# Salvation with no attending good works



## JohnGill (Mar 10, 2009)

I was talking with someone about salvation and how after salvation we should have good works attending it. I also mentioned that a lack of good works on our part should worry us and cause us to examine ourselves. I was summarily told we do not have to look for good works and good works form no basis for our assurance.

So my question is this: Am I correctly understanding the following chapter from the LBCF?



> 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 intentions.
> ( Micah 6:8; Hebrews 13:21; Matthew 15:9; Isaiah 29:13 )
> ...



I appreciate any help.


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## Kim G (Mar 10, 2009)

JohnGill said:


> I was talking with someone about salvation and how after salvation we should have good works attending it. I also mentioned that a lack of good works on our part should worry us and cause us to examine ourselves. I was summarily told we do not have to look for good works and good works form no basis for our assurance.
> 
> So my question is this: Am I correctly understanding the following chapter from the LBCF?



I think you're correctly understanding not only the LBCF but the book of James (among others). Works do not cause salvation, but true faith will have works.


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## Herald (Mar 10, 2009)

Chris, you're reading the 1689 LBC correctly. Works are evidence of saving faith. Without them, what good is that type of faith? Perfect works? No. Periods of doubt, or even sin? Yes. But even the gradations we go through will still be marked by faith and its accompanying works.


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## Jimmy the Greek (Mar 10, 2009)

"It is a faith which produces works which saves us; the works do not save us; but a faith which does not produce works is a faith that will only deceive, and cannot lead us into heaven." Fruitless Faith - Charles H. Spurgeon

The response you got is typical of the "easy believism" predominant today. It is obviously not from a Reformed Confessional understanding, a la the WCF or LBCF. It is perpetuated in "Non-Lordship" dispensationalism and the faulty notion of "decisional regeneration."


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## JBaldwin (Mar 10, 2009)

The book of James says that "Faith without works is dead" Faith produces good works as a fruit. You can't have the Spirit of Christ living in you and not have at least some good works, and certainly you will have a completely new desire to do good. 

Good works do not determine salvation, but if there is not even a desire to do good, then a person's salvation should be in question. 

I personally experimented with this (I don't recommend this.), because I came from a background in Christianity that was works based. I had the dos and don'ts all sorted out, but they were habits. I was worried that I was doing things for the wrong motives. One day I decided to try not doing any good works unless I "wanted" to. Well, I got pretty wild for awhile, but I didn't stop going to church, because I liked being with believers. I didn't stop praying, because I wanted to pray. The fact is, I did some pretty awful things during that time, but I was miserable. Eventually, the wild living came to end, because I couldn't stand it. The fact is, God does not leave His children alone, and when you have the Spirit of Christ living in you, you can't not do good works (at least not for very long).


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