ARTICLE 16. GOOD WORKS
• THE BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH 1689. ARTICLE 16. Good Works
Good works are only those works which God has commanded in His Holy Word. Works which do not have the warrant of Scripture, and are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intentions are not good works.
Good works, performed in obedience to God’s commandments, are these: the fruits and evidences of a true and living faith. By these believers express and show their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the Gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, Whose workmanship they are; created in Christ Jesus to perform good works, and to have fruits of holiness which lead to eternal life.
Their ability to do these good works does not in any way come from themselves, but comes wholly from the Spirit of Christ. To enable them to do good works, alongside the graces which they have already received, it is necessary for there to be a further real influence of the same Holy Spirit to cause them to will and to do of His good pleasure. But believers are not, on these grounds, to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless given a special motion by the Spirit, but they must be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.
Those who attain the greatest height which is possible in this life in their obedience to God, are still so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, that they fall short of much which they are bound to do in their duty to God.
We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin or eternal life from the hand of God because of the great disproportion between our best works and the glory to come, and because of the infinite distance which is between us and God. With our works we cannot profit or satisfy God concerning the debt we owe on account of our sins. When we have done all we can, we have only done our duty, and are still unprofitable servants. And in any case, in so far as our works are good they originate from the work of the Holy Spirit. Even then, the good works are so defiled by us, and so mixed with weakness and imperfection, that they could not survive the severity of God’s judgement.
Yet, quite apart from the fact that believers are accepted through Christ as individual souls, their good works are also accepted through Christ. It is not as though the believers are (in this life) wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God’s sight, but because He looks upon them in His Son, and is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although it is accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.
Works performed by unregenerate men, although they may in essence be things which God commands, and they may be good and beneficial both to themselves and others, yet because they do not proceed from a heart purified by faith, and are not done in a right manner according to the Word, and because it is not their underlying purpose to bring glory to God, therefore they are sinful, and cannot please God, nor can they make a man fit to receive grace from God. And yet, for unregenerate men to neglect such works is even more sinful and displeasing to God.
MANY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE TODAY WILL ‘TALK THE TALK’ - ( PROFESS FAITH IN CHRIST ) - ( HAVE ALL THEIR THEOLOGICAL BOXES TICKED) - ( THEY ATTEND ALL THE RELIGIOUS SERVICES) - (THEY LIVE OUT A PIOUS RELIGIOUS LIFE BEFORE A WATCHING WORLD – THEY SPEAK ABOUT PEACE AND GOOD WILL TO ALL) -( THEY JUMP THROUGH ALL THE RIGHT HOOPS). BUT THE REAL ACID TEST IS NOT WHETHER WE SIMPLY ‘TALK THE TALK’ BUT WHETHER WE ‘WALK THE WALK.
JEAN-FRANÇOIS GRAVELET WAS KNOWN AS “THE GREAT BLONDIN” A TIGHTROPE WALKER AND IN 1855 THE GREAT BLONDIN WENT TO THE USA . HERE HIS CELEBRITY AND FORTUNE WAS OWED TO HIS IDEA OF CROSSING THE GORGE BELOW THE NIAGARA FALLS ON A TIGHTROPE, 1100 FEET (335 M) LONG, 160 FEET (50 M) ABOVE THE WATER. THIS HE ACCOMPLISHED, FIRST ON 30 JUNE 1859, A NUMBER OF TIMES, ALWAYS WITH DIFFERENT THEATRIC VARIATIONS:
AT SOME POINT DURING HIS AMAZING FEAT HE TURNED TO HIS LARGE AUDIENCE, WHICH INCLUDED NUMEROUS REPORTERS FROM VARIOUS NEWSPAPERS, AND HE ASKED THEM, “HOW MANY BELIEVE I CAN WALK ACROSS THIS TIGHTROPE OVER THE FALLS PUSHING A WHEELBARROW?” PEOPLE CHEERED LOUDLY — THEY WERE SURE THE GREAT BLONDIN COULD DO IT. THEN HE ASKED, “HOW MANY BELIEVE I CAN PUSH A WHEELBARROW ACROSS THE TIGHTROPE WITH A MAN SITTING IN IT?” AGAIN, THERE WAS A LOUD RESPONSE. BLONDIN THEN POINTED TO ONE OF THE MOST ENTHUSIASTIC MEN IN THE AUDIENCE, AND SAID, “OKAY, YOU GET INTO THE WHEELBARROW.” NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE MAN FAILED TO STEP FORWARD.
THIS STORY OF THE GREAT BLONDIN DEMONSTRATES TO US THERE IS OFTEN A GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FAITH WE SAY WE HAVE, AND THE FAITH WE REALLY HAVE. THE MEASURE OF OUR FAITH IS NOT IN OUR “TALK” — IT’S IN OUR “WALK”. ARE WE ACTUALLY WALKING THE TALK?
• JAM. 2: 14- 20.
JAMES IS SAYING IF WE ARE PEOPLE WHO ‘TALK THE TALK’ OF FAITH ROM 10;10 - THEN WE HAVE TO BE PEOPLE WHO ARE DAILY ‘WALKING THE WALK’ OF FAITH TOO JAMES 2:14 . OTHERWISE WE HAVE A DEAD PSEUDO FAITH.
JAMES AND PAUL - CONTRADICTION OR COMPLIMENTARY, ARE WE SAVED BY WORKS OR FAITH?
THERE APPEARS TO BE A CONTRADICTION HERE WE NEED TO TIDY UP! THE APOSTLE PAUL IN ROMANS STATES WE ARE JUSTIFIED THROUGH FAITH ALONE ( ROM 3: 21 -22 ) . IS JAMES CONTRADICTING THE APOSTLE PAUL, BECAUSE HE SAYS, FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD V17.
THE ANSWER IS NO, PAUL AND JAMES ARE ACTUALLY ON THE SAME TEAM COMPLIMENTING, SUPPORTING EACH OTHER. BOTH ARE DEFENDING THE CORE BELIEF OF SALVATION THROUGH FAITH ALONE. JAMES AND PAUL ARE SIMPLY CONFRONTING ERROR FROM DIFFERENT SIDES OF ATTACK.
• IMAGINE TWO SOLDIERS PENNED IN AGAINST THE ENEMY THEY ARE BACK TO BACK DEFENDING THEIR CENTRAL CORE POSITION TO GET A 360 DEGREE FIRE RANGE FIGHTING THE ENEMY DEFENDING THEIR CORE POSITION.
PAUL IS ADDRESSING INDIVIDUALS WHO CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD THROUGH WORKS OF THE LAW AND NOT JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH ALONE. (ROM 3:21-22). PAUL IS SAYING WE ARE SAVED BY FAITH ALONE AND NOT BY WORKS OF THE LAW. HE’S NOT FOR ONE INSTANT SAYING WE WON’T PRODUCE GOOD WORKS, IN FACT AS A RESULT OF OUR FAITH HE STATES IN ROM 3:21 WE UPHOLD THE LAW.
JAMES ON THE OTHER HAND IS CONFRONTING INDIVIDUALS WITH A PSEUDO/DEAD FAITH - NOTICE ITS NOT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE FAITH, BUT INDIVIDUALS WHO CLAIM TO HAVE FAITH V14. THESE PEOPLE ARE ALL TALK THEY HAVE NO FRUIT IN THEIR LIVES TO SUBSTANTIATE THEIR CLAIM OF BEING PEOPLE OF FAITH. HE CALLS THEIR FAITH DEAD! ROM 10:10 THEY’VE PROFESSED FAITH, YET ARE WITHOUT ANY FRUIT. JAMES IS SIMPLY SAYING GENUINE SAVING FAITH THAT PAUL SPEAKS OFF, WILL PRODUCE THE GOODS!
PAUL ACTUALLY CONFERS WITH THIS BIBLICAL TRUTH THAT JAMES PROMOTES ....TURN TO...EPH 2:10 WE ARE GODS WORKMANSHIP CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO GOOD WORKS. (EPH 2:8-10 JAM 2:14). BOTH AGREE THAT FAITH IS THE ROOT OF OUR SALVATION AND THAT GOOD WORKS IS THE FRUIT WHICH IS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF GENUINE FAITH. SO RATHER THAN CONTRADICTING EACH OTHER PAUL AND JAMES COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.
1. GOOD WORKS ARE A NATURAL BY PRODUCT OF SAVING FAITH
A. ITS NATURAL BECAUSE GOD IS AT WORK.
EPH2. 10FOR WE ARE GOD’S WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO DO.
THROUGH SAVING FAITH - WE HAVE BECOME GODS WORKMANSHIP (HIS MASTERPIECE) HE’S TOOK OVER THE PROJECT OF OUR LIVES. WE ARE NOW BEING CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO WHAT? TO DO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO DO.
SO A PERSON WHO HAS RECEIVED REAL SAVING FAITH WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SIT BACK LIKE THE CHARACTER IN JAMES WHO SAYS, “I HAVE FAITH AND YOU HAVE DEEDS “ JAMES IS RIGHT TO REPLY V18“I’LL SHOW YOU MY FAITH BY WHAT I DO.”
BECAUSE GOD HAS BEGUN A PROJECT IN OUR LIFE, HE HAS SAVED THE INDIVIDUAL IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO GOOD WORKS, WHICH HE HAS PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR THEM TO DO.
AND SO ITS PERFECTLY NATURALLY FOR JAMES TO SAY “ I WILL SHOW YOU MY FAITH BY WHAT I DO” ... BECAUSE GOD IS AT WORK IN US TO DO SUCH THINGS IN THE FIRST PLACE, HE HAS PLANNED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO DO GOOD WORKS....
• GOD DOESN’T TAKE TIME OUT ON PEOPLE AND SAYS, I’VE GOT NO WORKS PLANNED FOR YOU,, JUST SIT BACK AND RELAX, CARRY ON AS NORMAL, NO WORRIES JUST BELIEVE. IF THAT’S YOUR LIFE, IF YOU’RE LIFE HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE COMING TO KNOW CHRIST .... IF YOUR FAITH IS NOT PRODUCING THE FRUIT OF GOOD WORKS – YOU NEED TO EXAMINE YOUR FAITH.
1B. WHAT ARE GOOD WORKS? (AS REFERRED TO IN THE BIBLE)
DO YOU REMEMBER THE CUBS/SCOUTS/BROWNIES? MAYBE YOU WERE PART OF IT.... IN THESE ORGANISATIONS YOU ARE CALLED UPON TO DO GOOD DEEDS. THESE ARE SEEN AS ONE OFF ACTS OF KINDNESS HELPING A PENSIONER , TIDYING A GARDEN, ACTS OF GENEROSITY, GIVING TO A CHARITY FEEDING THE HOMELESS. WHEN WE CONSIDER GOOD WORKS THIS IS WHAT WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS.....
BUT IS THIS WHAT THE BIBLE IS SPEAKING ABOUT? WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT GOOD WORKS? YES IT MAY WELL INVOLVE SUCH RANDOM ACTIONS - BUT IT ACTUALLY INVOLVES EVERYDAY ACTIONS BEFORE GOD AND OTHERS.
• GOOD WORKS - WHAT THEY ARE NOT.....
SOMETIMES WE OFTEN HAVE TO DIG DEEPER AND ASK WHY ARE WE DOING SUCH GOOD WORKS. MANY PEOPLE ARE DRIVEN TO GOOD WORKS FOR A WHOLE HOST OF REASONS , SOME WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, OTHERS WANT TO BE NOTICED BY OTHERS, OTHERS ENJOY THE ACCOLADE IT BRINGS, MAYBE MAKES THEM FEEL GOOD , SOME WANT TO EVEN EARN GODS APPROVAL, AND ACCEPTANCE, SOME WILL HAVE ULTERIOR MOTIVES BEHIND THE ACT.
GOOD WORKS WHAT THEY ARE NOT / THE PROPHET ISAIAH SAYS, ISA. 64: 6 ALL OF US HAVE BECOME LIKE ONE WHO IS UNCLEAN, AND ALL OUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS ARE LIKE FILTHY RAGS; THE GOOD THAT EVERY HUMAN BEING CARRIES OUT IS TAINTED WITH SIN, WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
• WHAT THEY ARE
MANY MIGHT PERCEIVE RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS AS GOOD WORKS AND WE ALSO CONSIDER THE ACTIONS OF OTHERS OFTEN AS GOOD WORKS – BUT AS WE HAVE SEEN OUR WORKS ARE TAINTED WITH SIN .
• ILLUSTRATION: ROBBIE WILLIAMS WAS THIS WEEK INVOLVED IN THE CHILDREN IN NEED CHARITY CONCERT – AT ONE POINT HE STOOD ON STAGE WITH HIS FORMER BAND TAKE THAT – THE CROWDS ERUPTED – HE SPOKE OF MILKING THE PUBLICITY AND ADULATION AS HE STOOD ON STAGE WITH HIS FORMER BAND MEMBERS WHO ALL MADE A PROMPT EXIT – MAYBE THEY REALISED ITS NOT ABOUT THEM..... TO ME THIS INTERVIEW WITH ROBBIE SHOWS THAT EVEN OUR GOOD WORKS IS MIXED UP WITH OURSELVES. BBC1 NEWS FRONT PAGE 2009: ARTICLE.
ALL OUR WORKS ARE TAINTED WITH SIN. THE ONLY WORKS WHICH ARE GOOD BEFORE GOD ARE THOSE WHICH BRING GLORY AND FOR YOUR WORKS TO BRING GLORY TO GOD YOU NEED TO BE RECREATED IN CHRIST JESUS. THESE ARE THE GOOD WORKS WHICH GOD HAS PLANNED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO DO. GOOD WORKS IN A BIBLICAL FRAMEWORK CAN ONLY BE CARRIED OUT BY THOSE WITH GENUINE SAVING FAITH.
SO A LIFE OF GOOD WORKS IS IN REFERENCE TO A LIFE LIVED OUT IN OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS AND THE WILL OF GOD THIS IS WHERE GOOD WORKS FLOW OUT FROM A LIFE THAT IS SAVED AS JAMES SPEAKS ABOUT. IT ‘S NOT SIMPLY ACTS OF RANDOM KINDNESS – GOOD DEEDS – GENEROSITY DONE BY ANYBODY BUT IT INVOLVES THE WHOLE OF OUR LIVES DAY BY DAY, FROM THE PRIVATE TO THE PUBLIC, FROM THE BIGGEST TO THE SMALLEST ACTION, FROM THE MOST EXITING TO THE MOST MUNDANE OF TASKS.
1C. THE ROOT OF ALL GOOD WORKS IS A SAVING FAITH, WHICH ACTS V15 -17.
TO SOME PEOPLE FAITH IS SIMPLY A VAGUE AGREEMENT WITH GOD - OR THAT CERTAIN THEOLOGICAL TRUTHS ARE TRUE - SOME THINK THAT FAITH IS A SUBJECTIVE FEELING THAT YOUR SAVED AND WILL GO TO HEAVEN ONE DAY . AND THAT NONE OF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH GOOD WORKS, YOU COULDN’T BE MORE WRONG...........
FAITH IS ACTUALLY THE ROOT OF OUR GOOD WORKS IT BELIEVES WITH A LOVING AND OBEDIENT RESPONSE OF A HEART REGENERATED AND CONVERTED TO FAITH IN CHRIST BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. A LIFE BROUGHT TO SAVING FAITH WILL ALWAYS SHOW A WORK OF FAITH AND A LABOUR OF LOVE , SAVING FAITH ACTS...... IT WORKS OUT ITS FAITH WITH A LABOUR OF LOVE (1THES 1:3. READ . HEB6:10).
HERE WAS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES WERE TRANSFORMED IN SUCH A WAY THAT FAITH AND WORKS WERE WORKING TOGETHER AND PRODUCED A LABOUR OF LOVE. 1THES 1: 2 WE CONTINUALLY REMEMBER BEFORE OUR GOD AND FATHER YOUR WORK PRODUCED BY FAITH, YOUR LABOUR PROMPTED BY LOVE.
• THOMAS MANTON WROTE, “WHERE THERE IS FAITH, THERE WILL BE LOVE.”
YOU SEE FAITH IS AN UNDERSTANDING IN THE MIND AND HEART OF GODS LOVE TOWARDS US , AND ITS A NATURAL RESPONSE TO RESPOND, TO RECIPROCATE LOVE TOWARDS GOD AND TOWARDS OTHERS. TO BRING GLORY TO GOD.
REAL FAITH ACTS – IT RESPONDS TO THE REAL NEEDS AROUND THEM. JAMES GIVES US A PRACTICAL APPLICATION – V15 -17. (PIOUS PRAYERS ARE NOTHING WHEN WE FAIL TO ACT ON A NEED BEFORE US)
HE SAYS IF SOME POOR CHRISTIAN BROTHER NEEDS HELP WITH CLOTHING AND SHELTER , IT MAY BE VERY NICE TO OFFER SOME PIOUS PRAYER OR SOME PERSONAL INTEREST IN REGARD TO THEIR WELFARE AND SAY HOW MUCH YOU HOPE THINGS WORK OUT FOR THEM BUT WITHOUT CARING FOR THEIR PHYSICAL NEEDS 2:16. ITS DEAD PIOUS RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS, A DEAD FAITH.
LUKE 10 .25-37 THE GOOD SAMARITAN STORY. A TEACHER OF THE LAW CAME TO JESUS AND ASKED, “WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?” “HOW DO YOU INTERPRET THE LAW” JESUS ASKED. THE EXPERT IN THE LAW REPLIED CORRECTLY (LOVE GOD – LOVE NEIGHBOUR) BUT HE WANTED TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF, AND ASKED “ WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR “ JESUS TOLD HIM THE PARABLE “GO AND DO LIKEWISE.” JESUS SAID , FAITH IN GOD WILL NOT BE LOCKED UP IN SOME THEOLOGICAL IVORY TOWER, BUT WILL ACT OUT IN THE WORLD WITH LOVE FOR GOD AND LOVE FOR OTHERS.
PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO HAVE FAITH AND YET ARE SIMPLY FILLED WITH PIOUS GOOD WISHES TO THOSE IN NEED (CHRISTIAN BROTHER) WITHOUT GOOD ACTIONS GIVE TO THE LIE OF PIOUS WORDS. THE THOUGHT ONLY COUNTS IF SOMETHING TANGIBLE IS DONE TO HELP THE INDIVIDUAL.
OUR FAITH BECOMES AN ACT MAKE PRETEND!
• THAT REMINDS ME OF THE TIME MY UNCLE HAD A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. HE DECIDED FOR NO APPARENT REASON TO DRIVE ME AND MY BROTHER TO NORTH WALES. SO ON THE WAY HE FILLED UP THE CAR WITH PETROL AND PRETENDED TO PAY THE ATTENDANT AS HE OPENED UP HIS WALLET HE GAVE THE ATTENDANT NO THE REAL MONEY BUT IMAGINARY MONEY.
THOSE WHO NEED OUR HELP AROUND US AND AMONGST US WILL NOT THANK YOU FOR PIOUS WORDS OR WELL WISHES , NEITHER WILL GOD WHEN YOU SAY YOU HAVE FAITH AND FAIL TO ACT.
• OUR WORDS PROVE WE KNOW WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO, YET MERE WORDS WILL SHOW THAT YOU HAVEN’T GOT THE HEART FOR IT!
FAITH ALONE JUSTIFIES, BUT NOT THE FAITH THAT STANDS ALONE (PSEUDO DEAD FAITH) AMEN.
