1689 London Baptist Confession, Chapter 16
Of Good Works
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 intentions.
Scripture references for paragraph 1
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Micah 6:88He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Hebrews 13:2121equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Matthew 15:99They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”
Isaiah 29:1313Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.
These good works, done in obedience to Gods commandments, are the fruits, and evidences of a true, and lively faith; and by them Believers manifest their thankfullness, strengthen their assurance, edifie their brethren, adorn the profession of the Gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries and glorifie God whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end eternal life.
Scripture references for paragraph 2
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
James 2:1818But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
James 2:2222You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.
Psalms 116:1212How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?
Psalms 116:1313I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
1 John 2:33By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.
1 John 2:55But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:
2 Peter 1:5-115For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;
6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,
11and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Matthew 5:1616In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
1 Timothy 6:11All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited.
1 Peter 2:1515For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.
Philippians 1:1111filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Ephesians 2:1010For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
Romans 6:2222But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.
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 necessary 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.
Scripture references for paragraph 3
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
John 15:44Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
John 15:66If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
2 Corinthians 3:55Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
Philippians 2:1313For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
Philippians 2:1212Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
Hebrews 6:1111We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.
Hebrews 6:1212Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Isaiah 64:77No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to superrogate, and to do more then God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do.
Scripture references for paragraph 4
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Job 9:22“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
Job 9:33If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
Galatians 5:1717For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Luke 17:1010So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
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 satisfie 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 Gods judgement.
Scripture references for paragraph 5
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Romans 3:2020Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
Ephesians 2:88For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Ephesians 2:99not by works, so that no one can boast.
Romans 4:66And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Galatians 5:2222But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Galatians 5:2323gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Isaiah 64:66Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
Psalms 143:22Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You.
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 Gods 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.
Scripture references for paragraph 6
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Ephesians 1:66to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
1 Peter 2:55you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Matthew 25:2121His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
Matthew 25:2323His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
Hebrews 6:1010For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
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; nor make a man meet to receive grace from God; and yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing to God.
Scripture references for paragraph 7
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
2 Kings 10:3030Nevertheless, the LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in My sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.”
1 Kings 21:2727When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
1 Kings 21:2929“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”
Genesis 4:55but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.
Hebrews 11:44By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
Hebrews 11:66And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
1 Corinthians 13:11If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.
Matthew 6:22So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
Matthew 6:55And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
Amos 5:2121“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies.
Amos 5:2222Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard.
Romans 9:1616So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
Titus 3:55He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Job 21:1414Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.
Job 21:1515Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’
Matthew 25:4141Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew 25:4242For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink,
Matthew 25:4343I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
Source and edition
1689 London Baptist Confession. NonlinearFruit/Creeds.json, Unlicense. Creeds.json, English transcription
Unlicense. Source transcription.
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