13 Truths About Good Works

Mike Leake

origin_6197063535I’ve been reading The Practical Works of Richard Baxter. It is so lengthy and theologically rich that I’m confident I won’t make it through this before Jesus returns. But I am enjoying what I have read thus far.

In one particular section Baxter discusses the controversy of his day concerning good works. The papists, says Baxter, attempt to “persuade their ignorant disciples, that we account them vain and needless things”.

Almost 400 years later I believe the words of Baxter concerning good works need to be recovered. In our day I believe the charge could be made that we view good works as vain and needless things. The Puritans, like Baxter, believed much differently.

What are good works?

According to Baxter good works are “all actions internal and external, that are morally good”. But we can, says Baxter, extend that a bit and say that they are all works that are done in loving service to our Master; namely, the Lord Jesus.

I’ve summarized and contemporized these a bit but I believe it is faithful to the original. Here are 13 truths about the Christian and good works that should be considered in our day:

  1. God does not need the service of any creature.
  2. In terms of the law, no sinner can do any works which shall be deemed “good”.
  3. Christ has fulfilled the law of works, as to merit for us
  4. The redeemed are not masterless, but are governed by the Lord.
  5. Christ did not redeem us from the necessity of good works but died to restore us to a capacity and ability to perform them.
  6. Good works in their due subordination to God’s mercy and Christ’s merits and grace, are necessary and rewardable.
  7. God doesn’t need our works but he is pleased by them
  8. It is no dishonor to God that creatures should be praised for their good works.
  9. Just as God gives light to the world through the sun, so also he does good works in the world through his servants.
  10. He is most indebted to God, that is most exercised in good works. In other words, the more good works we see in our life the more we can attribute to the work of His grace.
  11. The obligation to good works is essential to us as servants of the Lord.
  12. Not the same works are required of all, nor in the same degree; but according to every man’s talent and opportunities.
  13. God looks to the heart more than to external action.

(Taken from The Practical Works of Richard Baxter, p.111)

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One other note from Baxter…

There is quote running around from Tim Keller that I continue to see time and again. It is something to the effect of us needing to even repent of our good works. In the context, I know that Keller means that when we come to Christ we must repent of our self-righteous efforts to please God apart from Christ. To that, I give a hearty “Amen!”

But I’ve noted that some stretch this quote a bit much–as if believers have no ability to produce good works and that we must repent of even the good things we do. I’m not sure the Puritans would agree. I found this quote from Baxter (on point #9 above) interesting:

Christ was far from their opinion that think all good works that are attributed to good men are dishonorable to God.

photo credit: Stifts- och landsbiblioteket i Skara via photopin cc

Today in Blogworld 11.04.14

Mike Leake

How Christians Will Know They Can Join Hands With Rome

This might be offensive to some, but there really is a difference between Protestant and Catholic doctrine.

The State of Theology

This isn’t shocking. I appreciate Trevin Wax’s interaction with the data.

The Beauty of Cross

Here are 19 questions and answers on penal subtitutionary atonement.

The Most Neglected Part of the Pastor’s Job Description

Ouch.

I could watch this all day:

Even So, Come Lord Jesus! (YWS Week 43)

Nick Horton

richardsibbessmallWelcome to a year of reading Richard Sibbes together! The reading plan for the entire year can be accessed here. I encourage you to stick with us, allow yourself time to read, and soak in the riches of this gifted and prolific Puritan preacher. You will be edified and encouraged.

If you have trouble with how Sibbes used words, check out the Lexicons of Early Modern English for definitions from the period.

Summary/Engagement

How many times has your dad left you with chores to do, something specific he wanted accomplished while he went away or did something else? The decision that enters our minds is, do we do what he said? Do we do it now, or play for a while and try t rush it through? Do we trust that he’s coming back? Do we want to please him or do we not care if he is angry or not?

I have at times disobeyed and neglected to do what he left for me to do. I was then subject to punishment and his disappointment for not obeying him. I have also done what he desired and received his appreciation and gratitude for listening to him and doing what was asked.

When I obeyed, I looked forward to his return. I couldn’t wait to see him again. When I disobeyed I dreaded his return and the punishment I knew was coming.

So it is with the return of Christ. To be clear, my theologically minded friends, my obedience will not earn my place in heaven. No, that is for Christ and his sacrifice to purchase. My faith, given to me by God, is all that I have to lay hold of Heaven.

My obedience evidences whether I have that faith. Do I hear my Shepherd’s voice and obey him (John 10:27-30), or am I a shameful wedding crasher who will be tossed out?(Matt. 22:11-13)

“Labour to be reconciled to God. Maintain and preserve thy peace and reconciliation with God, and athen all things will be reconciled unto us, that are between us and the second coming of Christ.”

Application / Further Discussion

Why all that stuff about obedience, and dads, and shepherds, and dudes who crash weddings?

Christ is coming again.

“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” Revelation 1:7

Have you ever wondered why the second coming of Christ is part of nearly ever church’s statement of faith? Why is this so important that your assent to it is required for full participation in most churches?

Again I say, Christ is coming again.

Salvation means something. It is not spiritual Xanax to reduce our guilty conscience and it’s spiritual panic attacks at the thought of judgment. We are not playing monopoly where salvation is our “Get Out Of Hell Free” card. It is not some cultural conformity we agree to in order to be accepted by a group of people.

Salvation is man’s realization of his guilt before a holy and righteous God. It is the realization that he has been in rebellion against the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, and that he stands condemned to a just and eternal punishment in hell for this treason against the King. It is then God’s gift of repentance to man, that he turn from his high treason, his sins, and believe in Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection on behalf of all who would believe.

Salvation is a restoration of something long ago broken. Salvation is the bending of the knee to King Jesus, swearing fealty unto death. Salvation is the coming home of our wayward and sin-sick souls on paths of self-destruction to the One who loved us while we were yet sinners, and died for us.(Romans 5:6-11)  There is no salvation without thanks to God. It is a desire to be united with the Savior who loved us and bought us with His blood for His own possession.

“That a Christian, if he hath true faith in the times to come, he will have answerable desires, and correspondent prayers.”

Christ is coming again.

We believe He is coming again because He said so. (John 14:1-3, John 14:18, Matthew 24:29-51, Revelation 22:20, etc.)

We long to see Him who saved us. Come, Lord Jesus! We long for our sins to be finally and fully put to death, and to be raised in glory by Him who made all things by the word of His power. Everything in this life can fade away except that blessed hope of Christ and His return for us.

“If the good things that we have by grace here are such ‘as eye hath not seen, or ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man to consider of,’ (1 Cor 2:9) … how transcendently then unutterable and unconceivable are those things that are reserved against that time! If the ‘first fruits’ are so sweet, what is the full harvest! (Romans 8:23)

If Peter was so ravished with a little drop and glimpse of heaven, when he saw the transfiguration of Christ in the mount, so that he even lost and forgot himself, and ‘wist not what he said,’ Matthew 27:4, how shall we be affected, think you, when we shall see Christ, not in his transfiguration, but in his glorification, for ever!

If the communion of saints here be so sweet, even an heaven upon earth, 1 John 1:3, what will it be when all the blessed souls that have been from the beginning of the world unto the end shall be all together, and they altogether freed from all corruptions and infirmities! what a blessed sight will that be!”

 

 

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Revelation 22:20

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Last week, we read The Fruitful Labor for Eternal Food.

Next week, we read The Redemption of Bodies.

What Happens When We Shrink From the Bad News of the Gospel?

Mike Leake 2 Comments


Charles Spurgeon once said, “If your sin is small then your Savior will be small also. But if your sin is great, then your Savior must be great.”

Actually I believe that is Derek Webb’s catchy gloss of this Spurgeon quote:

When men talk of a little hell, it is because they think they have only a little sin, and believe in a little Saviour; it is all little together. But when you get a great sense of sin, you want a great Saviour, and feel that, if you do not have Him, you will fall into a great destruction, and suffer a great punishment at the hands of the great God.

Spurgeon (and Webb’s contemporizing) are true, our level of awe for the Savior is directly proportionate to our understanding of our sin. If we think we’ve only been rescued from a few little sins then we aren’t going to be shocked by the scandal of our salvation.

Preaching Like Edwards

It is because of this truth that I believe we need more preaching like Jonathan Edwards. Imagine sharing something like this to your unbelieving neighbor:

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some detestable insect, over the fire, detests you, and is dreadfully provoked: His wrath towards you burns like fire; He looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be thrown into the fire…and yet, it is nothing but His hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. It is to be ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell last night; that you were allowed to awake up again in this world, after you closed your eyes to sleep. And there is no other reason to be given, why you have not dropped into hell since you arose this morning, but that God’s hand has held you up…Yes, there is nothing else that is to be given as a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell.

We are tempted to mock such a presentation in our day. It feels so outdated and needlessly offensive. We’ve adopted an approach to evangelism that focuses on God’s love and His wonderful plan for the sinner. Such talk like Edwards is too off-putting. We’ve applied my dear grannies advice to our evangelism: “You catch more flies with honey”.

What Happens When We Shrink From the Bad News?

Meanwhile, professing Christians feel as if their relationship with Jesus is languishing. Their affections for Jesus are dim and they no longer feel the depth of his love.

Is it possible that part of the reason for our lack of proper affections is because the way that the gospel was told to us began at the wrong spot? Is it possible that we haven’t really grasped the depth of our sin and felt even a bit of the weight of being under the wrath of God?

Here’s my point. When we share the gospel with people (and when we preach the gospel from the pulpit) let us not pretend that our sin is small. Don’t shrink from telling people the bad news and the awkward truths. If they come to know Christ they’ll have a much better foundation from which to build and be discipled.

Lastly, if your relationship with Jesus seems to be languishing and you are struggling to feel and believe the depth of his love, consider going back to the cross and the wrath of God. You’ll naturally want to study his love and the feel good passages. But they won’t shine as bright as they really are unless they are shone with the backdrop of God’s fierce wrath. Then you’ll be amazed!