Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 16)

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter 16

Of Good Works

(Part  2)

V. We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come; and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom, by them, we can neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins, but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: and because, as they are good, they proceed from His Spirit, and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God’s judgment.

Paragraph five follows-up on the idea stated previously, namely, that the redeemed sinner cannot merit pardon or eternal life by his good works. Good works do not “pay” for sin; they only signal that sin’s grasp has been broken. Our good works are defiled by the sin that remains in us. Being corrupted, therefore, they could never withstand that scrutiny of God’s gaze.

VI. Notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him; not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in God’s sight; but that He, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.

What, then, becomes of our good works? They are necessary; indeed, they are unavoidable if one is truly born-again. How are they viewed by God?

The writers state that our good works, even taking into account their corrupted nature, are accepted in Christ just like we are. Our good works are made acceptable in Christ. The righteousness credited to us from Christ is absolute and complete; it extends even to the imperfect works of sanctification that will be found in the life of every believer.

VII. Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands; and of good use both to themselves and others: yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith; nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word; nor to a right end, the glory of God, they are therefore sinful and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God: and yet, their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.

The Confession acknowledges that unregenerate men may perform works that are in accordance with God’s standard of righteous conduct. These works may even have some temporal benefit for them or others. However, since the element that makes a work good and acceptable is the righteousness of Christ credited to the sinner and since the sinner must perform his good works in faith, that is, believing in their acceptability by God only in Christ, the works of the unregenerate man, although conformed to God’s standard, are nothing but sinful mockeries of His grace.