Good Works by the Unsaved vs. Good Works from Authentic Faith

I remembered how I was once challenged with the idea of saying, "Well what of the atheist if they do good works? That doesn't mean they are saved are they?" Here's my entire answer and perhaps from my own mouth, "You can have works without authentic faith but not authentic faith without works." which James 2:14-18 specifies that true faith results to works and not faith plus works salvation. Saving faith is a living, dynamic faith that results to good works. Again please do not mistake James to be teaching works are necessary for salvation... NO he rather shows that works are a result of true salvation. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, "Although we are sure that men are NOT SAVED for the sake of their works yet we are equally sure that no man will be saved without them." Notice the tense- man will not be saved by their works yet when you will be saved, you cannot be without good works. Please do not misinterpret this. So now I'd like to discuss where the difference lies between the good works of the unbeliever vs. the good works of the believer. God will save people and when He does, it will result to good works.

First on the good works of the UNBELIEVER:

One can remember the Pharisees. They really had all the good works they had in public to the point that Jesus said in Matthew 5:20, "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." The Pharisees were ultra-strict, they were trying to avoid sin as much as possible yet these people were nothing more than show business. That is really the problem with much of religion today. Yet the Pharisees had all their secret sins, they were an occult society and all. That is, despite all their "good works", only IF they really understood Isaiah 64:6 which really condemns the righteousness of man as but filthy rags. However the issue of the unbelievers' good works is nothing more than the issue of PRIDE. They think that if they do enough good works BY THEMSELVES (see it's nothing more than self-glorification, God is cut out of the picture) like sacraments and penance, walking while kneeling, fasting, etc. to earn God's favor, they will enter Heaven. Most ignored is James 2:10 that NOBODY can keep the whole Law.

Is it any wonder why Jesus told the rich young ruler that by human terms, one must keep the whole Law. Surely it was a lie to tell Jesus that he kept the whole Law... no sir/mam, Romans 3:19-23 is clear that all are guilty and ALL have sinned. In fact I do feel sorry for people who think they can work their way up to Heaven, however their lifestyle like approving of evils like same sex marriage, multiple sex partners, drinking liquor, gambling, insulting others, teasing, etc. as being "good". Romans 10:3 shows just how these crowd try to establish their own righteousness YET they are IGNORANT of the righteousness of God, they have NOT submitted to His righteousness which is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Here's a quote from Pastor John F. MacArthur on page 133 of "The Jesus You Can't Ignore":

All those qualities (the beatitudes)are radically at odds with the world's values. The world esteems pride more than humility; loves merriment more than mourning; thinks strong-willed assertiveness is superior to true meekness; and prefers the satiety of carnal pleasure over a thirst of real righteousness. The world looks with utter contempt on holiness and purity of heart, scorns every plea to make peace with God and constantly persecutes the truly righteous. Jesus could have devised a list of virtues more at odds with his culture.

And this was especially true of the style of religion that dominated the culture. Consider this: the Pharisees as a group stood on the wrong side of every one of those lines in the sand. Spiritual SELF-SUFFICIENCY defined their whole system. They refused to acknowledge their sin, much less mourn over it. Far from being meek, they were the very embodiment of stubborn, overbearing, self-assertiveness. They didn't hunger and thirst for righteousness; they actually THOUGHT THEY HAD PERFECTED IT. They were not not merciful but specialized in binding heavy burdens, hard to bear and laying them on men's shoulders but they themselves would not move them with one of their fingers." (Matthew 23:4) Their hearts were impure, not pure and Jesus confronted about them that regularly (Matthew 23:27). They were SPIRITUAL TROUBLEMAKERS NOT PEACEMAKERS. And above all, they were quintessential persecutors of the righteous. Their dealings with Jesus were already beginning to make that clear.

I couldn't agree anymore to that. In fact, that' s really the hallmark of false religion- Pharisaical. Consider the typical Roman Catholic priest who thinks he is purer than the common people, thinking he has the virtue above all men despite the Biblical stand that all men are sinners and only Jesus lived a sinless life because He is the Son of God in human form. He thinks that by being celibate, by all the hours he spends in prayer and doing penance, he is already justified before God like the Pharisee who haughtily prayed out before God. In fact, Matthew 23 is really a picture of false religion which also matches most pseudo-Christians. The evidence of not being merciful can be seen through this- the Pharisees persecuted the believers and later their "successors" in the form of the authorities of Roman Catholicism soon did the same as well. Both sides were deceived into thinking they were doing God a service (John 16:23) when in reality they were not. The Inquisition and later the Jesuit Order carried out persecutions against true believers who declared themselves not saved by their own works but rather doing their works because they are saved. Why? As the Vatican canon laws would frequently state, salvation is not by grace but by "faith" and works (which is no faith) that anybody who says so is guilty of the sin of presumption (that is to say that a person knows for sure they have eternal life). And the result of that was they persecuted the pre-Reformation Christians for simply proclaiming their doctrine was a sham to authentic faith. Anabaptists, Mennonites and Baptists were all persecuted heavily and among them was John Huss, a pre-Reformation Christian. One must also consider the Reformation when Martin Luther's good friend William Tyndale was burned at the stake simply for translating the Bible so people can know salvation is not by works but by faith, and that true faith results to real works.

In short, their good works were but SHOW BUSINESS. That is, many philanthropists today are doing donations to "please the crowd" and have "huge billboards" to make themselves "look good" yet inside they are full of evil- some people are just too stupid to know it or sometimes even the uneducated knows better of their evils than the educated ones. They do their good works not for God's glory but themselves. It's no wonder that works salvation preachers have inflated egos, they malign good Christian workers who teach that Christians cannot fall away entirely from the faith but will persevere to the end in teaching a license to sin. Their problem is pride- they want to take glory for themselves. Also, ANYBODY who claims to be a born again Christian yet teaches an extreme legalistic system as well with the doctrine of conditional security and demand for sinless perfection, is no better than their rival religious institutions. Kindly note that many works salvationists do have a LOT of immorality to answer for. Talk about how many of them are homosexuals, pedophiles and lovers of money? 1 Timothy 6:4 describes such people as PROUD yet knowing nothing. Romans 10:3 affirms that they are ignorant of Christ's righteousness.

Second and last, on the good works of the BELIEVER:

As said, true faith produces works. It cannot be denied that is the entire stand of the Bible. Ephesians 2:8-10 declares the saved by faith so nobody can boast molded unto the good works prepared for them. Titus 2:11-15 teaches God's grace teaches righteousness. Romans 3:31 teaches that the Law is not made void by faith but rather Christians establish the Law which CANNOT be done by living the way they want, instead such a faith- that is saving faith results to real works of righteousness. Romans 4:5 says that men are counted for righteousness not of their own but by God's work, meaning that it will result to true and authentic righteousness, not a license to sin by any means and being counted to righteousness means included in righteousness. Does that mean a license to sin? No but rather, a life of righteousness results from a faith that is authentic. As said, Christians cannot sin all they please because of their new nature and it's by God's grace alone.

1 Corinthians 15:10 the Apostle Paul declares that it's only by God's grace that he is what he is, in the previous verse he declared that he was not even fit to be called an Apostle because he persecuted God's Church while he was yet unregenerate. That is, true faith in Christ CONTINUES not just a believe once and be forever saved, even if you don't believe afterwards. As a believer, I take NO CREDIT for any good work I do. I do good works only because it is God that works in me (Philippians 2:13). That is, thank God not me for whatever good I do to you, quite the opposite of the unbeliever who takes credit for their good works as man pleasers loving the praises of men more than God. In Philippians 3:9 the Apostle Paul said that it is not his righteousness but the righteousness of God. If a man be found having Christ's righteousness, then it really did result to REAL good works.

Now these theologians "lend a hand" to defend the Biblical stand of the real role of good works for the believer.

Martin Luther during the Reformation said:

When we have thus taught faith in Christ , then do we teach good works. Because thou hast laid upon Christ by faith, though, whom thou art made righteous (emphasis mine), begin now to work well. Love God and thy neighbor, call upon God, give thanks unto Him, praise Him, confess Him. Do good to thy neighbor and serve him, fulfill thine office. These are good works indeed which flow out of this faith.

It was in fact an accusation against the Protestant Reformation that the early Protestants (just a bad name coined to them by the Roman Catholic institution just like how the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch). Please note Martin Luther didn't form any religion of his own, he never laid a SINGLE BRICK. Also by this, Martin Luther defended the reality that he was not against works, but rather that he was against the legalistic system of Catholicism (which was no better than the Pharisees of Jesus' day) vs. to that of authentic faith resulting to real good works.

John Calvin also wrote against the accusation done by the Catholic Cardinal, Jacop Sadoleto that he was against works:

"We deny that good works have any share in justification but we claim full authority for them in the lives of the righteous... It is obvious that gratuitous [grace wrought] rightoeusness is necessarily connected with regeneration. Therefore, if you would duly understand how inseparable faith and works are, look to Christ who as the Apostle teaches (1 Corinthians 1:30) has been given to us for justification and for sanctification. Wherever, therefore, that righteousness of faith, which we maintain to be gratuitous, is there too Chris is, and where Christ is, there too is the Spirit of holiness, Who regenerates the soul to newness of life. On the contrary, where seal for integrity and holiness is not vigor, there neither is the Spirit of Christ nor Christ Himself, and wherever Christ is not, there is no righteousness, nay there is no faith for faith cannot apprehend Christ for righteousness without the Spirit of sanctification." ("Gospel According to Jesus", page 259).

What is amazing is that John Calvin was once a classmate to Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits as a means to counter the Reformation and strengthen the already established Inquisition.

Baptist pastor, John Gill of 1767 wrote:

The foundation of sanctification is laid in regeneration; as it is a holy principle, it is first formed in that; the new creature or new man is created in righteousness and true holiness and it appears in effectual vocation, which is a holy calling; and is to be seen in conversion, which is a turning of men from their iniquities and that holiness which is begun in regeneration and is manifest in effectual calling and conversion, is carried on in sanctification, which is the gradual and progressive work and issues in glorification. (John Gill, A Body of Divinity, pg. 552)

In subjection to him, as King of saints, they not only receive Him as their prophet to teach and instruct them, and embrace His doctrines; and as their Priest by whose sacrifice their sins are expiated; but as their King to whose Laws and ordinances they cheerfully submit; esteeming His precepts, concerning all thigns, to be right, none of His commandments grievous but from a principle of love to Him and observe them."

Now the lesson of John 15:1-8 also shows the true vine and the branches. Jesus also emphasized that apart from Him, Christians can do nothing. Abiding in Christ is in fact why Christians do good works. And the Father dresses the branches by pruning away the sins and iniquity that prevent bearing more fruit than He intends. It's no wonder when I sin, God makes me miserable, breaks me beyond what I expect and then restores me as less of a sinner in the daily walk of perfection. From a sinner to an immature believer, I had temper problems yet God slowly but surely dealt with me and through certain incidents, helped me see my wrongs and the old man disagrees, the new man agrees. The trials not only continue to help me affirm my salvation but also to make me do good works. That is, I've noticed as of late, though not as a perfect man because only God is perfect, that by God's grace, I put others before me, by Gods' grace, I keep praying for the forgiveness of my enemies even if at times, I think of revenge and by God's grace, He corrects my thinking of revenge or that I reflect on my wrongs. Or that, I have learned to forgive even when I thought I could not forgive. God's grace is there, I take no credit for it.