I was reading this article on Desiring God but I didn't save the article.
Here's an excerpt of the article which I found enjoyable to read because of the insight it gave me.
It gave me a biblical perspective of looking at morally good deeds and helped me
to reconcile some conflicting thoughts regarding morally good deeds.
I initially thought that whenever I do good deeds,
if I felt happy about it I was doing it because I wanted to gain some assurance
that I was "doing good" (even if it's just for myself to know).
You know how they say when you help someone you will feel good?
And then sometimes people go to the extent of doing good only so that they feel good,
or that they think it saves them from hell - which is a result of being brought up
in an environment that emphasizes doing good without having the right understanding
of what sin is and how it contrasts to the Holy God.
That debate in my mind - in trying to reconcile my motives with my actions -
causes me to sometimes stop myself from doing good just so that
I would be reminded not to be tempted to only do good works for the sake of feeling happy afterward.
I know it sounds silly and almost confusing, so I hope I'm making sense somehow.
I did feel conflicted at times, so this article kind of helped me to understand what God says about it.
I hope it helps you too :)
Again, I'm reminded of another article Martin posted some time back,
that if we waited till our motives were right before doing something,
then we'd never get things done/ do good things.
//
Christian Hedonism aims to replace a Kantian morality with a biblical one.
Here's an excerpt of the article which I found enjoyable to read because of the insight it gave me.
It gave me a biblical perspective of looking at morally good deeds and helped me
to reconcile some conflicting thoughts regarding morally good deeds.
I initially thought that whenever I do good deeds,
if I felt happy about it I was doing it because I wanted to gain some assurance
that I was "doing good" (even if it's just for myself to know).
You know how they say when you help someone you will feel good?
And then sometimes people go to the extent of doing good only so that they feel good,
or that they think it saves them from hell - which is a result of being brought up
in an environment that emphasizes doing good without having the right understanding
of what sin is and how it contrasts to the Holy God.
That debate in my mind - in trying to reconcile my motives with my actions -
causes me to sometimes stop myself from doing good just so that
I would be reminded not to be tempted to only do good works for the sake of feeling happy afterward.
I know it sounds silly and almost confusing, so I hope I'm making sense somehow.
I did feel conflicted at times, so this article kind of helped me to understand what God says about it.
I hope it helps you too :)
Again, I'm reminded of another article Martin posted some time back,
that if we waited till our motives were right before doing something,
then we'd never get things done/ do good things.
//
Christian Hedonism aims to replace a Kantian morality with a biblical one.
Immanuel Kant, the German philosopher who died in 1804,
was the most powerful exponent of the notion that
the moral value of an act decreases as we aim to derive any benefit from it.
the moral value of an act decreases as we aim to derive any benefit from it.
Acts are good if the doer is "disinterested."
We should do the good because it is good.
Any motivation to seek joy or reward corrupts the act.
//
However...
not only is disinterested morality (doing good "for its own sake") impossible; it is undesirable.
That is, it is not biblical; because it would mean that the better a man became,
the harder it would be for him to act morally.
The closer he came to true goodness the more naturally and happily he would do what is good.
A good man in Scripture is not the man who dislikes doing good but toughs it out for the sake of duty.
and the will of the Lord (Psalm 40:8).
But how shall such a man do an act of kindness disinterestedly?
The better the man, the more joy in obedience.
God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Disinterested performance of duty displeases God.
He wills that we delight in doing good and that
we do it with the confidence that our obedience secures and increases our joy in God.
//
I think the way we can evaluate our thoughts and motives is when we reflect
whether it is joy from God or sinful ego boosters.
Apart from that, we can trust that through our relationship with Christ,
He continues to work in our lives and so even when we did have the wrong motive,
as we continue to grow, wrong motives will disintegrate slowly as we are closer to God.
It will not be totally removed in this life, but as long as we are children of God
we have the hope that sin will totally be removed when we meet God.
//
With love & in Christ,
Esther
He wills that we delight in doing good and that
we do it with the confidence that our obedience secures and increases our joy in God.
//
I think the way we can evaluate our thoughts and motives is when we reflect
whether it is joy from God or sinful ego boosters.
Apart from that, we can trust that through our relationship with Christ,
He continues to work in our lives and so even when we did have the wrong motive,
as we continue to grow, wrong motives will disintegrate slowly as we are closer to God.
It will not be totally removed in this life, but as long as we are children of God
we have the hope that sin will totally be removed when we meet God.
//
With love & in Christ,
Esther
