THE BELIEVER AND GOOD WORKS

Good deeds are one of the more pleasant manifestations of human nature in society – the socially acceptable face of the flesh – but they are not the only form of good in the world, albeit the only form of good recognised by the world. Unknown to natural man is a form of good that is the product of faith, good that is unique to the new man, born-again man, e.g. worship, prayer, gospel testimony, etc.

So there is natural good, which has its place in the sphere of human experience, and spiritual good that is exercised in the sphere of divine operations. Unfortunately, this distinction is not readily understood among saints despite its prominence in Scripture. However, students of the Word will have noted that two different Greek words are employed to indicate the respective natural and spiritual conditions.

The new man is a spiritual creation, 2 Cor.5:17, with the capability to perform a kind of good that is beyond the scope of unregenerate man, Eph.2:10. He is able to operate for God at a spiritual level in the world, whereas natural man can operate only at a secular level of life. So there are good works of a natural order and good works of a spiritual order; the believer should be active in both. Reference is made to the two kinds of good works in Eph. 2 and more particularly in James 2.

In Eph.2 the apostle makes clear that salvation is not by the good works that characterise natural man, v.9. Rather, it is by the spiritual faculty of faith that we become the workmanship of God, v.10, a new creation in Christ (a spiritual man) pre-ordained to good works. These are the spiritual good works of faith that only the new man can do, characteristic of a heavenly people, v.6. Some have thought them to be natural, social good works but, clearly, one does not need to be born-again (a new creation in Christ) to perform the good works common to natural man. If the new man was only capable of the same works as the old man then there would indeed be something amiss! We did these good works before we were saved and continue to do them as good citizens now we are saved. But we have been created anew to do the good works of God as citizens of heaven, spiritual works of faith befitting a people whose mission in the world, like the Lord, is spiritual.

In the epistle of James, social and spiritual works are featured in the second half of chapter 2. Here works are seen as necessary proofs of faith, not for God but for man, both unsaved and saved. Leaving aside the Jewish context of the epistle – “It is a practical exhortation which still recognised the 12 tribes and the connection of the christian Jews with them” (JND) – it is evident that the principle is one of works demonstrating something which, by its very nature, cannot be seen. The world can recognise what it thinks is faith only by the evidence of natural works, vs.14-18, whereas the believer recognises faith by the evidence of spiritual works, vs. 21-25.

In the first instance, vs.14-18, it would be an appalling testimony and the very negation of faith as natural man understands it to ignore the stark needs of a brother or sister, v.15. So far as men are concerned, v.18, the profession of faith is void in such circumstances, v.17.

In the second instance, vs.21-25, faith is void if there is no evidence of spiritual works, as seen in Abraham and Rahab. By faith Abraham offered up his son. By faith Rahab received the messengers of Israel, associating herself with the people of God when everything was against them and separating herself from her own people. Such were the fruits of faith. “These proofs have nothing at all to do with the fruits of a kindly nature or natural good, such as men call good works” (JND). The spiritual good works of faith encompass all these evidences of faith peculiar to the people of God.

Notwithstanding the testimony of Scripture, some have proposed that the natural, secular good works of believers are the products of new life, works of faith energised by the Spirit. But this is to confuse things that clearly differ, the natural and spiritual. “Can a fig tree bear olives or a grapevine bear figs”, James 3:12. Of course not. New life is spiritual life, not secular life. Faith is a spiritual faculty, not a natural faculty. The Spirit, as His name implies, has a ministry in spiritual things, not natural things. Attributing human responses to spiritual influences is a concept that has its origins in Christendom.

Further, it is said that the flesh cannot please God in the way of natural good works and that is true in the case of the unregenerate and salvation. It is also true in the case of the believer with regard to the spiritual sphere (the flesh is considered dead) but doing good, the good works of the flesh in secular life is, as we have seen, a testimony to the unsaved and that is pleasing to God. The secular good works of the believer are most often a human response to human need – we do not cease to have human feelings because we are saved – but may also be a conscious response to those commandments of the Lord that relate to natural life, Gal.6:10.

We see, therefore, that there are two distinct kinds of good and good works. The spiritual kind are the prerogative and should be the prime activity of the believer – it is why he was saved – but natural good works should not be neglected.