Who Can And Will Perform Good Works? Titus 3:8
Don Fortner
No natural man can do
anything good in the eyes of God. We have no knowledge of how to do that which
is good and no desire to do it. Even if we knew what to do and had every desire
to do it, we have no natural power to do good (Rom. 3:12). Only good men can do good
(Matt. 12:35).
But there is no such thing as a good man, unless he has been made good by the
grace of God. A good work of grace must be performed in you, or nothing good
can come out of you (Phil. 2:12-13). You must be made a new creature in
Christ, or you cannot do good for Christ. Before we
can do good, we must be purified by the blood of
Christ and sanctified by the grace of God (Tit. 2:14). Until our hands are cleansed, all that
we touch is defiled. Until our hearts are purified and sanctified, all that we
do is vile. We must be sanctified by the Spirit of God in regeneration, if we
would be "meet for the Master's use and prepared unto every good
work" (II Tim. 2:21). Only those who have the Spirit of
Christ can do good works for Christ. If we would do good,
we must be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man. It is for this purpose that the Holy Spirit has been given to them that
believe (Ezek. 36:25-27). Only those who have faith in Christ can do
that which is good and pleasing in the sight of God (Heb. 11:6). The Lord Jesus
Christ is the only One of whom the Father ever said, "I am well
pleased." God is well pleased with us only if we are in his Son and only
because we are in his Son. God accepts our works only because of the merits of
Christ's works as our Substitute. Even believers, who are redeemed, justified
and sanctified in Christ, cannot perform any works that are absolutely good
(Rom. 7:14-24).
Our best deeds are acceptable to God only by Christ Jesus (I Pet. 2:5). But our
God does accept and delight in the poor works of his feeble children, performed
in faith with a sincere heart, for Christ's sake (Mk. 14:6-8). The long and
short of it is this: Good works are the fruit of faith, never the root of
faith. God will never accept your good works as a basis of acceptance with him.
But if you are in Christ by faith, God accepts and is well pleased with you and
your works, because he accepts and is well pleased with Christ. Therefore, let
all who believe "be careful to maintain good works."