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You are here: Home / 3 Christian Living / a Personal Discipleship / Knowing God / Matthew 5:16, Paraphrased

Matthew 5:16, Paraphrased

April 23, 2018 by mattperman

Matthew 5:16 tells us the purpose of our productivity: “Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Where is productivity there? In the phrase “good works.” Good works are not just rare and special things we do, but any good thing we do flowing from our faith in Christ. This includes our work, which Paul explicitly categorizes as among the good works we are called to do (Ephesians 6:8 w/2:10).

What is the purpose of our productivity? That others may glorify God.

As I’ve mentioned before, this is often an ambiguous phrase to us. So here is a paraphrase of Matthew 5:16 that helps make the purpose in our good works more clear:

Let your let so shine before others, that they may see your good works and think highly of God.

That helps give us clear direction. Do everything you do in such a way that other people will begin to respect and admire God more fully, and express that in praise.

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About Matt Perman

 

I am the director of career development at The King’s College NYC, co-founder of What’s Best Next, and the author of What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done. This is my personal website where I blog on four of my favorite topics: theology, apologetics, culture, and living in New York City.

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