In this sermon, Eric Bechler explores the topic of good works based on the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689. Good works are described as the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith, done in obedience to God's commandments. The sermon highlights the importance of internal conformity to God's commands and discusses the benefits of good works, including manifesting thankfulness, strengthening assurance, edifying brethren, adorning the profession of the Gospel, silencing adversaries, and glorifying God.

Our reading this morning from the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 comes from chapter 16 of Good Works, paragraph 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 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. Last week we started a new chapter on good works and what they are. Good works are only such as God commands in his holy word.

God warned Israel before entering the Promised Land in Deuteronomy chapter 4, 2, to not add unto, neither diminish ought from the commandments of the Lord, from God's word. This warning applies to us as well today. Despite the warnings, man frequently multiplies the commands of God gives us, such as in Matthew 15, with the ceremonial washing of the hands being a tradition of the elders, not of God's word. We can read in Matthew 15, one through three, then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread, but He answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandments of God by your tradition?

Another example is in the Catholic Church, their requirement for priests to be celibate. These are added requirements to God's Word. They're not commanded by God in Scripture. We could probably come up with many, many more examples of both adding to and taking away from God's Word. The sense of our discussion last week was one of external conformity to God's Word.

And as we continue our study of chapter 16, our paragraph today stresses the importance of internal conformity to God's commands and the important uses of God's good works. Our confession begins with, these good works done in obedience to God's commandments are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith. With two parts here, First, good works are done in obedience to God's commands. To obey God's commandments requires that you actually know what these commands are. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him.

Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2.14. The natural man, the unbeliever, the unregenerate, has no desire to please God, has no desire to obey his commands. But what if he accidentally obeys one of God's commands? Is that considered a good work? Let's look at it in an example.

One day I'm out working and remember that I have a dinner meeting and the shirt I plan to wear needs ironing. But I forgot to tell my wife to make sure she ironed my shirt. When I get home, I find that the shirt had been ironed because it happened to be ironing day for my wife and she went through all the ironing and got it all done. She didn't know that I wanted her to do it. She had not heard me ask her to do it.

Without that knowledge or awareness of the command, it's not obedience. So accidental obedience is not obedience at all. Jesus in speaking to his disciple tells him, If you love me, you will keep my commandments, in John 14-15. Obedience is evidence of our love for God, for Christ. It is evidence for our faith in Christ.

Which brings us to the second point, that good works are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith. We are told, without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, Hebrews 11 six. For example, we can look back into Genesis in chapter four where Cain and Abel offered sacrifices and the Lord looked with favor, unable in his offering, but he had no regard for Cain and his offering. Well, why didn't God look with favor at Cain's offering? There are many speculations out there, but for certain we know that the Lord looks on the heart.

And we read in Hebrews that by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. Hebrews 11 four. The text attributes faith to Abel, but not to Cain. And without faith, it is impossible to please God. From John Tweedale, a professor at Reformation Bible College, good works are good because they spring not from a lifeless faith but from a true and lively faith.

We're justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. However, the faith that saves is never alone, but is accompanied by spiritual life and loving obedience. Christ is the ground of our salvation, faith is the instrument of our salvation, and works are the fruit of our salvation. Whenever the gospel takes root in our lives, it always produces a spirit wrought fruit. The spirit enables us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling to pursue Christ-like lives.

When someone comes to faith to believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior, you would expect to see a change in their lifestyle, in their priorities, in their choices. Take A flashlight, for example. You push the button and you expect that it will light up the darkness. But in the middle of the night, you grab your flashlight to find an armadillo digging through your front yard. And you grab the flashlight and you turn it on and it doesn't shine.

And you know something's wrong. The batteries are dead. It's like someone coming to faith and there's no change, there's no light, their faith is dead and they remain in the darkness. We read from James about faith and works. James 2.18, Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works.

Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. This is not in conflict with Paul's teaching in Romans, but addresses a different issue regarding faith, that faith must have works resulting from it. We are justified by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone. We continue in James, in verse 22, do you see that faith was working together with his works and by works faith was made perfect? Well, his faith was not defective but rather declared genuine and complete by his works.

John comments here on this part of this verse, lacking in it, and he had his fits and times of unbelief. And had he lived till now, his faith in this sense would not have been perfect, and he would have had reason to have used the apostles' position in Luke 17.5 to increase his faith. Much less would it have been made thus perfect by works. But the sense is that hereby his faith was declared to be sincere, unfeigned, true, and genuine, just as love is said to be perfected in 1 John 4.17. If there is a true and lively faith, there will be accompanying good works with that faith, so that by their fruits you shall know them.

Matthew 7.20. The remainder of our paragraph today covers the important uses or benefits from our good works. There are six that we'll briefly look at showing our thankfulness, strengthening our assurance, edifying brothers, adorning the profession of the gospel, stopping the mouths of adversaries, and glorifying God. We begin with, by good works, believers manifest their thankfulness. By good works, the thankfulness of believers is made clear, made apparent.

Our good works show our gratitude to God for the precious gift of his Son, for freeing us from the bondage of sin. We read from Peter's first epistle in chapter 2 verse 9, but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. From the Psalms we can read many praises and expressions of gratitude, of thankfulness. And we read Psalm 116 12 through 13, what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.

From Psalm 149, five and six, let the saints be joyful in glory. Let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth. In Psalm 118, 28 and 29, thou art my God and I will praise thee. Thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. In the Gospel of Luke there's a story of 10 lepers crying out to Jesus to have mercy on them. And all 10 were healed by Jesus as they were going to the priest as he had commanded. And I'm sure as all 10 were healed, all 10 were thankful. And I'm sure that the families and friends of all 10 rejoiced.

Leprosy is a horrible, horrible illness. Yet only one turned back to Jesus to seek Him out, to actually go to him and thank him to give glory to God. When someone has done a wonderful thing for you, did you take time to thank them? Did you take time to write them a note or give them a call? Did you set aside time from your busy schedule to do anything to express your thanks to them?

It may seem a little thing, but showing gratitude, expressing thanks, is a good work. It's a powerful witness to a very selfish and self-centered world that we live in. Do you thank God for the protection as you travel about to work at home to the store? We should be thankful not only for the times where he protects us in an actual accident, like we saw with Wesley and Micah recently, but also when nothing happens. I'm thankful each of us have safely made it to church each Sunday for so many years.

Do you thank God for the many blessings He has showered upon you? Our daily prayers should be filled with thanksgiving to God. The next benefit, by good works believers strengthen their assurance. When we look at ourselves and examine ourselves truly, we see what no one else sees. We hear the thoughts that no one else hears.

We see the sin and we know the thoughts. And it can be discouraging. We can even start questioning whether we are really a Christian if we have these thoughts. Dr. Sproul comments, when Satan reminds us of our sin, he tells us the truth.

But it is only to cause us to despair of our salvation, to paralyze us with our guilt, and to keep us from being productive Christians. Guilt is one of the most powerful forces of paralysis. At that point, we must quote scripture to Satan. Who shall bring any charge against God select? It is God who justifies us.

It is Christ who is raised again for our justification. We should tell him to depart because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Not only our justification, but also our sanctification is rooted and grounded in faith. When the Holy Spirit tells us that we are guilty and convicts us of our sin, he never destroys us with that conviction. His purpose is to heal us, to restore us, and to cause us to repent and rely on Christ.

It is because we understand that good works can only come from one who has a true and lively faith. They can only come from one who knows God's commands. They can only come from one who loves God. They can only come through one's obedience to God's commands. John's first epistle reminds us and encourages us in our assurance in 1 John 2, 3, and hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments.

And in 2, 5, but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that we are in him. And in 1 John 3 18 and 19, my little children, Let us not love the world, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are the truth, we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him." Peter in his second epistle gives some practical guidance for the believer to look at one's actions and fruits. First Peter one verses five through 11.

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, then 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 in 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. When you look back at your life, do you see any difference in your life between before being saved and after?

Do you have any fruit of justification in your life? Are there any signs of progressive sanctification, the dying to sin more and more each day, and growing more and more in holiness? It is through good works that believers can strengthen their own assurance of their salvation. Number three, by good works, believers edify their brethren. As we watch or observe other believers performing good works faithfully, they encourage us.

They build us up. They build us to go and do likewise. Scripture tells us in a number of places to edify our brethren, to stir them up to love and good works. Hebrews 10 24, and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Matthew 5, 16, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

In 2 Corinthians 9, 2, For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them in Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago, and your zeal hath provoked very many." The thoughts of Mr. Stubblefield rose in my mind as I prepared this. He was always so faithful in memorizing scripture. He would recite passages to himself or by himself and then suggest to others that they should memorize the same passage. He very much encouraged me that my family should do more in memorizing passages of Scripture.

I'm still not very good at it, but we're trying as part of our family worship to add verses. Maybe you've responded to some of Mr. Stubblefield's examples or examples of others. Maybe you have memories of other believers whose good works were an encouragement to you, to grow you in your knowledge and faith. In living the faithful Christian life, the fruits of good works will be evident.

They'll be noticed by other believers so that they in turn might be encouraged and edified. Number 4, by good works, believers adorn the profession of the gospel. Adorn the profession of the gospel. What does it mean to adorn? From Noah Webster, to adorn is to beautify, to make more pleasing, to display the excellence of.

So Our good works should add beauty to the profession of faith by Christians. Our good works should display the excellence of the gospel, of the profession of our faith. As believers, if we live a corrupt and worldly life, we make our profession of faith unattractive to the world and discouraging to other believers. In Titus 2, 9 and 10, bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything. They are to be well pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering or stealing, but showing all good faith so that in everything they may adorn a doctrine of God our savior.

So I remember standing in front of the abortion clinic on I-35 by the radio station and a car with a fish symbol on the back of it pulled up into the parking lot. I was pretty shocked. I shouldn't have been, but I was. And I thought, how could a Christian abort their baby? Then I thought, well, maybe they're not a Christian.

Maybe it was a used car that came with that sticker. Regardless, they gave a bad image of Christians. They were not adorning the gospel, and it did not enhance people's perceptions of Christians. It was really, really sad. So how are you adorning the profession of faith?

How Are you enhancing the beauty of the scriptures so as to make it more attractive to others? Are there areas in your life that you need to work on to enhance the beauty of the gospel? How's your driving? Are you patient and kind to other drivers? Are you obedient to the traffic laws?

Are the fruits of the spirit shining forth as you drive? Or are you a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? I think more or less most of us struggle at times at this so it's pointing this way as well.

I would ask you as I do myself to consider before acting Would this bring glory to God or would this bring shame to the gospel to his name? Number five, by good works believers stop the mouths of the adversaries. Dr. Sproul comments, Christians are accused of being hypocrites on any number of things. Our works can be used against us falsely.

However, even the unrighteous person will see our good works and come to recognize that they are beautiful, that they do adorn our profession of faith and they stop the mouths of the obstreperous. If we do the works of Christ that Christ has called us to do, if we love our neighbors, if we're honest and patient and gentle and kind, even pagans stop their criticism of us. We read in 1 Peter 2.15, for so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. From 1 Timothy 6.1, Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed. In Titus 2.5, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

We should live our lives in a way that even unbelievers will not believe any false accusations and that these false accusations will come to no avail. People are always watching and they notice the consistent, faithfully lived out Christian life. And what does that consistent, faithfully lived out Christian life yield? It glorifies God. Good works bring glory, glory to God, which is the point of our last benefit of good works, number six.

And by good works, believers glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto. The catechism teaches us that the chief end of man is to glorify God. Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10 31. We also read in Peter's first epistle chapter 4 verse 11 if any man speak Let him speak as the oracles of God if any man minister Let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praised and Dominion forever and ever amen everything we do should glorify God our good works should glorify God the Father is glorified by our faith by our fruit by our plenteous fruit we read in Matthew 5 16 let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

In 1 Peter 2 12, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evildoers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation. In John 15, eight, here it is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. And finally, Philippians 1, 11, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. Paul tells us that we are God's workmanship, that we were created in Christ Jesus unto good work, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them, Ephesians 2.10. Although our works and everything we do should bring glory to God, it is not our works that save us.

It is by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. The faith we have is a gift from God. Our salvation comes not from any works that we would do. We close today's paragraph with a quote from Romans 6.22, but now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness that you may have eternal life.

It is the good works done in the obedience to God's commands, done from a true and lively faith, done in a right manner, and done for the glory of God, that are the fruit and evidences of one who is justified, who is saved by grace. Not one, but not everyone that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7, 21 through 23.

Their good works in God's eyes were works of iniquity. Their good works in God's eyes just as in Cain's offering was not regarded or not favored by God because of the absence of faith. Those who cried out, Lord, Lord, in our passage here will not be regarded by God or favored by God because all the works they did were done without a true and lively faith and not for the glory of God. I'll end with a phrase from the Gospel of Matthew. It's mentioned at the beginning of verse 16 and repeats itself in verse 20 from chapter seven.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit. But a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire, wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them, and by your fruits we will know you. Amen.