What Are Good Works?
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
10/29/2017 AM
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Text:
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Romans 14;
Lord's Day 33
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Psalters: |
128, 147, 298, 246 |
- Their right source.
- Good works must proceed out of faith. “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23; also Hebrews 11:6).
- God’s first work in us is regeneration - spiritually changing the heart by uniting us to Christ (faith).
- Faith is God’s gift which binds us spiritually to Christ (John 15:1-8).
- Christ bears fruit through us, and without Him we can do nothing good (John 15:1-5).
- God’s work of grace in us produces the life of new obedience.
- The right standard for good works is God’s law.
- The law of God is the only objective standard for identifying good works. (I John 3:4; I Sam. 15:22; Heb. 13:21).
- This excludes all other standards (Deut. 12:32; Numbers 15:39).
- The principle behind this criterion is two-fold:
- One, God created all and controls all the absolute monarch of the universe.
- Two, God gives instructions in order to establish a personal link between Himself and His subjects.
- In the law God demands the heart: His law is fulfilled only with love (Romans 13:10-12; Matt. 22:37-39).
- All good works must have the correct goal or purpose of the glory of God.
- Man’s works all have a purpose or an end.
- To be good a work must have as its goal the glory of God.
- God created all things in order that they might radiate His glory (Rev. 4:11).
- God created man to be consciously declaring and consciously reflecting His glory.