Gratitude-Fueled Good Works

Christian good works are fueled by our gratitude to God.

We love, because He first love us.

We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 ESV)

We forgive, because we were forgiven.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:12-13 ESV)

We give, because we were given.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:8 KJV)

Unlike the meritocratic religions where there are incentives to do good works, for the Christians, the rewards are assured and given. Thus some Christians are not too motivated to do good works. The quantity and quality of the good works are affected by our knowledge of how much we are loved by God, how much we are forgiven and how much we are given. Our knowledge of this is affected by the awareness of the following gaps:

1. Saved into and saved from gap;
2. Holiness of God and sinfulness of self gap;
3. Love of God and Wrath of God gap.

Then one of the Pharisees invited Him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of fragrant oil and stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with the hair of her head, kissing them and anointing them with the fragrant oil.
When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching Him - she’s a sinner!"
Jesus replied to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."
"Teacher," he said, "say it."
"A creditor had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii, and the other 50. Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?"
Simon answered, "I suppose the one he forgave more."
"You have judged correctly," He told him. Turning to the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she, with her tears, has washed My feet and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. You didn’t anoint My head with olive oil, but she has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little." Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
Those who were at the table with Him began to say among themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?"
And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." (Luke 7:36-50 HCSB)