Chapter 16 – Of Good Works – Covenant Presbyterian Church

Chapter 16, Paragraph 1

Of Good Works – Their Nature and True Source

Summary

This opening paragraph teaches that good works are not optional adornments of the Christian life—they are its necessary fruit. Those who are united to Christ and renewed by His Spirit are thereby enabled and compelled to walk in obedience to God’s commands. Good works do not earn salvation, but they flow inevitably from it. They are the evidence of living faith, the fragrance of gratitude, and the means by which God is glorified in His people.

The Confession defines good works carefully: they are only those actions God Himself has commanded in His Word, done in faith and love, according to His revealed will, and for His glory. Works invented by human imagination or motivated by self-righteousness, however noble in appearance, are not truly good. For an act to be good in God’s sight, it must spring from a regenerate heart, proceed from faith, and conform to His law. Thus, the same deed may appear virtuous to the world but be displeasing to God if it lacks these qualities.

True good works are the fruit of grace, not the root of merit. The Spirit sanctifies the believer’s desires, enabling him to obey freely out of love rather than servile fear. The justified man obeys not to earn God’s favour but because he already possesses it. His obedience is the grateful response of adoption, not the desperate striving of slavery. In this way, good works adorn the gospel and display the transforming power of redemption.

Historical Context

The Westminster Divines here stood firmly in the Reformation tradition against the Roman Catholic doctrine of works as meritorious causes of salvation. They reaffirmed that justification is by faith alone (sola fide), yet they also rejected Antinomianism, which separated faith from obedience. The Divines held that faith justifies alone, but the faith which justifies is never alone.

Their understanding of good works was profoundly covenantal: God saves His people to make them holy. The moral law, far from being abolished, becomes the believer’s delight—no longer as a covenant of works, but as the rule of life for those in covenant with grace. The Puritans viewed obedience not as bondage, but as liberty—the freedom to live as humanity was created to live, under the rule of a gracious Lord.

Key Biblical References

Ephesians 2:8–10 – “By grace you have been saved through faith… not a result of works… For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”
John 15:5, 8 – “He who abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit… By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.”
Titus 2:14 – Christ “purified for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.”
Micah 6:8 – “He has shown you, O man, what is good… to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Summary Statement

Chapter 16, paragraph 1 establishes that good works are both the duty and the delight of the redeemed. They are not the price of salvation but its proof; not the root of grace but its flower. Every true good work is a reflection of the character of Christ within the believer and a testimony to the world that grace reigns.

The Christian, freed from the curse of the law, is now free to fulfill its righteousness in love. His obedience no longer seeks to purchase favour, for it is the fruit of adoption—the child imitating the Father he adores. Thus, the glory of God and the good of man are joined in one purpose: that the people redeemed by Christ should walk in newness of life, and by their good works, cause others to glorify their Father in heaven.

Chapter 16, Paragraph 2

The Fruits and Purpose of Good Works

Summary

This paragraph explains why good works matter. Though they do not earn pardon or eternal life—since salvation is wholly of grace—yet they are of great worth and necessity in the Christian life. God, having justified and regenerated His people, ordains that they should walk in good works as the appointed fruit of His grace. These works are the evidence of true faith, the strengthening of assurance, the edification of others, the silencing of adversaries, and the glory of God.

Good works testify that faith is alive. As a tree is known by its fruit, so the believer is known by his obedience. They do not justify, but they demonstrate justification. They do not save, but they show that salvation has taken root. When believers abound in good works, they confirm to their own hearts the reality of grace within them. A holy life nourishes assurance, comforts the soul, and gives credibility to the gospel before a watching world.

Moreover, good works serve the Church and the world. They build up fellow believers, provoke others to love and obedience, and silence the scoffers who malign Christ’s name. Above all, they glorify God—revealing His wisdom, power, and mercy in the transformed lives of His people. The redeemed become living testimonies to divine grace, shining lights in a darkened world. In this way, good works are both the evidence of salvation and the means by which the kingdom of God is made visible.

Historical Context

In writing this paragraph, the Westminster Divines sought to balance Reformed orthodoxy against both extremes of their day. Against Roman Catholicism, they denied that good works merit God’s favor or add to the righteousness of Christ. Against Antinomianism, they affirmed that good works are essential to Christian life—not for justification, but for sanctification, witness, and assurance.

The Puritans especially emphasized that holiness is evangelistic. A godly life adorns the gospel and invites others to glorify God. Their sermons often echoed the themes of Matthew 5 and Titus 2—calling believers to visible obedience as proof of invisible grace. In a culture suspicious of hypocrisy, their lives were to be “a visible sermon” of faith at work through love.

Key Biblical References

James 2:17–18 – “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead… I will show you my faith by my works.”
Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Titus 3:8 – “Those who have believed in God should be careful to devote themselves to good works.”
2 Peter 1:5–10 – Growing in virtue confirms one’s calling and election.
1 Peter 2:12 – “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable… that they may glorify God on the day of visitation.”

Summary Statement

Chapter 16, paragraph 2 teaches that good works are the living evidence of grace, the nourishment of faith, and the crown of Christian witness. They cannot justify the sinner, but they do magnify the Saviour. In doing good, the believer displays the transforming power of Christ, strengthens assurance, builds up the Church, and draws the world’s eyes toward God’s glory.

Good works are not the ladder to heaven—they are the life of heaven begun on earth. The same Spirit who saves us works through us, turning obedience into worship and ordinary faithfulness into eternal fruit. The gospel that saves the soul also sanctifies the life, so that the redeemed might “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work.”

Chapter 16, Paragraph 3

The Imperfection and Acceptance of Believers’ Good Works

Summary

This paragraph teaches that even the best works of the saints in this life are imperfect and tainted with sin, yet are graciously accepted by God through Christ. Though believers are renewed by the Spirit, they still carry the remnants of the flesh, and thus their obedience never reaches the full measure of God’s holiness. Every act of service, every prayer, every deed of mercy is marred by weakness, mixture, and imperfection. Yet God, who looks not upon the work apart from the worker, receives these imperfect offerings as pleasing sacrifices because they come through His beloved Son.

The believer’s obedience, therefore, is not the ground of his acceptance but the expression of it. In Christ, the Father delights in His children’s works, even as He refines them through discipline and grace. The imperfections of those works are covered by the blood of Christ, and the sincere desire to obey is counted as true obedience. God does not weigh the believer’s deeds on a scale of merit, but views them through the righteousness of His Son. What is stained with sin is washed in the Saviour’s blood; what is weak in effort is strengthened by grace.

This doctrine frees the Christian from both despair and pride—from despair, knowing that God accepts his imperfect service, and from pride, knowing that all merit belongs to Christ alone. The same grace that justifies also sanctifies, and the same intercession that secures pardon also sanctifies obedience. Thus, even flawed holiness glorifies God when it springs from faith and love.

Historical Context

The Westminster Divines were responding here to two persistent errors. Against Roman Catholic teaching, they rejected the idea that believers’ good works possess inherent merit capable of earning reward or contributing to justification. Against Antinomianism, they denied that imperfections excuse disobedience or make holiness optional.

The Puritans, drawing from Calvin and Augustine, held a deeply realistic view of the Christian life. They knew the believer’s best obedience falls short of divine perfection, yet they rejoiced that God regards sincerity rather than sinlessness. The imagery of the Old Testament sacrifices shaped their thought—imperfect offerings made acceptable by the altar that sanctified them. Christ is that altar, who makes every believer’s flawed obedience a sweet savor before God.

Key Biblical References

Isaiah 64:6 – “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”
Romans 7:18–19 – “I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”
Hebrews 13:20–21 – “May God… equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:5 – Believers “offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 103:13–14 – “As a father shows compassion to his children… He remembers that we are dust.”

Summary Statement

Chapter 16, paragraph 3 reminds us that even our holiest acts are in need of mercy. Our prayers, our service, our obedience—all are mingled with imperfection, yet all are sanctified in Christ. God accepts the will for the deed, the desire for the completion, the faith for the fullness. The smallest act of obedience, when done in faith, is precious in His sight because it is offered through His Son.

This is the believer’s peace: God does not demand flawless performance, but faithful love. He who began the good work within us delights in every step, however faltering, that moves toward His glory. And though our righteousness on earth is incomplete, it is made acceptable in heaven by the One who “ever lives to make intercession” for His people. Thus, the Christian labours cheerfully, knowing that in Christ even imperfect obedience becomes worship acceptable to God.

Chapter 16, Paragraph 4

The Insufficiency of Works for Justification

Summary

This paragraph declares that the good works of believers, though acceptable to God through Christ, are entirely insufficient to make satisfaction for sin or to earn eternal life. No human work, however sincere or abundant, can reconcile man to God or stand as the foundation of justification. Our best obedience cannot meet the infinite demands of divine justice. Salvation is not a wage earned by performance, but a gift received by grace through faith.

Even the holiest deeds of the saints fall short of perfection. They are polluted with weakness, marred by mixed motives, and always in need of cleansing. If God were to enter into judgment with us on the basis of our works, none could stand. But because the believer’s justification rests on the righteousness of Christ alone, his works—though imperfect—become fruits of gratitude, not means of merit. The gospel transforms the purpose of obedience: it is no longer a ladder to heaven but a response of love to the One who has already brought heaven near.

Good works, therefore, are necessary, but not meritorious. They are commanded, but not compensatory. They reveal faith, confirm grace, and glorify God, yet they contribute nothing to the ground of salvation. In the end, even the most faithful servant must confess, “We are unprofitable servants; we have only done what was our duty.”

Historical Context

Here the Westminster Divines reaffirm the heart of the Reformation: sola gratia, sola fide—by grace alone, through faith alone. They rejected the Roman Catholic doctrine of condign merit, which taught that works performed in a state of grace could earn eternal reward or increase justification. They also rejected the Socinian and Arminian claims that obedience cooperates with faith in securing salvation.

For the Reformed, salvation rests entirely on the finished work of Christ. Good works follow as the inevitable fruit of faith, but never as the root of acceptance. This paragraph thus stands as a safeguard for the believer’s assurance: if salvation depended even partly upon human effort, peace with God would crumble under the weight of imperfection. But because it depends wholly on Christ, the weakest saint stands as securely as the strongest.

Key Biblical References

Romans 3:20, 28 – “By the works of the law no human being will be justified… We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”
Galatians 2:16 – “A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”
Titus 3:5 – “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His mercy.”
Luke 17:10 – “When you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants.’”
Philippians 3:8–9 – Paul counts all his righteousness as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.

Summary Statement

Chapter 16, paragraph 4 anchors the believer’s confidence in the sufficiency of Christ alone. Good works, though pleasing to God, can never serve as the ground of salvation. The righteousness that justifies is an alien righteousness—Christ’s, not ours. The obedience that flows from faith is the gratitude of the redeemed, not the currency of the enslaved.

Here the gospel shines with liberating clarity: we do not obey to be accepted; we obey because we are accepted. The Christian life is therefore not a contest of merit, but a chorus of thanksgiving. Every good work proclaims the same truth as every forgiven sin—that salvation is of the Lord, and to Him alone belongs the glory.

Chapter 16, Paragraph 5

The Works of Unregenerate Men

Summary

This paragraph deals with the sobering reality that even the most outwardly impressive deeds of the unregenerate—those not born again by the Spirit—are not truly good in the sight of God. While such works may be beneficial to society and admired by men, they lack the qualities that make an act spiritually good: a right motive (faith and love for God), a right rule (conformity to God’s revealed will), and a right end (the glory of God). Because they proceed from hearts alienated from God, these works, though materially good, are formally sinful. They cannot please God or make a person acceptable to Him.

Nevertheless, these actions are not without value in a limited sense. They may restrain evil, uphold order, or display moral virtue as reflections of the image of God still lingering in fallen man. Yet they have no power to merit grace or earn divine favor. God may, in His providence, approve the civil good accomplished by unbelievers, but He does not accept such works as spiritual obedience. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. What appears as righteousness to the world is, apart from Christ, still stained with self-will and unbelief.

Therefore, all men, even the most moral, stand in need of regeneration and the righteousness of Christ. The natural man may do what is good in itself, but he cannot do it well—not in faith, not in love, and not unto the glory of God. His good deeds may benefit his neighbor, but they cannot reconcile him to his Maker.

Historical Context

The Westminster Divines here countered both Roman Catholic and Rationalist errors. Against Rome, they denied that natural virtue could earn merit or dispose a person toward justification. Against emerging humanist moralism, they rejected the idea that ethical behavior without faith is spiritually acceptable.

Following Augustine and Calvin, the Divines taught the doctrine of common grace—that God restrains sin and enables unbelievers to perform acts of civic and moral good. Yet they also held to the total inability of fallen man to do any spiritual good without divine renewal. Thus, they preserved both a realistic view of human virtue and an uncompromising doctrine of depravity.

Their concern was pastoral as well as theological: that no one rest in morality as a substitute for conversion. The moral man without Christ is still lost, though his manners may be polished; the publican justified by faith stands nearer to God than the Pharisee who boasts in works.

Key Biblical References

Hebrews 11:6 – “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
Romans 8:8 – “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Matthew 6:2, 5 – The hypocrites do good “to be seen by men; truly, they have their reward.”
Isaiah 64:6 – “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”
Titus 1:15 – “To the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.”

Summary Statement

Chapter 16, paragraph 5 teaches that morality without faith is not holiness. The works of unregenerate men may appear virtuous, but they lack the heart of obedience—the love of God. Such deeds cannot earn salvation or move God to grace, for grace is free and sovereign. The most upright life apart from Christ is still rebellion, for it proceeds from a will unsurrendered to God.

Yet this truth is not meant to breed contempt, but compassion. The apparent goodness of the unconverted is a testimony to God’s common grace and a reminder of His patience. It calls the Church to gratitude for grace received and to evangelism for grace yet needed. The difference between the saint and the sinner is not the measure of morality but the miracle of mercy. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.”

Chapter 16, Paragraph 6

The Acceptance of Believers’ Good Works Through Christ

Summary

This paragraph proclaims a comforting truth: though the good works of believers are imperfect and mingled with weakness, yet they are graciously accepted by God because the persons performing them are accepted in Christ. God does not view the deeds of His children apart from their union with His Son. What would otherwise be stained and unworthy becomes, through Christ’s mediation, a pleasing offering before the Father.

The believer’s obedience is never flawless, yet it is sincere. And God, who looks upon the heart rather than the blemish, receives what is done in faith as though it were perfect, because He beholds it through the righteousness of His Son. Thus, even the faltering prayers, the unfinished service, the half-understood obedience of the saints are precious to God. He accepts not the perfection of the work, but the sincerity of the heart that loves Him.

At the same time, God in His fatherly goodness promises to reward these imperfect works—not because they earn merit, but because He delights to crown His own grace. Every good deed done in faith will receive its due commendation on the last day. Grace not only forgives our failings but dignifies our obedience, turning even our weakness into worship.

Historical Context

The Westminster Divines wrote this paragraph to bring balance between two errors. Against Roman Catholicism, they denied that good works have intrinsic merit before God. Against Legalism and Perfectionism, they affirmed that God truly delights in the sincere obedience of His children, despite its imperfection.

This section reflects the tender pastoral theology of the Puritans: believers often mourn their imperfect holiness, yet God rejoices over their imperfect but genuine efforts. John Calvin wrote that the Father “does not examine our works with the rigour of His justice, but graciously accepts them as the works of His children.” The Divines followed that spirit—combining doctrinal precision with fatherly encouragement to the saints.

Key Biblical References

Ephesians 1:6 – “He has made us accepted in the Beloved.”
1 Peter 2:5 – “You offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Hebrews 13:20–21 – God “works in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.”
2 Chronicles 15:17 – Asa’s heart was “perfect all his days,” though his deeds were not flawless.
Matthew 25:21 – “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Summary Statement

Chapter 16, paragraph VI assures believers that the Father receives their imperfect obedience because He first received them in His perfect Son. Their works, though unworthy in themselves, are made acceptable through the merit of Christ and the mercy of God. Grace not only pardons sin—it perfumes obedience.

This is the comfort of every true saint: that the smallest act done in faith, though clouded by weakness, is still pleasing to God. The believer may sigh at his failings, but God smiles upon his sincerity. The same Lord who commands holiness also condescends to accept it, rewarding what He Himself has wrought. “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labour of love.”

Chapter 16, Paragraph 7

The Works of the Unregenerate

Summary

This final paragraph turns from the accepted works of believers to the outwardly good deeds of the unregenerate. Though such works may conform outwardly to God’s commands and bring real benefit to others, they lack the essential qualities that make them spiritually good. They do not spring from a heart purified by faith, are not performed according to God’s revealed will, and do not aim at His glory. Therefore, they are not pleasing to God, nor can they prepare a person to receive grace.

Unbelievers may perform acts of generosity, justice, or compassion, and in the providence of God these may restrain evil and serve society’s good. Yet spiritually, they are devoid of life. Without faith and the indwelling Spirit, they proceed from self-love, pride, or fear, not from devotion to God. Such works may be materially good but are formally sinful, because they arise from an unrenewed heart. The absence of right motive, right rule, and right end renders them unacceptable to God.

Still, their neglect of such duties is even worse. The fact that unregenerate men fail to perform good works at all only increases their guilt. Thus, though their deeds cannot save them, their refusal to do good further condemns them. The unregenerate stand doubly guilty—both for what they do wrongly and for what they fail to do rightly.

Historical Context

The Westminster Divines wrote this paragraph in the long Augustinian tradition affirming total inability: that man in his fallen state cannot do any spiritual good apart from grace. Against Pelagian and Arminian teachings, they denied that natural virtue can dispose one toward salvation or merit favor with God. At the same time, they maintained a doctrine of common grace—that God restrains sin and enables unbelievers to do things outwardly good for the preservation of society.

Their pastoral concern was to warn both moralists and hypocrites. Outward decency, civic virtue, and philanthropy cannot substitute for saving faith. As the Puritans often said, “A painted corpse is still dead.” Without regeneration, even the most glittering virtues are but splendid sins.

Key Biblical References

Hebrews 11:6 – “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
Romans 8:8 – “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Matthew 6:1–2 – “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be seen by them.”
Titus 1:15 – “To the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.”
Proverbs 21:4 – “The plowing of the wicked is sin.”

Summary Statement

Chapter 16, paragraph VII closes with a solemn reminder: goodness without grace is no goodness at all. The deeds of the unregenerate may shine before men, but not before God. Without faith, their righteousness is self-righteousness; without Christ, their obedience is rebellion. Yet even these outward virtues bear witness to God’s common grace, who restrains evil and grants glimpses of His moral order among men.

The gospel thus humbles the proud moralist and exalts the free mercy of God. Salvation cannot be earned by moral effort, for even the best deeds of the natural man are defiled. Only in Christ does obedience become worship. Only through the Spirit does duty become delight. And only by grace does the sinner’s work become the saint’s offering—accepted, sanctified, and rewarded by the Father who delights in His children through the Son.