There are a couple of things related to Sunday’s message
that I’d like to cover on the blog.
The first was suggested to me by a dear brother after the service. “What about false positives?” I knew immediately what he meant. We’ve spent several Sundays now looking
at the biblical truth that good works will be required on the day of judgment
as evidence of God’s salvific work in our lives. But what about people who do good works but who are not
regenerate? If good works provide
the visible evidence of internal change, what are we to believe about those who
do good things but are unbelievers?
We all most likely know at least one individual whom we
would describe as a “good person” who is not a believer. I’ve heard Mormons referred to many
times as “good, moral people,” but they are not regenerate believers. Will their good works look like ours on
the day of judgment? This question is based on the wrong
assumption that unbelievers are capable of doing true good works.
Remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew
12:34? “How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of
the heart the mouth speaks.” A
person’s words and works are drawn from the well of his heart (Mark 7:21-22). He can only speak and act out of that
which fills him. The unbeliever is
dead in trespasses and sins, following after the devil, the world, and the
flesh, enslaved by various passions, utterly incapable of obeying or pleasing
God (Eph 2:1-3; Rom 8:6-8). In
other words, the well from which the unbeliever’s words and works are drawn is
filled with sinfulness. Whatever
they do or say that seems to be
virtuous, “good fruit” is not. And
there are several reasons for this.
First, their actions are not produced by the Holy Spirit. We noted on Sunday that our good works
are actually the work of the Holy Spirit in us. That’s the whole reason why works will be used as evidence of salvation on judgment
day. Obedience is described in the Bible as
fruit of the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, sowing to
the Spirit, living by the Spirit, etc. (Gal 5:16, 18, 22, 25, 6:8; Rom8:13-14). It is the Spirit who
empowers us for obedience.
Unbelievers do not have the Spirit. They are incapable, therefore, of producing the fruit of the
Spirit.
Second, their actions are not born of faith. In Romans 14:23, Paul teaches that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. The entire chapter of Hebrews 11
demonstrates that obedience flows from faith. Over and over we are told of Old Testament figures who “by
faith” obeyed God. Genuine good
works are born of faith, which is why the writer of Hebrews asserts, “without faith it is impossible to please
him…” (Heb 11:6). If a person
does not have faith, he cannot have good works. Unbelievers, by definition, do not have faith.
Third, their actions are not a result of union with
Christ. In John 15, Jesus teaches
that it is only through union with him that a person is able to produce good
fruit: “As the branch cannot bear fruit
by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in
me. I am the vine; you are the
branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit,
for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). Unbelievers do not enjoy union with
Christ, therefore, they cannot bear true fruit.
Fourth, their actions are not done for the glory of
God. Unbelievers have traded the
glory of God for idolatry and self-worship (Rom 1:23). Everything they do, including supposed
acts of virtue, is for the glory of self.
They are “haters of God” (Rom 1:30). I once heard Dr. Bruce Ware say, “An unsaved person can sin
by mugging an old lady or by helping her across the street. Whatever is done for any reason other
than the glory of God is sin.
Anything that is not from faith is sin.”
“Good” unbelieving people will have absolutely no good works
to show on the last day. What may
appear to be good works in the lives of unbelievers now will not appear as good
works before the judgment seat of Christ.
Nor will those acts be simply neutral. Rather, those acts will be sins for which the unbeliever
will be justly condemned. So,
there will be no such thing as a false
positive on the day of judgment.
Does this lead to pride in the believer? It shouldn’t. Our salvation is all of grace. That we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, that we have faith, that we are
unified with Christ, that live for the glory of God, and therefore that we produce visible
fruit is all a result of God’s sovereign grace.
3 For we ourselves
were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and
pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one
another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior
appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but
according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the
Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the
hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7)
Next time, we’ll take a look at what James meant by his
statement, “You see that a person is
justified by works and not by faith alone.”
Posted by Greg Birdwell
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