Chapter 16: Of Good Works
1. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his Holy Word,
and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by men out of
blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intentions.
(
Micah 6:8;
Hebrews 13:21;
Matthew 15:9;
Isaiah 29:13
)
2. These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments,
are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith; and by them
believers manifest 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 thereunto, that having their fruit unto
holiness they may have the end eternal life.
(
James 2:18, 22;
Psalms 116:12, 13;
1 John 2:3, 5;
2 Peter 1:5-11;
Matthew 5:16;
1 Timothy 6:1;
1 Peter 2:15;
Philippians 1:11;
Ephesians 2:10;
Romans 6:22
)
3. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves,
but wholly from the Spirit of Christ; and that they may be enabled
thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is
necessary an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit, to work in them
to will and to do of his good pleasure; yet they are 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.
(
John 15:4, 5;
2 Corinthians 3:5;
Philippians 2:13;
Philippians 2:12;
Hebrews 6:11, 12;
Isaiah 64:7
)
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.
(
Job 9:2, 3;
Galatians 5:17;
Luke 17:10
)
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; but when we have done all we can, we have done but our
duty, and are unprofitable servants; and because as they are good they
proceed from his Spirit, 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 punishment.
(
Romans 3:20;
Ephesians 2:8, 9;
Romans 4:6;
Galatians 5:22, 23;
Isaiah 64:6;
Psalms 143:2
)
6. Yet notwithstanding the persons of believers being accepted through
Christ, their good works also are accepted in him; not as though they
were in this life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God's sight,
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.
(
Ephesians 1:6;
1 Peter 2:5;
Matthew 25:21, 23;
Hebrews 6:10
)
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; yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith,
nor are done in a right manner according to the word, nor to a right end,
the glory of God, they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, nor
make a man meet to receive grace from God, and yet their neglect of
them is more sinful and displeasing to God.
(
2 Kings 10:30;
1 Kings 21:27, 29;
Genesis 4:5;
Hebrews 11:4, 6;
1 Corinthians 13:1;
Matthew 6:2, 5;
Amos 5:21, 22;
Romans 9:16;
Titus 3:5;
Job 21:14, 15;
Matthew 25:41-43
)
Back to the 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith
