Sunday's Hymn: In the Hour of Trial

In the hour of trial, Jesus, plead for me,
Lest by base denial I depart from Thee.
When Thou seest me waver, with a look recall,
Nor for fear or favor suffer me to fall.

With forbidden pleasures would this vain world charm,
Or its sordid treasures spread to work me harm,
Bring to my remembrance sad Gethsemane,
Or, in darker semblance, cross-crowned Calvary.

Should Thy mercy send me sorrow, toil and woe,
Or should pain attend me on my path below,
Grant that I may never fail Thy hand to see;
Grant that I may ever cast my care on Thee.

When my last hour cometh, fraught with strife and pain,
When my dust returneth to the dust again,
On Thy truth relying, through that mortal strife,
Jesus, take me, dying, to eternal life.

—James Mont­gom­e­ry

Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

• Scandal of Grace at The Happy Wonderer
• Nothing but the Blood at Gospel Grace
• Glory to His Name at By Grace Alone
• The Lord’s Prayer: The Fourth Petition at Tried With Fire 
• Lord’s Day 37, 2013 at The Thirsty Theologian
• The Puritans: John Bunyan at Challies.com
• You Weekly Dose of Spurgeon at Pyromaniacs: How safe are those who trust in God!

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list.

Thankful Thursday

You’re may be tired me mentioning how thankful I am for the beautiful place I live. But I am, and every time I see my place through visitors’ eyes, I feel even more blessed. I’m thankful for what the beauty of my place tells me about the God who created it: that he is powerful, eternal, benevolent, and more.

I’m thankful for abundant cranberries, for time to pick, and for friends and family to help me pick. I’m thankful I could pick with Kim while she was here. 

I’m thankful for this week’s perfect fall days—for morning chil, warm afternoons, and changing leaves.

I’m thankful for today’s all-clear report from the dentist. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a check up and not had to schedule follow-up appointments to have work done. I’m thankful for my hygienist, who is gentle, but thorough. She is God’s provision to me, helping me keep my mouth healthy.

I’m thankful that God works everything according to the counsel of his will. I’m thankful that I can trust him with my future, my children’s future, and my grandchildren’s future. Without a trustworthy God working in everything to bring about his perfect purpose I’d be permanently tied up in worry knots. 

Theological Term of the Week

good works
Deeds done “in obedience to the will of God (Rom 6:16), from a principle of love to Him (Heb 10:24), in the name of Christ (Col 3:17), and to the glory of God by Him.”1 Our good works are never the grounds of our salvation, but they are the necessary result of salvation as the Spirit produces the desire and power to please God within a believer.

• From scripture:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)

• From the Belgic Confession, Article 24: 

We believe that this true faith, worked in man by the hearing of God’s Word and by the operation of the Holy Spirit, regenerates him and makes him a new man. It makes him live a new life and frees him from the slavery of sin. Therefore it is not true that this justifying faith makes man indifferent to living a good and holy life. On the contrary, without it no one would ever do anything out of love for God, but only out of self-love or fear of being condemned. It is therefore impossible for this holy faith to be inactive in man, for we do not speak of an empty faith but of what Scripture calls faith working through love. This faith induces man to apply himself to those works which God has commanded in His Word. These works, proceeding from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable in the sight of God, since they are all sanctified by His grace. Nevertheless, they do not count toward our justification. For through faith in Christ we are justified, even before we do any good works. Otherwise they could not be good any more than the fruit of a tree can be good unless the tree itself is good.

Therefore we do good works, but not for merit. For what could we merit? We are indebted to God, rather than He to us, for the good works we do,8 since it is He who is at work in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Let us keep in mind what is written: So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty (Luke 17:10).” Meanwhile we do not deny that God rewards good works,9 but it is by His grace that He crowns His gifts.

Furthermore, although we do good works, we do not base our salvation on them. We cannot do a single work that is not defiled by our flesh and does not deserve punishment. Even if we could show one good work, the remembrance of one sin is enough to make God reject it. We would then always be in doubt, tossed to and fro without any certainty, and our poor consciences would be constantly tormented, if they did not rely on the merit of the death and passion of our Saviour..

Learn more:

1. Got Questions.org: What does it mean that good works are the result of salvation?
2. Milton Vincent: Saved for Good Works
3. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministries: What is the relationship between faith and works?
4. London Baptist Confession 1689: Of Good Works
5. Open Bible Info: 98 Bible Verses About Good Works
6. Arthur Pink: The Bible and Good Works
7. Brian Borgman: Saved by Grace for Good Works - Ephesians 2:10 (mp3)

Related terms:

• assurance of salvation
• faith alone
• grace alone
• justification
• lordship salvation
• perseverance of the saints
• progressive sanctification
• salvation

Filed under Salvation

1From The Scriptures and Good Works by Arthur Pink.

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.