The sermon explores the concept of good works according to the 1689 LBCF, Chapter 16, Paragraph 3. It clarifies that good works are those commanded by God in His Holy Word, done in obedience to God's commands, and for the glory of God. The sermon also discusses the role of good works as fruit and evidence of justification. It delves into the reformed doctrine of the moral inability of fallen man, highlighting the three positions: Pelagianism, Semipelagianism, and Augustinian. The confession aligns with the Augustinian position, emphasizing the total moral inability of fallen man and the necessity of the Holy Spirit's influence for believers to perform every single gracious and holy act. The sermon encourages diligence in stirring up the grace of God that is in us, and provides practical steps to make diligent use of the means of grace.

We continue to look at our good works. We started with clarifying what are good works. The confession tells us the good works are only those works commanded by God in His Holy Word, whether directly or implicitly, not devised by man, whether from zeal or good intentions. Works are good because God says they're good, not because we say so. Good works are done in obedience to God's commands, done from a true and lively faith, done in a right manner, and done for the glory of God.

Our good works are the fruit and evidences of our justification, although it is not our works that save us. It is by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2, eight and nine, and we read that in our opening. Last week we looked at six uses or benefits of good works. And this week we'll look at two more points regarding good works.

They come completely from the Holy Spirit working in us and they come not from our passivity, but through our diligence stirring up of the grace of God that is in us. But why do we have a chapter here of good works? I will say there's a lot of differing opinions related to good works, what they are, what good are they, who can do them, are they integral to justification, are they a part of justification, does God see our good works as good even though they are tainted by sin. And many, many more questions. Hopefully, as we go through our paragraphs, there's seven paragraphs in this particular chapter.

Hopefully, we'll be answering all of these questions as we go along. The first part of our paragraph today points to the reformed doctrine that's called the moral inability of fallen man. In our understanding of man and the fall of man, Dr. Sproul describes three positions, Pelagianism, Semipelagianism, and Augustinian. The Pelagian position teaches that the fall of Adam affected only Adam.

There was no transmission of any corruption to the progeny of Adam, to his children, to his seed. Every person is born in a state of innocence and has the moral power to live not only a good life, but a perfect life. Although the grace of God facilitates perfection in this view, such grace is not required to attain perfection because we're not fallen. The semi-Pelagian position says that the fall of Adam does affect his progeny, that we do have an inherited condition of original sin. We are so weakened by the fall and weakened by the sin that dwells within us that we cannot possibly be good or do any good apart from the assistance of divine grace.

However, we are not so weakened that all moral ability is extinguished. We still have within us the moral ability to cooperate with the grace of God or to refuse to cooperate with the grace of God. Both of those sound hopefully a little suspicious to you guys. Finally, the Augustinian position is that the corruption of fallen man is so deep and so severe that we are left in a state of spiritual death. We cannot incline ourselves to righteousness.

We cannot cooperate with the offer of grace from God unless he first quickens us from spiritual death by the work of his Holy Spirit. We're in a state of total moral inability until the Spirit performs a supernatural work in our souls, changing the disposition of our hearts. Throughout the centuries, there's been a number of church councils that have gathered and they have repudiated both Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism. And our confession this morning comes from the Augustinian position of the total moral inability of fallen man. Let's read again the first part of our paragraph.

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 sieved, there is necessary an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure. Paul quotes Psalms 14, verses one and three in his letter to the Romans. There is none righteous, no, not one. There's none that understandeth, there's none that seeketh after God, there's none that doeth good, no, not one. In Romans 3, 10 through 12.

None of us are good. We are wholly unable to seek after God on our own, we're wholly unable to do any good works on our own. But our sufficiency is from God, 2 Corinthians 3.5, because God gives us a new heart, a heart of flesh, and will put his spirit within you and cause you to walk in his statutes and you shall keep his judgments and do them we read that from Ezekiel 36 Robert Shaw comments it is to be carefully observed that a supernatural habit or vital principle of grace is infused or implanted in the souls of all true believers in the day of their regeneration, whereby they are disposed and enabled to perform acts of holy obedience. But notwithstanding this power or ability which believers have received by habitual grace, there is required an actual influence by the Holy Spirit unto the performance of every single gracious holy act. Well, how do we know this, our paragraph here?

Jesus tells us, I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me, you can do nothing, John 15 five. Without Christ, we can do nothing. Unless we abide in Christ, we cannot do anything that is spiritually good. Unless we abide in Christ, we cannot do anything that is pleasing to God.

But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Philippians 4, 13, we receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon us in Acts 1.8. Paul prays for the brethren in Colossae to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, Colossians 1.10. Paul also prays for the Hebrews that the God of peace make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight. This is from Hebrews 13 20 to 21.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and do of his good pleasure, Philippians 2 13. It is God working in us, not ourselves alone. Dr. Sproul adds, We are to cling to God, to depend on his help and his grace, and not just on our own efforts. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2 10.

The second part of our confession today stresses that we are not to be passive or grow negligent, as if waiting for prompting of the Holy Spirit, but to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in us. I think we all understand what the word diligent means, but I'd like to just reiterate it nonetheless. To be diligent is to be constant in effort, industrious, not idle, not negligent, steadily applied. We need to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in us. We need to be constantly and steadily stirring up the grace of God.

We need to be industrious towards stirring up the grace of God. It's not It's not what we do only Sunday night after a convicting or moving sermon. It's not what we do 20 minutes a day It should be a picture of our lives Every day like when we look at sanctification it's a daily progression to more and more die in your sins and more and more grow in holiness. It's a daily, it's a constant, it's steady. There's no breaks.

Peter in his second epistle exhorts his brethren in 2 Peter 1, 5-10. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you and abound, They make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and hath forgotten that He was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.

For if you do these things, you shall never fall. We must be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in us. We are warned in the negative that if we don't do this, we will be barren and unfruitful, we will be blinded. Instead, show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end, that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6, 11 and 12.

In Jude's call for the brethren to persevere, he says, but ye beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, Jude 20 and 21. Dr. Sproul in his commentary gives some practical steps for us to make diligent use of the means of grace, to be earnestly disciplined, to be engaged in regular Bible study. It means being engaged in regular prayer. It means being regular in church attendance, experiencing Christian fellowship and participating in the sacraments and engaging in outreach.

These activities are means of grace. They are instruments by which we make use of and expose ourselves to the assistance of God's grace in our personal growth. So let's bring those questions to us. Are you diligently stirring up the grace of God that is in you? Or are you coasting?

Are you reading your Bible each day? Are you praying privately? Are you praying with your spouse? Are you praying with your children, your family? Are you gathering to pray with your church?

Are you coming to church regularly? Are you fellowshipping with other believers? Are you reaching out to those outside of your church family? These are just a few areas that encompass the grace of God that is in us. Finally, Jesus speaks to us in John 15 four.

Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine. No more can you except you abide in me. The fruit of our faith is good works. So be diligent so that you will bring us forth much fruit. Amen.