Eastside Evangelical Fellowship
Of Good Works
1. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in His holy Word, (Micah 6:8, Rom. 12:2, Heb. 13:21) and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention. (Matt. 15:9, Isa. 29:13, 1 Pet. 1:18, Rom. 10:2, John 16:2, 1 Sam. 15:21–23)
Comments –
a) Good works must be defined by God, not by men. The paradox of freedom is that we must be bound to the law of God and His Word or we will be bound in submission to the laws of men. Freedom requires as its protection submission to God.
b) Good intentions or a strong zeal for God is never an excuse for adding to or subtracting from the law of God. We must not define good works according to the wisdom of man – “These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Col 2:23).
2. These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: (James 2:18,22) and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, (Ps. 116:12–13, 1 Pet. 2:9) strengthen their assurance, (1 John 2:3,5, 2 Pet. 1:5–10) edify their brethren, (2 Cor. 9:2, Matt. 5:16) adorn the profession of the gospel, (Tit. 2:5,9–12, 1 Tim. 6:1) stop the mouths of the adversaries, (1 Pet. 2:15) and glorify God, (1 Pet. 2:12, Phil. 1:11, John 15:8) whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, (Eph. 2:10) that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life. (Rom. 6:22)
a) These works are not the ground of our salvation/righteousness. They are the fruit of our salvation/righteousness. Fruit is not the cause of the tree; fruit is the result of the tree.
b) Nevertheless, this fruit is glorious in its effects to the glory of God and upon believers and unbelievers alike.
c) These good works are exactly what God has prepared for us to walk in – He never intended us to be without them (He is no antinomian). In fact, the end of these good works is our sanctification, our holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
3. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. (John 15:4–6, Ezek. 36:26–27) And that they may be enabled thereunto, beside the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will, and to do, of His good pleasure: (Phil. 2:13, Phil. 4:13, 2 Cor. 3:5) yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them. (Phil. 2:12, Heb. 6:11–12, 2 Pet. 1:3,5,10–11, Isa. 64:7, 2 Tim. 1:6, Acts 26:6–7, Jude 20–21)
a) In accomplishing any good works, that accomplishment is wholly from the work of the Holy Spirit in us. He alone is the One who provides the grace both to desire to do the good work as well as the ability to do it. However, the scripture is clear in prohibiting us from thinking that ‘if we don’t feel like obeying, we can just wait around for the Spirit to move us’. We are called to faithful diligence in our fruit-bearing. We are to work out what God is working in.
4. They who, in their obedience, attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do. (Luke 17:10, Neh. 13:22, Job 9:2–3, Gal. 5:17)
a) The Roman Church teaches that a man can do more perfect works than is required of him and build a bank account of grace. That account is then committed to the management of the pope who can offer indulgences for sins. You haven’t done enough good works to cover your sins? You can buy a good work from the pope.
5. We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come; and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom, by them, we can neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins, (Rom. 3:20, Rom. 4:2,4,6, Eph. 2:8–9, Tit. 3:5–7, Rom. 8:18, Ps. 16:2, Job 22:2–3, Job 35:7–8) but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: (Luke 17:10) and because, as they are good, they proceed from His Spirit; (Gal. 5:22–23) and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God’s judgment. (Isa. 64:6, Gal. 5:17, Rom. 7:15,18, Ps. 143:2, Ps. 130:3)
a) There is no possibility of earning or even partially earning one’s salvation through works. At our very best, we have only done what is required of us, leaving God without any obligation. In addition, though the Spirit’s work in us is perfect and produces good works, they are mixed with our own imperfections and do not merit anything from God. All our rewards and eternal life itself is all of grace and not of works.
6. Notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him; (Eph. 1:6, 1 Pet. 2:5, Exod. 28:38, Gen. 4:4, Heb. 11:4) not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in God’s sight; (Job 9:20, Ps. 143:2) but that He, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections. (Heb. 13:20–21, 2 Cor. 8:12, Heb. 6:10. Matt. 25:21,23)
a) Nevertheless, God has accepted both the believer and his works through Christ’s righteousness. He has accepted them on account of Christ. The grace of God extends to our good works – our worship, our obedience, our sacrifices, our fruit-bearing. This is amazing grace.
7. Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands; and of good use both to themselves and others: (2 Kings 10:30–31, 1 Kings 21:27,29, Phil. 1:15–16,18) yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith; (Gen. 4:5, Heb. 11:4,6) nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word; (1 Cor. 13:3, Isa. 1:12) nor to a right end, the glory of God, (Matt. 6:2,5,16) they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God: (Hag. 2:14, Tit. 1:15, Amos 5:21–22, Hosea 1:4, Rom. 9:16, Tit. 3:5) and yet, their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God. (Ps. 14:4, Ps. 36:3, Job 21:14–15, Matt. 25:41–43,45, Matt. 23:23)
a) The unregenerate man is truly damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. Helping the little old lady across the street, but not to the glory of God and from a pure heart, is a grievous sin. But refusing to help that little old lady across the street is even a more grievous sin.