Chapter 1 — Of Faith and Works
'That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.' Titus 3:7,8.
I shall not at this time talk of every detail included in these words; but shall briefly deal with those things that I judge most necessary for the people of God. Neither shall I need to make any great preamble to the words to explain them; they are plain, and need no clarification. The general theme is this, THAT THOSE WHO HAVE BELIEVED IN GOD SHOULD BE CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN GOOD WORKS.
But yet, to achieve what I intend as clearly as I may, I shall in a word or two outline what is to be the main theme of this book. 'This is a faithful saying.' This; Which? Why, the previous verse; 'That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and I want you to affirm these things constantly.'
Why so?
Why, 'That those who have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works.' The meaning is, that the way to provoke others to good works, is constantly to show them in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit the certainty of being made heirs of eternal life by grace.
From this scripture, therefore, I take these to be obvious.
FIRST, Good works flow from faith.
SECOND, Everyone who believes should be careful that their works be good.
THIRD, Every believer should not only be careful that their works be good, and for the present do them, but should also be careful to maintain them; that is, they should carefully study to keep in a constant course of good works.
FOURTH, and lastly, The best way to provoke both ourselves and others to this work is to be often affirm to others the teaching of justification by grace, and believe it ourselves: 'This is a faithful saying, and these things I wish,' says Paul, 'that you affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.'
FIRST.
Good works flow from faith. This is evident in various ways. First, They cannot flow from anything else; they must either flow from faith, or not at all: 'For whatever is not of faith, is sin' (Rom 14:23). And again, 'Without faith it is impossible to please him' (Heb 11:6). Every man by nature, before faith, is an evil and a corrupt tree; and a corrupt tree cannot produce good fruit: 'Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?' (Matt 7:16,17). Now a man is made good by faith, and by that brings forth the fruits that are acceptable to God (Heb 11:4; Col 1:4-6).
So sinners, before faith, are compared to the wilderness, whose fruits are briars and thorns; and whose hearts are the habitation of dragons; that is, of devils. (Isa 35:6,7; Heb 6:7,8).
And so again it is, that they are said to be Godless, Christless, Spiritless, faithless, hopeless; without the covenant of grace, without strength; enemies in their minds by wicked works, and possessed by the spirit of wickedness, as a castle by a conqueror (Eph 2:12; Jude 19; 2 Thess 3:2; Col 1:21; Luke 11:21).
Now, these things being so, it is impossible that anyone under heaven who is unconverted, should be able to produce one truly good work; as impossible as for all the briars and thorns under heaven to produce one cluster of grapes, or one bunch of figs; for they cannot. A thorn produces no figs, because it lacks the nature of the fig-tree; and the bramble lacks the nature of the vine. Good works must come from a good heart. Now, this the unbeliever lacks, because he lacks faith; for that is what purifies the heart (Luke 6:45; Acts 15:9). Good works must come from love to the Lord Jesus; but this the unbeliever lacks also, because he lacks faith: For faith 'works by love,' and does good by that (Gal 5:6).
And so again it is, that however much so-called good the carnal man does, it is rejected, ignored, and turned as dirt in his face; his prayers are abominable (Prov 15:8), his ploughing is sin (Prov 21:4), and all his righteousness as filthy rags (Isa 64:6).
So you see that without faith there are no good works. Now then, to show you that they flow from faith:
FAITH is the principle of life by which a Christian lives (Gal 2:19,20), a principle of movement, by which it walks towards heaven in the way of holiness (Rom 4:12; 2 Cor 5:7). It is also a principle of strength, by which the soul opposes its lust, the devil, and this world, and overcomes them. 'This is the victory, even our faith' (1 John 5:4,5) Faith, in the heart of a Christian, is like the salt that was thrown into the corrupt fountain, that made the bitter waters sweet, and the barren land fruitful (2 Kings 2:19-22). Faith, when it is made in the heart, is like yeast hid in the flour, (Matt 13:33) or like perfume on stinking leather, turning the smell of the leather into the sweetness of the perfume; faith being then planted in the heart, and having its natural tendency towards holiness. So there follows an alteration of life and lifestyle, which brings forth fruit accordingly. 'A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good' (Luke 6:45). The treasure is this faith (James 2:5; 1 Peter 1:7). And so it is that faith is called 'the faith according to godliness,' (Titus 1:1) and the 'most holy faith' (Jude 20). Second, Good works needs to flow from faith, or not at all; because only that carries in it a force powerful enough to rule our natures, to make them comply with holiness.
Faith shows us that God loves us, that he forgives us our sins, that he accounts us his children, having freely justified us through the blood of his Son (Rom 3:24,25; 4; Heb 11:13; 1 Peter 1:8).
Faith receives the promise, embraces it, and comforts the soul unspeakably with it. Faith is so great an artist in arguing and reasoning with the soul, that it will bring over the hardest heart that it has to deal with. It will remind me at once, both of my vileness before God, and of his goodness towards me; it will show me that though I do not deserve to breathe, yet God will have me an heir of glory.
Now, there is no argument greater than this. This will make a man run through ten thousand difficulties to answer God, though he never could before, because the grace he has given to him.
Further, FAITH will show me how distinctly this love of God has set itself on me; it will show me, that though Esau was Jacob's brother, yet he loved Jacob (Mal 1:2). That though there were thousands more besides me that were as good as me, yet I must be the man that must be chosen.
Now this, is a marvellous argument, and unspeakably prevails with the sinner, as the apostle says: 'For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And he died for all; that those who live,' that is, by faith, 'should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him who died for them, and rose again' (2 Cor 5:14,15). 'Love,' says the wise man, 'is strong as death; Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be despised' (Song 8:6,7). Oh! when the broken, dying, condemned soul, can only see, by faith, the love of a tender-hearted Saviour, and also see what he went through to deliver it from that death, guilt, and hell, that now it feels and fears which it knows it has most justly deserved; 'Then bless the Lord, O my soul' (Psa 103:1,2,3); and 'What shall I repay the Lord for all his benefits?' (Psa 116:1-14).
So faith is a power to the sinner, by which he is rescued from what he was, and made to bend and yield to what before he neither would nor could (1 Cor 2:14; Rom 8:7).
And so it is that gospel obedience is called 'the obedience of faith,' as well as obedience to the faith (Rom 16:26). For it must be by the faith of Christ in my heart that I submit to the word of faith in the Bible, otherwise all is useless: as the apostle says, 'The word preached did not benefit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it' (Heb 4:2). For only faith can see the reality of what the gospel says; and so wins over the heart to embrace it.
Third, Faith is such a grace, as will show all things to the soul in their proper colours. It does not, as do unbelief and ignorance, show us all things out of order; putting darkness for light, and bitter for sweet; but will set every thing in its proper place before our eyes; God and Christ shall be with it the chief good, the most lovely and amiable; a heavenly life shall be of greater value, and more desirable, than all the treasures of Egypt! Righteousness and sanctification will be the thing it will most press after; because it sees not only death and damnation as the fruits of sin, but sin also in itself, distinct from the punishment belonging to it, a detestable, horrible, and awful thing (Heb 11:25-27; Phil 3:7-12; Rom 12:9).
By faith we see that this world has no place in it for us, nor no satisfaction if it had. (Prov 3:35; Heb 11:15,16; 13:14; 1 Cor 7:9-31). And so it is that the people of God have groaned to be gone from from this world into a state that is both sinless and temptationless. And so it is again that they have run through so many trials, afflictions, and adversities, because of that love for holiness of life that faith in their hearts prompted them to, by showing them the worth and durableness of what was good, and the irksomeness and evil of all things else (2 Cor 5:1-8; Heb 11:33-39).
Fourth, Faith lays hold of what can help the soul to produce good works: it lays hold of, and engages the strength of Christ, and by that overcomes what oppresses; 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me' (Phil 4:13).
In a word, a life of holiness and godliness in this world so inseparably follows a principle of faith, that it is ridiculous to suppose the contrary. What, shall not he who has life have movement! (Gal 2:20). He that has by faith received the spirit of holiness, shall not he be holy? (Gal 3:2). and he who is called to glory and virtue, shall not he add to his faith virtue? (2 Peter 1:4,5). We are by faith made good trees, and shall not we produce good fruit? (Luke 6:43). Those who believe are created in Christ Jesus to good works; and God has, before the world was created, ordained that we should walk in them; and shall both our second creation, and God's fore-ordination be frustrated? (Eph 1:4; 2:10). Besides, the children of faith are the children of light, and of the day (1 Thess 5:5). Lights on a hill, and candles on a candlestick, and shall not they shine? They are the salt of the earth, shall not they be seasoning? (Matt 5:13-16). The believer is the man God uses to show the world the power of his grace, the operation of his people's faith, etc. The unbelievers read indeed of the power of grace; of the faith, hope, love, joy, peace, and sanctification of the heart of the Christian; but they feel nothing of that sin-killing power that is in these things; these are to them as a story of Rome or Spain. So to show them in others what they find not in themselves, God works faith, hope, love, etc., in a generation that shall serve him; and by them they shall see what they cannot find in themselves; and by this means they shall be convinced that though sin and the pleasures of this life are sweet to them, yet there is a people who think differently; such a people, that actually see the glory that others read of, and from that sight take pleasure in what they most dislike. To this, I say, are Christians called; thus is God glorified; thus are sinners convinced; and thus the world is condemned (1 Thess 4:7; 1 Peter 2:12; 3:1; Heb 11:7).
Object. But if faith so naturally causes good works, why do God's people find it so hard to do them?
Answer 1. God's people are fruitful in good works in proportion to their faith; if they be slender in good works, it is because they are weak in faith. Little faith is like small candles, or weak fire, which though they shine and have heat; yet only dim shining and small heat, when compared with bigger candles and greater fire. The reason why Sardis had some in it whose works were not perfect before God was because they did not hold fast by faith the word that they had formerly heard and received (Rev 3:1-3).
2. There may be a great mistake in our judging our own fruitfulness. The soul that indeed is candid and right at heart, is taught by grace to judge itself, though fruitful, yet barren on two accounts.
(1) When it compares its life to the mercy given to it: for when a soul considers the greatness and riches of the mercy given to it, then it must cry out, 'O wretched man that I am,' (Rom 7:24) for it sees itself to fall short of a life that suits one who has received so great a benefit.
(2) It may also judge itself barren, because it falls so far short of what it wants to attain, 'it cannot do the thing that it would' (Gal 5:17).
3. The heart of a Christian is naturally very barren; which naturally tends to produce weeds, though the seed of grace that is the most fruitful of all seeds, be sown (Mat 15:19). Now, to have a good crop from such ground indicates the fruitfulness of the seed. So I summarise.
(1) The seed of faith is a very fruitful seed, that can be fruitful in so barren a soil.
(2) Faith is not in debt to the heart, but the heart to it, for all its fruitfulness.
(3) The way to be a more fruitful Christian is to be stronger in believing. SECOND Now for the second thing, that is, That everyone who believes should take care that their works are good. This follows from what went just before; that is, That the heart of a Christian is a heart that tends to produce weeds. There is flesh as well as spirit in the best of saints: and as the spirit of grace will be always putting forth something good, so the flesh will continually be putting forth evil. 'For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh' (Gal 5:17).
Now this is the reason you find in the Scriptures so many cautions to Christians to look to their lives and lifestyles. As, 'Keep your heart with all diligence' (Prov 4:23). 'Watch, stand fast in the faith, fight like men, be strong' (1 Cor 16:13). 'Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he reap. For he who sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting' (Gal 6:7,8).
All works are not good that seem to be so. It is one thing for a man's ways to be right in his own eye, and another for them to be right in God's. Often 'what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God' (Prov 30:12; Luke 16:15).
Since corruption is not yet out of our natures, there is a proneness in us to build, (even on the right foundation) wood, hay, and stubble, instead of gold and silver, and precious stones (1 Cor 3:11-15). How David the king, Nathan the prophet, and Uzza the priest, were deceived, concerning good works! (1 Chron 17:1-4; 13:9-11). Peter also, in both his defending his Master in the garden, and in trying to persuade him against his sufferings, though both out of love and affection to his Master, was deceived concerning good works. (Matt 16:22,23; John 18:10,11). Many have been mistaken both as to teaching, worship, and the achieving of each.
First, For teaching. Christ tells the Jews, that they taught for the doctrines of God the doctrines and traditions of men (Matt 15:9; Mark
7:7). Also, says the apostle, They teach 'things they should not, for the sake of filthy money' (Titus 1:11).
Second, Also concerning worship, we find how frequently men have mistaken, in time, place, and offering, how they worshipped.
1. Time. It has been what man has devised, not which God has commanded (1 Kings 12:32). They 'change the plan,' says Isaiah, 24:5. They change God's 'judgements into wickedness,' says Ezekiel 5:6. 2. Place. When they should have worshipped at Jerusalem, they worshipped at Bethel, at Gilgal and Dan, in gardens, under poplars and elms. (1 Kings 12:26-30; Hosea 4:13-15; Isa 65:2-5). 3. The offering they brought. Instead of bringing according to the command, they brought the lame, the torn, and the sick; they sanctified themselves in gardens, with swine's flesh and mice, when they should have done it at Jerusalem, with bullocks and lambs (Isa 66:17).
Third, Again, concerning men's pursuing their zeal for their worship, that they think right; how hot has it been, though with no reason at all? Nebuchadnezzar will have his fiery furnace, and Darius his lions' den for Nonconformists (Dan 3:6; 6:7, etc) Again, they have pursued men to foreign cities; have laid traps and snares in every corner, to entrap and to entangle their words; and if they could at any time only kill the persons that dissented from them, they would think they were doing God's will. (Acts 26:11; Luke 11:53,54; John 19:1,2). But we need not look so far from home, when we think about the Papists and their companions. How many have they in all ages hanged, burned, starved, drowned, racked, dismembered, and murdered, both openly and in secret? and all thinking it is for God, his worship, and good works. Thus you see how wise men and fools, saints and sinners, Christians and heathens, have erred in the business of good works; so every one should be careful to see that their works really are good.
Now, then, to prevent, if God will, mistakes in this matter, I shall propose to you what it is for a work to be rightly good. First, A good work must have the word for its authority. Second, It must flow from faith. Third, It must be both rightly timed and rightly placed. Fourth, It must be done willingly, cheerfully, etc.
First, It must have the word for its authority. Zeal without knowledge is like a horse without eyes, or like a sword in a madman's hand; and there is no knowledge where there is not the word: for if they reject the word of the Lord, and do not act according to that, 'what wisdom is in them?' says the prophet (Jer 8:9; Isa 8:20). So make sure you have the word to authorise what you do.
Second, As there must be the word to authorise what you do, so there must be faith, from which it must flow, as I showed you before: 'for whatever is not of faith is sin;' and 'without faith it is impossible to please God.' Now, I say, without the word there is no faith, (Rom 10:17) as without faith there is no good, whatever men pretend.
Third, As it must have these two mentioned above, so also it must have,
1. Right time; and,
2. Right place.
1. It must be rightly timed. Every work is not to be done at the same time; every time is not suitable for such a work; There is a time for all things, and every thing is beautiful in its time (Eccl 3:11). There is a time to pray, a time to hear, a time to read, a time to confer, a time to meditate, a time to do, and a time to suffer. Now, to hear only, when we should be preaching and doing is not good. Christ was very wary that both his doings and sufferings were rightly timed (John 2:3,4; 13:1,2). And we should follow his steps. To plough the field when I should be hearing the word is not good; and to go out when I should be instructing my family at home is just as bad: 'Whoever keeps the commandment shall meet no evil: 'and a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgement' (Eccl 8:5). Good things mistimed are fruitless and vain.
2. As things must have their right time, so they must be rightly placed; for to misplace a work is as bad as to mistime it. When I say things, if good, must be rightly placed, I mean we should not give to any work more than the word of God allows it, neither should we give it less. Mint, anise, and cummin, are not so weighty as faith and the love of God; as in (Matt 23:23). For a pastor to exercise the office of a deacon, instead of the office of a pastor, is to misplace his work (Acts 6:2). For Martha to make outward provision for Christ, when she should have sat at his feet to hear his word, was to misplace her work; and for her sister to have done it at her request (though the thing in itself was good) would have been her sin also (Luke 10:39-42). Now, to prevent the misplacing of good works,
(1) They misplace works when they set them in Christ's place (Rom 10:1-3). (2) They also misplace works when they make themselves co-partners with Him (Rom 9:31,32; Acts 15:1). This is setting up ourselves as God's helpers, and man's righteousness by the righteousness of Christ (Ezek 43:7,8). These are said to be teachers of the law, not knowing what they say, nor what they are seeking to prove (1 Tim 1:7). (3) They also misplace works, who ascribe to a less important work the honour that belongs to a more noble work. And such are
(a) Those who count the ceremonial part of an sacrament as good as the truth and significance of it.
(b) Those who account the dictates and impulses of a mere natural conscience, as good, as high, and divine, as the leadings and movings of the Spirit of Christ. (c) Those also who count it enough to do part of what God has commanded, and that part possibly the least, instead of all, and the more important things.
(d) They also make a big mistake when they count things that are peripheral as important as those that are absolutely necessary in the worship of God.
(e) But the worse, those who place men's traditions above them.
(f) And they greatest of all, who put bitter for sweet, and darkness for light. All these things we must avoid, as things absolutely obstructive to good works.
So concerning good works; obedience is better than sacrifice; that is, to do things according to the word of God, is better than to do them according to my fancy and opinion (1 Sam 15:22). 'So, let all things be done decently and in order' (1 Cor 14:40).
Fourth, As good works should be ordered and qualified, so they should be done from the heart, willingly, cheerfully, with simplicity and love, according to what a man has (1 John 5:3; 2 Cor 9:7; Rom 12:8; Col 3:12; 1 Cor 10:24; 2 Cor 8:12).
There are three things that a man should bear in mind in every work he does.
1. The honour of God (1 Cor 6:20).
2. The benefit of his neighbour (1 Cor 14:26).
3. The need or otherwise for what I am to do (1 Cor 6:12). And always observe it, that the honour of God is wrapped up in the benefit of your neighbour; and the benefit of your neighbour in the motivation for what you do.
If you would bring benefit to your neighbour, and so to God's honour, in the sight of men, beware,
1st. That in your words and attitudes you keep yourself so lowly that you may clearly speak of Christ in his precious benefits; and be careful not to enter into debate with those who are weak (Rom 15:1). But deal chiefly, lovingly, and wisely, with their consciences about those matters that will strengthen them in the faith of their justification, and deliverance from death and hell. 'Comfort the feeble-minded,' strengthen the weak (1 Thess 5:14). 2ndly. If you are stronger than your brother, be careful not to do things before him, that may offend his weak conscience; I mean, things that in themselves may be lawful. All that is lawful is not beneficial; all that is lawful does not benefit (1 Cor 6:12). So here is your wisdom and love, that you in some things deny yourself for your brother's sake. 'I will eat no meat while the world stands,' says Paul, 'if it would offend my brother' (1 Cor 8:13). So have this faith to yourself before God (Rom 14:22). But if you walk otherwise, know, you are not walking in love, or for benefit, or for Christ's honour, but you are sinning against Christ, and wounding your weak brother, for whom Christ died (Rom 14:15; 1 Cor 8:12). But all this while keep your eye on the word; be careful of going against that for any reason whatever; for without the word, there is nothing to God's glory, nor your brother's benefit. So, walk 'wisely in a perfect way' (Psa 101:2, 3).
Having thus, in few words, showed you what are truly good works, I beg you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you do them conscientiously, so that you may, while you live here, be vessels of honour, fit for the master's use, and ready for every good work (1 Tim 6:18). Become experienced and skilful in what is excellent, 'that you may be sincere, and without offence, until the day of Christ' (Phil 1:10). Covet communion with God: 'covet earnestly the best gifts' (1 Cor 12:31). Ah! we who are redeemed from among men (Rev 14:4), and who rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Rom 5:2), we who look, I say, for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13), 'what sort of people should we be in all holy life and godliness' (2 Peter 3:11).
To conclude, for your further edification, take a plain rehearsal of your several general duties and works, to which God uses you in his word, according to your places, callings, and relations in this world;