Works (21)
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Faith alone justifies, but justifying faith is not alone. Good works though they are not the causes of salvation, yet they are the evidences. Faith must not be built upon works, but works must be built upon faithGleanings, 24
For a work to be considered good it must not only conform outwardly to the law of God, but it must be motivated inwardly by a sincere love for GodChosen by God, 107
Good works are required as the means and way for possessing salvation. Even though they don't contribute anything to the acquisition of our salvation, they are necessary to the obtainment of it. No one can be saved without them.
The first part of a good work is the will, the second is vigorous effort in the doing of it. God is the author of both. It is, therefore, robbery from God to arrogate anything to ourselves, either in the will or the act.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 3
If we can no more bear fruit of ourselves than a vine can bud when rooted up and deprived of moisture, there is no longer any room to ask what the aptitude of our nature is for good.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 3
Works are an evidence of true faith. Graces are not dead, useless habits; they will have some effects and operations when they are weakest and in their infancy. It is said of Paul as soon as he was regenerate, "Behold, he prayeth" (Acts 9:11). Newborn children will cry, at least before they are able to go. This is the evidence by which we must judge, and this is the evidence by which Christ will judge. Riches
Faith justifies the person, and works justify his faith.
We shall not be saved without working, yet not for our working.
You will say, "Who are now under the covenant of works?" There is a vulgar prejudice abroad which supposes that the first covenant was repealed and disannulled upon the fall and that God now deals with us upon new terms, as if the covenant of grace wholly shut out the former contract, wherein they think Adam only was concerned. But this is a gross mistake because it was made not only with Adam but with all his seed. And every natural man, whilst natural, whilst merely a son of Adam, is obliged to the tenor of it. The form of the law runs universally: "Cursed is every one that"…(Gal. 3:10), which rule allows no exception but that of free grace and interest in Christ.
To preach the law, in order to Christ; to labor to make men that lie in their spiritual lethargies to know and feel their disease, that they may see the need of and embrace the blessed Physician— is not this rational? I think all men naturally stand under a covenant of works, and to make men know what that state is, I think, is very requisite if ever we would make them feel the necessity and know the worth of a covenant of grace; yet I know not how it comes about. Of late years this kind of preaching is laid by. When I consider the people, then I can see their reasons why they love it not; but when I think of the ministry, I know not why ministers should so gratify the corruptions of people. So the law were rightly preached, I never knew it offend any godly and judicious Christian. Real Christian
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Divine knowledge makes us understand the gospel, but it is divine grace which makes us live according to the gospel. Therefore, what you want in great learning supply with good living. I love preaching, and I love practicing; and I had rather hear one sermon in a day and do three good works than hear three sermons in a day and do never a good work else.
The end must be as noble as the means, or else a man may be undone for all his doings. A man's most glorious actions will at last be found to be but glorious sins if he hath made himself, and not the glory of God, the end of those actions.
The heart that is fullest of good works has in it the least room for Satan's temptations. Riches
Love is like new wine, which will have vent; it vents itself in good works.
There is no inconsistency in saying that God rewards good works, provided we understand that nevertheless men obtain eternal life gratuitously.
A man can accept what Christ has done without knowing how it works; indeed, he certainly won't know how it works until he's accepted it.
When faith be not exercised upon Christ,
it nods and ceases to produce good works. When hope languishes
and becomes inactive, the heart is no longer lifted above the things of
time and sense by a desirous expectation of good things to come.
Then love declines and is no longer engaged in pleasing and
glorifying God. Zeal slumbers and instead of fervour there is
heartless formality in the use of means and performance of duties
It is true that faith alone justifies, without works; but I am speaking about genuine faith, which after it has justified, will not go to sleep but is active through love.
works are done on the basis of faith through love, not that a man is justified through love.Commentary on Galatians
But to show our utter destitution, he argues that we merit nothing, because we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has prepared; again intimating by these words, that all the fruits of good works are originally and immediately from God.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 3
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1. Thomas Watson (167)
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4. John Calvin (107)
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9. John Flavel (77)
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18. R.C. Sproul (55)
19. Heinrich Bullinger (53)
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2. Charles Spurgeon (135)
3. J.C. Ryle (117)
4. John Calvin (107)
5. J.I. Packer (93)
6. John Piper (87)
7. Thomas Brooks (84)
8. George Swinnock (82)
9. John Flavel (77)
10. John Owen (69)
11. A.W. Pink (68)
12. Louis Berkhof (63)
13. Thomas Manton (60)
14. C.S. Lewis (59)
15. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (58)
16. B.B. Warfield (58)
17. William Gurnall (56)
18. R.C. Sproul (55)
19. Heinrich Bullinger (53)
20. Matthew Henry (51)
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