Good Works & Getting Into Heaven - Pastor Patrick Hines Reformed Christian Podcast We are going to walk through this masterpiece of theology from the Westminster Confession of Faith - Chapter 16 - "Of Good Works" Chapter 16. Of Good Works. I. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in His holy Word,(a) and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention.(b) (a) Micah 6:8 8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God? ; Rom. 12:2; Heb. 13:21. (b) Matt. 15:9; Isa. 29:13; I Pet. 1:18; Rom. 10:2; John 16:2 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God. ; I Sam. 15:21, 22, 23. II. These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith:(c) and by them believers manifest their thankfulness,(d) strengthen their assurance,(e) edify their brethren,(f) adorn the profession of the Gospel,(g) stop the mouths of the adversaries,(h) and glorify God,(i) whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto;(k) that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.(l) (c) James 2:18 18 Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from `thy' works, and I by my works will show thee `my' faith. , 22. (d) Ps. 116:12, 13; I Pet. 2:9. (e) I John 2:3 3 And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. , 5; II Pet. 1:5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. (f) II Cor. 9:2; Matt. 5:16. (g) Tit. 2:5, 9, 10, 11, 12; I Tim. 6:1. (h) I Pet. 2:15. (i) I Pet. 2:12; Phil. 1:11; John 15:8 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and `so' shall ye be my disciples. . (k) Eph. 2:10. (l) Rom. 6:22. III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ.(m) And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides 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:(n) 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.(o) (m) John 15:4 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. , 5; Ezek. 36:26, 27. (n) Phil. 2:13; Phil. 4:13; II Cor. 3:5. (o) Phil. 2:12; Heb. 6:11, 12; II Pet. 1:3, 5, 10, 11; Isa. 64:7; II Tim. 1:6; Acts 26:6 6 And now I stand `here' to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers; , 7; Jude ver. 20, 21. IV. 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.(p) (p) Luke 17:10 10 Even so ye also, when ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do. ; Neh. 13:22; Job 9:2 2 Of a truth I know that it is so: But how can man be just with God? , 3; Gal. 5:17. V. 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,(q) but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants;(r) and because, as they are good, they proceed from His Spirit;(s) 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.(t) (q) Rom. 3:20; Rom. 4:2, 4, 6; Eph. 2:8, 9; Tit. 3:5, 6, 7; Rom. 8:18; Ps. 16:2; Job 22:2 2 Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself. , 3; Job 35:7 7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thy hand? , 8. (r) Luke 17:10 10 Even so ye also, when ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do. . (s) Gal. 5:22, 23. (t) Isa. 64:6; Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7:15, 18; Ps. 143:2; Ps. 130:3. VI. Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him,(u) not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreproveable in God’s sight;(w) 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.(x) (u) Eph. 1:6; I Pet. 2:5; Exod. 28:38; Gen. 4:4 with Heb. 11:4. (w) Job. 9:20; Ps. 143:2. (x) Heb. 13:20, 21; II Cor. 8:12; Heb. 6:10; Matt. 25:21, 23. VII. 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:(y) yet, because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith;(z) nor are done in a right manner according to the Word;(a) nor to a right end, the glory of God;(b) they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God.(c) And yet, their neglect of them is more sinful, and displeasing unto God.(d) (y) II Kings 10:30, 31; I Kings 21:27, 29; Phil. 1:15, 16, 18. (z) Gen. 4:5 with Heb. 11:4; Heb. 11:6. (a) I Cor. 13:3; Isa. 1:12. (b) Matt. 6:2, 5, 16. (c) Hag. 2:14; Tit. 1:15; Amos 5:22 22 Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. , 23; Hosea 1:4 4 And Jehovah said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. ; Rom. 9:16; Titus 3:5 5 not by works `done' in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, . (d) Ps. 14:4; Ps. 36:3; Job 21:14 14 And they say unto God, Depart from us; For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. , 15; Matt. 25:41, 42, 43, 45; Matt. 23:23. Chapter