding.
Eph. 2:10	We are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works — the divine preparation and purpose for good works.

 

IX. Ultimate Conclusion

The “good works” in Paul’s view are neither based on natural virtues nor on religious zeal, nor are they measured by the amount of outward work accomplished. They are based on Christ Himself.

Christ is the source, content, essence, means, and goal of genuine good works.

Therefore, “bearing fruit in every good work” in Colossians 1:10 actually means:

In everything, live Christ; allow Christ to grow in us; let Christ be expressed through us; and let Christ be multiplied into others through us.

This is the true essence of all Christian good works and what Paul had in mind concerning good works.

One-Sentence Prophetic Summary

“Genuine good works are not measured by how much we have done for Christ, but by how much Christ has been lived out through us; they are not merely natural good deeds but the outflow of Christ as life—living Christ, growing Christ, expressing Christ, and multiplying Christ until the Body is built up and the Father is glorified.”

 

*Please refer to the April 2026 Summer Training General Topic: Believers, Chapter Seven: Vessels, Grains of Wheat, and Branches of the Vine that Receive Mercy and Honor.