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{Sermons on John 1:47
The Doctrine Confirmed
The Principles and Doctrines of Godliness Are Not Fantasy
Of Good Works
Defining Good Works}
What are we to understand by “good works”? A good work, in general, is a holy or gracious action. For a work to be good, four things are necessary.
First, the principle from which it proceeds must be good. It must be from an honest and upright heart, from a pure conscience, from unfeigned faith, and so on (Matthew 12:35; 1 Timothy 1:5).
Second, the matter of the work must be good, something that is commanded. “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV). [By contrast:] “… Their fear of me is a commandment taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13 ESV).177
Third, the form or manner of doing it must be good. It must be well done; this takes into consideration all of its circumstances of time, place, and so on.
Fourth, the purpose and goal must be good; it must be done to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
As to the particular kinds of good works, it is not easy to list them all. The Roman Catholics178 talk little of any good works except the exercises of bounty and liberality in giving alms, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting and relieving the afflicted, building poorhouses, building colleges, and the like. They insist so much on these that it is as if there were scarcely any other good works but these. But we may not confine good works within such narrow categories. Rather, to do good works is to live a good and godly life, doing and observing all of the things that God has commanded us. Good works include living holily, honestly, circumspectly, and fruitfully. Good works include exercising all of the graces of Christ: faith, hope, love, and so on. Good works include subduing and mortifying lust and corruption, governing our hearts, governing our tongues, and ordering well our conduct toward God and people. Good works include all of the virtues and duties of Christianity, such as righteousness, mercy, charity, praying, fasting, hearing sermons, sanctifying the Sabbath, lending, giving, forgiving, peacemaking, instructing, exhorting, reproving, denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, following Christ, fighting the good fight of faith, laying up treasures in Heaven, and the like. Everything about which God will say at the last, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21), is a good work. In all these, the Lord requires three things.
The first thing the Lord requires of our good works is that we act with all of our might, to our utmost. “Whatever your hand finds to do”—and thus what your head or your heart finds to do—“do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10), being “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Romans 12:11 ESV). Be fruitful in every good work (Colossians 1:10), and “abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
The second thing the Lord requires of our good works is that we do good works all of our life, to the end of our days. “That you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged” (Deuteronomy 6:2 NKJV).
The third thing the Lord requires of our good works is that we do them throughout the entire course of our lives, without intermission. There must not only be well-doing, but a continuance in well-doing (Romans 2:7). God will not have any voids or empty spaces in our lives, but every day must be filled up with the duties of it. Christians must not think of getting to Heaven by any shortcuts,179 but walk their entire path. They must not skip over a duty, or skip over a day. The law of God does not allow a day to sin, nor does it relieve us of a day’s duties. To demand a time-out from the service of God is to desire that much time for the service of sin. We are always serving one master or the other. We are certainly serving sin when we are not in one way or the other serving the Lord.180
177This verse may perhaps be better understood by recalling the fact that certain denominations, without scriptural warrant, impose man-made rules upon their adherents, such as particular clothing styles, telling rosary beads, and the like.
178The editor acknowledges that the formal teachings of the Roman Catholic denomination, both historically and presently, generally embrace (with some wrong reasons) the good works in both of the lists that Alleine gives below. The editor surmises that this statement reflects Roman Catholic preaching and practice in Alleine’s time and locality. Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic denomination also deems as good works many practices that Scripture not only does not command, but many that are against Scripture.
179Alleine uses the Latin phrase, per saltum, which refers to the ancient Roman civic order in which those of noble rank were expected to fill and do well in lower offices, then progressively move up to higher and higher civil offices, terminating, typically, in the rank of senator. In this context, per saltum means to skip over one or more of those (normally) expected lower civil duties. So, likewise, Christians must walk the entire course of good works that God has ordained for them before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:10).
180Finite and frail humans do need a certain amount of rest, recreation, and downtime, without which we become less productive or even unproductive. Alleine does not speak against attending to the necessary maintenance of body or mind. The concern is that such maintenance be to God’s glory, in His presence, and for holy ends, and that rest or recreation not become ends in themselves. “Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your princes feast at the proper time—For strength and not for drunkenness!” (Ecclesiastes 10:17 NKJV).
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