“Provoke… to good works…”

The Bible tells us to "consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works" (Heb. 10:24), an exhortation that is confirmed repeatedly: 

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?" (James 2:14, KJV)

"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46, KJV)

"He [Jesus Christ] became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him...." (Heb. 5:9, KJV)

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." (Rev. 2:4-5, KJV)

"I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." (Rev. 3:1-3, KJV)

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." (James 2:18-20, KJV)

"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:24-26, KJV)

Those above are 7 witnesses from the Bible that aim, quite surely, to ready us for the judgement seat of Christ, where all of us will one day appear.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Cor. 5:10, NKJV)

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Rev. 22:15, NKJV)

KJV: Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

NKJV: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.