God calls His people the “salt and light of the world.” What we must have to become the salt and light of the world is good deeds and good minds in God’s eyes.

The Bible asks us not to conform any longer to the pattern of this world (Ro 12:2), and teaches us to do good deeds as children of heaven. Even those who do not believe in God often say, “You’ll go to heaven if you do good things, and you’ll go to hell if you do bad things.” We must all remember that our good deeds as well as our faith will become an important factor that determines whether we are going to heaven or hell.

Those who display God’s glory

Judas Iscariot claimed to believe in God, but he didn’t have a good mind. That’s why he committed the heinous act of selling the Messiah, who came to save the world, for 30 pieces of silver. He had no good habits because he did not store up good things in his heart, which caused the problem. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him (Mt 12:35). ‘Is there anything more beneficial to me or anything that can satisfy me even if it causes harm to others?’ This thought was a factor that ultimately made him take the lead in the evil act of crucifying Christ.

We must always walk the right path which the Bible shows us, keeping in mind that we will be judged according to our deeds; we will go to heaven if we do good things, and we will go to hell if we do bad things. According to Bible prophecy, God’s people are to display God’s splendor.

Isa 60:21–22 “Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.”

Suppose there is a man who speaks carelessly and behaves badly while claiming to believe in God. People around him will have negative perceptions of God he believes in and of the church he attends, and he will end up dishonoring God instead of displaying God’s glory.

As the gospel is spreading rapidly throughout the world, many diverse people are coming to Zion. At this point in time, the title and position holders including the pastoral staff and those who have been in the faith longer should set good examples to the members who come to Zion later. If we set an example of good behavior as those who have been called earlier, the new members will follow our example, and if all the members of Zion display God’s glory through good deeds like that, the gospel will spread even faster to Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

Mt 5:13–16 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Jesus has told us to do good things, so that people may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven. Wherever we are, whether at the church, at work, at school, or in the neighborhood, we have to live in a worthy manner as the people who believe in God. We should have the virtues of concession and consideration and also the virtue of perseverance that enables us to tolerate patiently even in anger-provoking situations.

Eph 5:7–14 Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible . . .

The Bible tells us to live as children of light since we have now come to the light, even though we walked in darkness and participated in the deeds of darkness before. This is the spiritual family’s motto which God has given His children in faith. People in the world are now seeing God through us. Since they cannot see or know God directly, they come to know through us what kind of God we believe in and follow. Let us always live as children of light in God, so that we can display God’s glory before people.

Awake to righteousness and stop sinning

The world is so wicked that good people are sometimes ridiculed and seen as foolish, and there are cases where some people acknowledge a person as one of their companions when that person gets involved with them in their evil work. Even students who behave in a good, upright way at school are sometimes ostracized by their friends.

We need to think carefully about whose will we should follow—the will of people or the will of God. This world is only temporary, and the environment we live in is also temporary. However, heaven is an eternal dwelling place for us. Keeping this fact in mind, let us live as God’s children who are worthy of living in the kingdom of heaven.

1 Co 15:31–34 I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. . . . Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

God repeatedly asks the children of heaven to avoid sin and to do good and righteous things. We must not think lightly of sin, ‘It’s okay to do this because other people do it, too,’ but always consider what God would think of us and how we should display God’s glory. Additionally, we should speak and act properly, having the right mindset as people of Zion.

1 Pe 2:11–12 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Our brothers and sisters in Zion have been making their community and country good by living according to God’s word. Through our members’ good deeds, many people listen to the truth and come to Zion; when wicked people slander and hinder our church, they say, “All the members of the Church of God are good and they live upright lives. Their behavior is better than yours.” So the Bible says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Ro 12:21).

Our deeds are recorded in heaven

There are so many wicked things occurring all over the world. We see the news about evil things happening every day. Some of them even make us think, ‘How could they do that?’ The world is so corrupt with evil.

Through TV networks, we also see the news about events and accidents occur-ring in other countries. We can see the things that have already happened. Human technology has advanced so much. How much more advanced must God’s technology be! God sees everything that has ever happened—decades ago, hundreds and even thousands of years ago, doesn’t He? Through the fact that human technology enables the recording of words and movements, we need to know that God sees every single thing we do.

You are wrong if you think that nobody will know what you have done today, as time passes. Every action we take, every word we speak, and the attitude of mind we have each day—all these things do not disappear, but remain recorded forever. There are numerous stars shining in the night sky, but we cannot know if the stars still exist. It’s because the light from some of the stars that we see now was emitted 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. Likewise, the things we have done never disappear. As for those who attend worship services in a reverential manner, their reverent attitude in worship will be captured on video in heaven, and for those who speak gracious words, their words will all be recorded, too. That’s why God says He will judge everyone according to what they have done.

Rev 20:11–15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The book of Revelation definitely records the scene where the dead are standing before the throne of God to be judged according to what they have done. Not only our deeds, but our words and attitudes of mind can also be considered as actions. According to all these actions, we will be judged as recorded in the books.

Have a good conscience and do many good works

We must all go to heaven. None of us should get foolishly involved in wicked things, being deceived by evil companions. Instead, we have to conduct ourselves rightly as God-believing people and live exemplary lives for our neighbors as well, keeping God’s good teachings in mind.

As God’s people, we ought to possess all the necessary qualifications in God. Those who will go to heaven should be different. They must have a conscience and behave in an upright manner as well. Although they used to live according to their selfish desires at a time when they were not God’s people, they should now change every aspect of their lives in God, shouldn’t they?

1 Ti 1:18–20 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

The Bible tells us that those who have rejected a good conscience and faith have been handed over to Satan. We must not think while doing evil, ‘I’m surely going to heaven because I’ve kept the New Covenant Passover.’ None of us should reject a good conscience. It is never true that even our wrongdoings are tolerated because we preach the gospel diligently or keep God’s laws faithfully. Performing good deeds is also one of God’s instructions in the Bible. When we have a good conscience and behave upright with respect for God’s word, we can perform the role of the salt and light in the world and become worthy enough to enter the kingdom of heaven.

2 Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Our members in Zion are living amid God’s abounding grace. However, although we are living by the grace of God, we cannot obtain good results if we behave recklessly. God makes grace abound to us, so that we will all abound in every good work.

Our Heavenly Father and Mother have come to this earth in the flesh, and They have devoted Their whole life to preaching the gospel and helping those in need through good deeds as well. They have personally set us an example so that we should abound in every good work.

Love achieved in the new covenant

When God proclaimed the new covenant, He said, “A new command I give you: Love one another” (Jn 13:34). In Zion we have some members who act contrary to our thoughts and standards. However, God has given us the command to “love one another,” so that we can tolerate each other’s shortcomings and help one another grow better. We must observe this new command fully.

Ro 13:8–10 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Everyone grows up in different environments, and they have different educational backgrounds and different living conditions. So, they may see the same thing differently. We should not exclude those who have different thoughts than ours, but understand and tolerate one another with a generous mind. Only then can we observe the new command to love one another.

Of course, we may sometimes get upset or angry. However, if we dwell in God who is love, we should be patient and kind as well, shouldn’t we? Brothers and sisters in Zion! I would like to ask all of you to observe the commandment of love fully by doing good deeds, so you can please Father and Mother and display God’s glory all over the world.