Why Must We Still Do Good Works?
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
5/29/2011 AM
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Text:
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Romans 6;
Lord's Day 32
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Psalters: |
90, 41, 109, 271 |
- Why
- This question is answered incorrectly in two opposite ways.
- On the one side, Arminians and Pelagians say good works are necessary to be saved.
- On the other side are the Antinomians who say that there is no necessity for good work.
- Then why must we do good works?
- First, the Spirit within us has made a great change in us: renewed after Christ’s image.
- Second, we are experientially so grateful to God for His blessings.
- Good works are also necessitated by the graciousness of redemption (Titus 2:14; Eph. 2:10).
- How can we do good works?
- Objectively, redemption makes a real change (Eph. 4:17- 20-24).
- If one continues in sin (unrepentantly) and is ungrateful, then they may not rightly claim to be a Christian.
- Salvation means we are freed from being under the dominion to sin, to have to sin all the time.
- Redemption by Jesus’ blood is followed by the renewal by His Holy Spirit after His own image (Eph. 5:1,2).
- And good works are given to us by God (they do not have their origin in us).
- There are subjective reasons for why believers do good works.
- First, the saved realize God commands them to do good works.
- Second, their returning love to God does good works (His commands are not grievous).
- We cannot be saved without good works, because faith without works is dead (cf. Heb. 12:14).
- There are fruits to our good works.
- By his good works the believer is benefitted because he is assured of his faith.
- Also others are gained to Christ by our godly conversation (I Peter 3:1; Matt. 5:16).
- May the consciousness of free, gracious salvation motivate you unto eternal gratitude to God’s glory.