Devotional #86

Question 86. Since, then, we are delivered from our misery by grace alone, through Christ, without any merit of ours, why must we still do good works?

Answer: Because Christ, having redeemed and delivered us by His blood, also renews us by His Holy Spirit, after His own image; that so we may testify, by the whole of our conduct, our gratitude to God for His blessings (a), and that He may be praised by us (b), also, that every one may be assured in himself of his faith (c), by the fruits thereof; and that by our godly walk others may be gained to Christ (d).

(a) Romans 6:13: Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

Romans 12:1-2: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
1 Peter 2:9-10: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Corinthians 6:20: For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

(b) Matthew 5:16: In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
1 Peter 2:12: Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
1 Peter 1:6-7: In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

(c) 2 Peter 1:10: Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
Matthew 7:17: So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
Galatians 5:6: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(d) 1 Peter 3:1-2: Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.
Romans 14:19: So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

For your personal refection
I am in the midst of a very long running conversation with a friend who constantly tells me that since he is saved by grace alone (correct) and not by works of the law (correct, again) he is under no obligation to keep God’s commandments (problem).  He is completely correct to say that we are justified (made right with God)  by God’s freely given grace and that our works do not enter into the equation with regard to our justification.  However, there is MORE to God’s plan of salvation.  Justification is but one part, sanctification follows.  Theologically, it is possible to separate these ideas; pastorally, in the real lives of real people who are being saved, it is an impossibility.  The men who wrote the Heidelberg Catechism understood this.  If you are really ‘in Christ’ then radical change MUST follow.  And they follow because the Holy Spirit is at work in your life writing God’s law upon your heart.  And so, rather than simply an external code standing over and against us, the very Spirit of God is at work within us causing us to desire – and accomplishing the work of this desire – to please God.
Do you feel the pressure to keep God’s law?  Why?  Why not?
How does God use His law once one is hidden in Christ?