The Westminster Confession of Faith
Chapter 16 - Of Good Works
1. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in His holy Word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof,
are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention.
2. These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively
faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn
the profession of the Gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created
in Christ Jesus thereunto; that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.
3. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. And that they
may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of
the same Holy Spirit, to work in them to will and to do of His good pleasure: yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent,
as if they were not bound to perform any duty, unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent
in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.
4. They, who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being
able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound
to do.
5. 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.
6. Yet 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 unreprovable 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.
7. 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 a 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.
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