St. Francis of Assisi is often reported as having said, "Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words." Now, from what I can tell, Francis never actually made that statement, but it does express something true: sometimes actions speak louder than words. We all know what this is like. How you vote, what you eat, what you don't eat, how you speak to your spouse, how you treat your children—all of these works say something about you. And, if this is true in life generally, it is especially true in the life of a Christian. Our actions with our hands either confirm or contradict what we profess with our mouths. That is why the Apostle John earnestly entreated: My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18). Sometimes actions speak louder than words. That brings us to the subject of the 16th chapter in the Westminster Confession: "Of Good Works." In recent weeks we've studied saving faith and repentance unto life. Tonight we'll explore the fruits of conversion in Philippians 1:9-11. We'll approach the topic by answering two questions: What and how. First, what is a good work? Second, how can you do good works? |