Do good works and good deeds, live by the law.

 

100. Do good works and good deeds, live by the law: This is not just an idle statement briefly hinted at in the religions of God, this is a command from God to mankind found throughout the writings of God:  JUDAISM: Deuteronomy: 5:1 “And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.” Deuteronomy: 8:3 “And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of The LORD doth man live.” Ecclesiastes: 12:13 “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes: 12:14 “For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Hosea: 6:5 “Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth: and Thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.” Hosea: 6:6 “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”  CHRISTIANITY: Luke: 4:4 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Romans: 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Romans: 10:5 “For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.” Romans: 13:9 “For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Romans: 13:10 “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” John: 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth  on me, the works that I do shall he do.” 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” 14:21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” 14:23 “Jesus – said, – If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”

 BABI RELIGION: “The days when idle worship was deemed sufficient are ended. The time is come when naught but the purest motive, supported by deeds of stainless purity, can ascend to the throne of the Most High and be acceptable unto Him.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, pp. 91 and 93)

 “Say, this earthly life shall come to an end, and everyone shall expire and return unto my Lord God Who will reward with the choicest gifts the deeds of those who endure with patience. Verily thy God assigneth the measure of all created things as He willeth, by virtue of His behest; and those who conform to the good-pleasure of your Lord, they are indeed among the blissful.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 160)

 ISLAM: Letter 53. “Keep the fear of Allah (God) in your mind, to give priority to His worship and to give preference to obeying His Commands over every other thing in life, to carefully and faithfully follow the commandments and interdictions as are given by the Holy Book.”

(Islam, Ali b. Abi Taalib, Letters from Nahjul Balaagh)

 51. “The answer of the Believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that He may judge between them, is no other than this: they say, ‘We hear and we obey’: it is such as these that will attain felicity.” 52. “It is such as obey Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah and do right, that will win in the end.” 54. “Say: ‘Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger!”’

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  24)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: “It cannot be that the consequences of a good deed and those of a bad deed would be the same. They are sure to yield different results. The underlying principle of (divine reckoning, reward and punishment) is laid down here.” 14. “Fulfill (then) upon them through their actions and judgments that judgment, which at the last shall bring them to the House of the Lie.”

(ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 160 and The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 51)

 Denkard: Zarathustra (Zoroaster), “Be it known that a man must do himself personally good deeds for his soul’s benefit. If a man does not do a deed required for his spiritual welfare, no other man can do that for him.” “(Every) man makes (his) account-book himself.” “The fruit of every goodness is delight; the fruit of every harmful action is distress.” “Be it known that the final judgment of the soul bears a relation to its desires and capacities.”

 5. “I will speak of that which (He), the Holiest declared to me as the word that is best for mortals to obey; while he said: they who for my sake render Him obedience, shall all attain unto Welfare and Immortality by the actions of the Good Spirit’ – (He) Mazda Ahura (God).” 16. “Then let him have Obedience coming with Good Thought.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasnas 44 and 45)

 HINDUISM: 11. “Let him never, for the sake of subsistence, follow the ways of the world; let him live the pure, straightforward, honest life of a Brahmana.” 12. “He who desires happiness must strive after a perfectly contented disposition and control himself; for happiness has contentment for its root, the root of unhappiness is the contrary (disposition).”

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 4)

 “The whole world hath delight In Thy surpassing power, obeying Thee.” 175. “Let him always delight in truthfulness, (obedience to) the sacred law, conduct worthy of an Aryan,”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 6 and Laws of Manu chapter 4)

 BUDDHISM: “Wrong living as wrong, and right living as right, one practices Right Understanding and in making efforts to overcome wrong living, to arouse right living, one practices Right Effort and in overcoming wrong living with attentive mind, and dwelling with attentive mind in possession of right living, one practices Right Attentiveness. Hence, there are three things that accompany and follow upon right living, namely: right understanding, right effort, and right attentiveness.”

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha, the Word (The Eightfold Path))

 “In the practice of all good deeds, disciples should never indulge in indolence.” 18. “The man of conscience, always striving after purity, alert, reserved, pure of behaviour and discerning.” “Make a refuge unto yourself, Quickly strive and become wise. Purged of taint and free from stain, To heavenly state of the Noble will you attain.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 and 3 (tr. J. Richards and The Diamond Sutra))

 SABEANISM: “For my heart hath testified to The First Life (Haiyi/God).” “Behold me, who have sought purification before Thee! Look on me, I am Thy servant and Thy child. Now I humble myself and my children to Thy name, for I have been true to Thy name, and speak (it) in my heart and talk (of it) in my mind. And I subdue my form and my loins,” and live a holy life not just in words, but in actions. (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 77 and 410)

 “A throne is set up for the Lord of Radiance, For the Lord of Radiance a throne is set up, And the Lord of Radiance sitteth thereon.” “Before him are set up recompenses Which he delivereth to the perfect, To the perfect doth he deliver them” “And said: ‘To each according to the works of his hands It is awarded.” “And he said: ‘Every man who toiled And was long-suffering shall come and take with both hands, But he who did not toil nor endure, Standeth empty in the House of Dues.”’
“He will seek but will not find, And ask, but naught will be given him, Because he had in his hand and gave not, He will search there in his bosom and will find nothing.” “Thou art praised, Manda-d-Hiia.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 123)

 BABI RELIGION: “It behoves each one of you to manifest the attributes of God, and to exemplify by your deeds and words the signs of His righteousness, His power and glory. The very members of your body must bear witness to the loftiness of your purpose, the integrity of your life, the reality of your faith, and the exalted character of your devotion.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 91)

 “Ye should perform such deeds as would please God, your Lord, earning thereby the good-pleasure of Him Whom God shall make manifest.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 129)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Strive to attain nearness to reality through the acquisition of strength of character, through morality, through good works”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 99)

“It is incumbent upon thee to summon the people, under all conditions, to whatever will cause them to show forth spiritual characteristics and goodly deeds, so that all may become aware of that which is the cause of human upliftment, and may, with the utmost endeavor, direct themselves towards the most sublime Station and the Pinnacle of Glory.” “Occupy thyself, during these fleeting days of thy life, with such deeds as will diffuse the fragrance of Divine good pleasure, and will be adorned with the ornament of His acceptance.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, pp. 27 and 76)

“O people of God! Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behavior. Valiant acts will ensure the triumph of this Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce its power. Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Baha! This, verily, is the commandment which this wronged One hath given unto you, and the first choice of His unrestrained Will for every one of you.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 93)