For our Scripture reading tonight, let's turn together to John 15. John 15, a familiar passage about the vine and the branches, a discourse of our Lord Himself. So we read together the first eight verses of John 15. Beginning at verse 1 of John 15, as we consider the Word of God, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. And turn with me for our confessional consideration tonight to Lord's Day 24 in the back of the Psalter hymnal, page 31. Page 31 in the back of the Psalter hymnal, Lord's Day 24, as we confess together what we believe, with questions and answers 62, 63, and 64. Question 62 asks, Why can't the good we do make us right with God, or at least help make us right with Him? Because the righteousness which can pass God's scrutiny must be entirely perfect and must in every way measure up to the divine law, Even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with sin. How can you say that the good we do doesn't earn anything when God promises to reward it in this life and the next? This reward is not earned. It is a gift of grace. But doesn't this teaching make people indifferent and wicked? No, it is impossible for those grafted into Christ by true faith not to produce fruits of gratitude. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Lord's Day 23 last week, we considered together how and why we are saved. justification by grace alone through faith alone defines or determines the believer's relationship with God. How is one right with God? How is one able to stand before God? Justification by grace alone through faith alone. You see, our right relationship with God is the work of God from beginning to end. He has done for His people through His Son, Jesus Christ, that which we couldn't begin to do ourselves, even as we heard beautifully this morning, the Father and our election, the Son and our redemption, and the Holy Spirit who certifies it, who applies that to our hearts and lives, makes it real to us. But then here in Lord's Day 24, a follow-up to Lord's Day 23 and our consideration of justification by grace alone through faith alone, the catechism, the writers of the catechism, anticipate the arguments that tend to arise from the sinful human nature and it answers these arguments from Scripture itself. It's interesting that we hear in this Lord's Day, in response to the teaching of justification, we hear the response that most every child gives when they are told they can't do something. Boys and girls, when your mom or dad tells you that you cannot or you may not do something or your teacher tells you that, normally, often, what is the first one-word question that comes out of your mouth? Why? Why? Well, the same is true here with the natural response to the teaching of justification. Why can't the good we do make us right with God or at least help make us right with Him? You see, what I do must count for something, doesn't it? After all, that's how it works, right? We all know that you can't get something for nothing. We are used to earning something by what we do. For example, the harder you study, the better your grades will be or maybe the better scholarship you will get. Or the more diligent and faithful you do your work, then the better your pay raise or maybe your promotion will be. We live this life by the rules that if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself. Or, if you don't take care of yourself, no one else is going to take care of you. So surely when it comes to the next life, I have to do my part, right? We must understand, beloved, that it is not a question, first of all, of if good works are to be performed. The Bible is very, very clear about that. And Question and Answer 64 address that. 2 Timothy 3, verse 17 tells us that Scripture completes man and thoroughly equips him for every good work. Paul tells Titus to exhort young men to be a pattern of good works. He tells him that Jesus Christ purified for Himself His own special people zealous for good works. As well, Paul says in Titus 3, verse 8, this is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to man. And then of course, that familiar Ephesians 2, verse 10, for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. The Bible is very clear with regard to good works. And as well, it's not the purpose of Lord's Day 24 to talk about what good works are. That's considered in question and answer 91 of Lord's Day 33. And of course, we know that even unbelievers do what we might call civil good. but we're talking about good now in relation to God. Which, again, the Lord willing, we will consider more in detail when we reach question and answer 91. But Scripture is very clear that good works are a part of repentance and that new life to which every Christian is called. When one is converted and makes that U-turn, you see, boys and girls, that's what conversion really is. It's a U-turn. You see the road sign, a U-turn. it goes up and curves back around going the opposite direction. By nature, apart from Jesus Christ, we are headed straight toward hell, the way of sin. And conversion is a U-turn turning completely the other direction, heading toward God and obedience to Him and heaven. And when one is converted and makes that U-turn by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit from the way of sin and death to the way of salvation and life, then He no longer works the work of death which is sin and disobedience but by the grace of God he works the work of life which is faith and obedience congregation we are saved by grace alone through faith alone but as has been rightly said not by a faith that is alone and therefore we consider together tonight this word of God the proper place of good works in the believer's right relationship with God and notice these things First of all, their insufficiency. Secondly, their reward. And then finally, their necessity. Notice also the odor of negotiation. If I may say it this way, the stink of negotiation as we read question 62 once again. Why can't the good we do make us right with God, or at least help make us right with Him? Or as the older version of the Catechism states it, But why cannot our good works be the whole or part of our righteousness before God? First of all, why can't they be the whole thing, huh? And if they can't be the whole thing, why can't they at least be a part? If we're honest, we must say that sometimes we are tempted to say with the Pharisee who stood boldly in the temple, Look, Lord, I have done this and this and this and this and this. And then in our arrogance, we want to say, surely God considers that I am faithful. Surely He considers that I am willing to bow before Him and humble myself because of my sin. Surely He considers the fact that I am willing to forgive others. And therefore, every day I must be gaining in His good graces because of my good works. But the Bible says, uh-uh. No. For by grace you have been saved through faith. and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast. And the Catechism, without any double talk or without any compromise, tells us why this is the case in Answer 62, because the righteousness which can pass God's scrutiny must be entirely perfect and must in every way measure up to the divine law. Even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with sin. Notice the standard of righteousness, the rule, the measuring stick against which we are to measure ourselves. The divine law, which we often call a mirror into which we are to see our reflection of how we stand over and against the perfect holiness of God and His law. In God's grace and good pleasure, we know what His law is. We heard it read again this morning. We know the summary well, to love God above all and your neighbor as yourself. in order to play even a small, a tiny part in the accomplishment of my salvation, in order to even do that 1% that some people say we have to do, my righteousness must have been and must still be absolutely perfect and wholly conformable. That is, it must measure up in every way to the divine law. absolutely no mistakes can have been made. But as we think about this question, this negotiating question a little bit, as we think that through, what does this say then about our Lord Jesus Christ? Well, on the one hand, if I must play a part in my redemption and salvation, if my work must complement, That is, add to Christ's work. But then his work was neither perfect nor complete. It was insufficient. It did not satisfy God's wrath. And he lied when he said, it is finished. And on the other hand, if I am able to contribute to my salvation, which obviously means, of course, that I am perfectly righteous. It can only mean that. then Christ's work was all for nothing. And beloved, the cross was a big mistake. I want each of us to consider this teaching from the standpoint of what it would take to contribute to the whole or even a part of our salvation. If you think that you can stand before God based on your own good works, then be very, very careful. Because God is not satisfied with partial work. Boys and girls, if your dad asks you to clean the car inside and out and you wash the car, but you don't vacuum it, or you vacuum it, but you don't wash it, you've only done partial work. Your dad's not going to be satisfied. God is not satisfied with partial work or partial obedience. There are many who actually believe, and I know this for a fact because I have a cousin who said this to me a couple of years ago, Many who actually believe that they haven't done anything so bad for which God would keep them out of heaven. They haven't been that bad. But they fail to understand that our work may not be flawed, not even a little bit. We sometimes purchase clothing or other things that are slightly used or worn or damaged and we get a discount. That doesn't work when it comes to God's salvation. There's no such thing as discount salvation. Praise the Lord, there's not. If you want to be acceptable to God on your own, if you want to be able to contribute even a little bit, you must prove that your life, even in the least little degree, that your life never, ever strayed from God's law. And that means to stand alone before Him, we must dare to say that we have never done anything forbidden by God, nor have we omitted or left out anything that God commands. And this includes with our thoughts and our words and our actions and our motives and our desires, our all. Beloved, can you make this claim? Can you say that you have never even thought a nasty thought about another person that no one else knows about except for God, of course? I can't say that. The truth is, when some say that, well, I haven't done anything so bad for which God would keep me out of heaven, the truth is that not one of us has done, even in the least, anything for which God should even consider letting us into heaven. In Romans 3, we are taught that perfect righteousness is beyond our grasp. It's beyond our ability when it says, there is none righteous, no, not one. And this means, beloved, but that our good works are perfectly insufficient. Perfectly insufficient. Congregation, only one who has kept God's law perfectly can stand confidently before Him and say, I deserve eternal life. But God's Word is clear about our relationship to His law apart from Jesus Christ. Galatians 3, verse 10 says, For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, For it is written, and then Paul quotes Deuteronomy 27, verse 26, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. And Romans 3 says, By the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Because of our relationship to God's law, apart from Christ, We cannot stand alone before the throne of God, before His scrutiny, before His eye of examination. But what may be interesting, maybe you've not considered this, the catechism goes further. Even in our justified state, remember justification, we are declared not guilty, our sins are forgiven, and we have the imputed righteousness of Christ. God sees us as if we had never sinned or been a sinner. But even in our justified state, which we have by the grace of God, we cannot stand before God based on our own good works. Not even as believers. Why? Because even the very best we do in this life, as the Catechism rightly says, is imperfect and stained with sin. This comes directly from Isaiah 64, verse 6, which says, But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. The very best we do doesn't even come close to satisfying God. Our rags are worn out. They're irreparable. They're unpatchable. When we would be tempted to boast of our best works, God sees them as sin-soaked. Beloved, even our best works need Christ's atonement. Even the very best we have to offer needs to be cleansed by the blood of Christ. The proper place of our good works in our right relationship with God is not to justify us. Even our best works condemn us to hell. It is only our Lord Jesus Christ who is able to stand absolutely perfect and completely measure up to the divine law before the scrutiny of God. You see, very simply, for us to get it right, God the Son had to do it Himself. And when He ascended into heaven, He presented His spotless sacrifice and His perfect obedience before the throne of God on behalf of His people. John 15, verse 4 says, Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. Just as the branch apart from the vine is dead and insufficient, It cannot bear fruit. We can't stand before the throne of God, let alone even perform one single good work apart from Him who fulfilled all righteousness, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet the writers of the Catechism, knowing still how the human mind works, now then goes forward and appeals to Scripture itself as saying that our good works must be good for something. And this is because the Bible speaks of their reward. Now we know what a reward is, don't we? Even the boys and girls understand the idea of a reward. A reward is something you earn for going above and beyond the call of duty. We usually think of a reward as something you get for doing something good. And now to be sure, the Bible clearly speaks of believers receiving a reward. Psalm 19 speaks of the perfect law of God and it says of His statutes in verse 11, Moreover, by them your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. 1 Corinthians 3 verse 8 says, Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one, and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. Hebrews 12 verses 23 and following speak of the reason Moses left the comforts of Egypt and the house of Pharaoh in order to suffer affliction with the people of God. And verse 26 of Hebrews 12 says, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the reward. Proverbs 11, verse 18 says, The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward. And let me give you one more, Revelation 22, verse 12, which says, And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. Clearly, the Bible speaks of God's reward. And question 63 says that this reward is both in this life and the next. In Mark 10, verse 30, as well as in the story of the sheep and the goats, in Matthew 25, Jesus teaches that this reward is nothing else but eternal life. And indeed, that's for the future. But the assurance of eternal life is also our reward in this life. You see, this reward in this life doesn't mean that the believer will be healthy, wealthy, and wise with everything going his way while everything will go wrong for the unbeliever. Our practical experience for each one of us tells us that that's not the case. How often haven't you wanted to cry out with Asaph in Psalm 73, Lord, why do the wicked prosper? It doesn't make sense to me. Yet God's people are rewarded in this life with the blessings of true faith. Remember how the Catechism so beautifully explains what true faith is. Pastor Donovan recited it this morning as well. Question and answer 21. What is true faith? True faith is not only a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in His Word is true, it is also a deep-rooted assurance created in me by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel that out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, not only others, but I too have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation. The believer's reward in this life includes God's peace that passes understanding. It includes contentment in all things. It includes the assurance that all of my sins, past, present, and future, are forgiven in Jesus Christ. It includes the assurance of salvation full and free. It includes the blessing of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. Yet, how do we understand this reward? We still have to consider that. Answer 63 says, This reward is not earned, it is a gift of grace. You see, contrary to our thinking about a reward, it is not something we earned. It is not something we merited. that it's not something given to us for doing something special. This reward is not based on the good works, the works of obedience that we have done. Scripture tells us that. Jesus tells us that in essence. In Luke 17, verse 10, He says, So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, we are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do. God's grace is undeserved favor given. His reward to us is undeserved. It's kind of like a graduation gift parents give their child when that one graduates from high school, for example, or even a father rewarding a child for obedience without that child earning it. You see, with these two examples, the rewards are really undeserved. They're unearned because the graduate was expected to work toward graduation and the child is expected to obey. They only did their duty. And we must understand as well that even if we were perfect, beloved, from the day we were born again, for the rest of our lives until Christ comes again, we haven't gone above and beyond the call of duty. We have only done that which is our duty. In fact, we're still in debt because of all of our sin up until that time, except for Christ Jesus paying for that. Yet, our reward of eternal life is earned, isn't it? Not by you, not by me, but by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He merited this reward. And God's children, believe it or not, this is precious, God's children have a right to Christ's reward, but again, it's a gracious right. It's a right given to you and me by Christ. He earned it fully and completely. Yet it is paid to His brothers and sisters. It is paid out to those for whom He gave His life. Just as the branch is given life from the vine, we are given life in Jesus Christ. And it's only then that the branch or the Christian bears fruit necessarily. As we consider the necessity of good works in the last place. What is the proper place of good works in the believer's right relationship with God? Good works are the necessary fruit of being made right with God. Good works are evidence of faith. They are evidence of Christ's work applied to you and me by the Holy Spirit. Again, evidence is also something that we're familiar with. In a court of law, the evidence can either speak for or against the person. The evidence can make a difference between guilty or not guilty. And again, in that highly publicized Westerfield trial, we know that's the case. The spot of blood on the clothing, the fibers, as well as that little girl's handprint in the motorhome. The evidence seemed to be overwhelming. Evidence is proof. And with regard to faith in Jesus Christ, good works are evidence that one has faith already. Good works are evidence that one has been born again. Good works are evidence that one has been converted from the way of sin to the way of eternal life. Listen to verse 8 again in John 15. This is to My Father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples. Without good works, you see, that is evidence that one is still lost in sin and still headed for eternal destruction. it is evidence that one is not a disciple of Christ. And congregation, that's why the accusation from the Roman Catholic Church 500 years ago was unfounded. At the time of the Reformation, they were the ones that made the accusation laid forth in question 64. But doesn't this teaching make people indifferent and wicked? Or as the older version says, doesn't it make men careless and profane? And the reformer standing firm on the truth of the Word of God answered, No, it is impossible for those grafted into Christ by true faith not to produce fruits of gratitude. Now notice the strong language. It is impossible. In other words, it can't happen that way. Do you know why? Because then the sovereignty of God the Holy Spirit is in question. The truth of the doctrine of justification is that the justified Christian, the one pronounced, declared not guilty, your sins are forgiven, you have the righteousness of Christ. The doctrine of justification is that the justified Christian then walks necessarily in sanctification of the Spirit unto the perfection one day in glory that God sees in Christ. You see, the two can't be separated. Justification and the outflowing of sanctification. A good tree, first of all, bears fruit, as I said a couple of weeks ago. And secondly, the fruit that it bears is good fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit. The truth of this doctrine doesn't make men indifferent and wicked, but the misuse of it does. Many, by the temptation of the devil, have misused this in order to, in good conscience, forgetting that the conscience is also stained with sin, but in good conscience, they enjoy the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Those who say, and believe me, there are those who have said this, those who say, I can go out and get drunk tonight, or I can go out and commit adultery in good conscience, or I can violate the Lord's Day, or I can cheat on a test, or I can date an unbeliever, because I'll just ask forgiveness in the morning and God will forgive me. That's what He promises after all. Those who say these things are dangerously deceiving themselves. Paul makes that clear in Romans 6, verses 1 and 2. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? To misuse this is both careless and godless. But again, as we know and we must add very quickly, this doesn't mean that we never sin. That's not what that means. John says in 1 John 1, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But we don't willfully live in and continue in sin. And when we fall, then by God's grace, with sorrow and humility, we fall to our knees in repentance. We are truly sorry. Our consciences strike us because of what we have done against God. And as believers, those born again, we quickly remember the blood that Jesus Christ shed for that sin. But the justified child of God is not indifferent and wicked because Jesus Christ broke the power of canceled sin and He sets the prisoner free. His atonement congregation condemned sin in the flesh as Romans 8, 1, 2, and 3 says, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh. Beloved, faith united to Christ Jesus cannot be lifeless. It's impossible. The proper place of good works is that they demonstrate thankfulness and they exhibit the life of Christ in me. As Paul says, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And this is the life of the one who remained perfectly holy and obedient. It is that life that clothes me and enables me to stand before the scrutinizing eye of God. It is that life that is reflected in my walk and in my talk and in my thoughts. It is the life of that new heart implanted in me by the Holy Spirit. Jesus teaches this very truth in John 15 that union with Him by true faith cannot be lifeless. Verse 5 says, I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing. The reward we have is the forgiveness of all of our sins. The assurance of that. As well, the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and the gift of eternal life, salvation full and free. And that is evidenced in part by good works. When the catechism speaks of good works as the fruit, as fruit, you see, that's the proper order. They are not the root out of which our righteousness blossoms, but they are the fruit of faith. They are the natural growing fruit of the branch which is implanted into the vine and in Christ is already saved. That's the proper place. Good works are not done to get saved. They are done because one is saved. The Christian life is characterized by good works. It is a package of good works which is naturally a part of that life. You see, beloved, grace doesn't eliminate or wipe out good works. But grace makes good works not only possible, but it makes them really real. This fruit called good works is that life of thankfulness directed by the law of God. Thankfulness for the redemption and the salvation earned by Christ. A life of good works that flows naturally is evidence of faith in Jesus Christ. It is evidence of knowing and owning the joy of salvation. It is evidence that this reward is already mine. Right now. By God's grace. But in the same way. If the evidence of good works is missing. If it is absent, then that also is evidence, evidence that one doesn't know the Savior. It is evidence that one is still dead and lost in sin. It is only through repentance of sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of God, through that regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, that one then is justified and that one is not only given a desire, but is also enabled to live a life of good works, which the believer was created to perform? A dead branch can bear no fruit. One who is dead in trespasses and sins can perform no good works of obedience. Only in Christ Jesus will you live a fruitful life and will you receive His reward of everlasting life. Saved by grace alone, yes indeed, amen, but demonstrated by good works of obedience. through faith. Amen. Shall we pray? Heavenly Father, we bow before You once again in Jesus' name and we pray, O Lord, that that evidence of true faith might be seen in our lives. That others may not have to go digging for it in order to find it, but that evidence might flow forth even as the light shines forth from the sun. That it might be clearly visible through each and every one of our lives. Father, may we desire to perform good works of obedience. May we desire to grow the fruit of true faith. Recognizing, Heavenly Father, that we have that new life only in Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit. May we desire to live thankfully before You, doing all to the glory of God. Hear our prayer, O Lord, for Jesus' sake and in His name alone. Amen.