If “good works” sound exhausting and somehow performative, we are probably doing them wrong. The Bible’s presentation of good works is more to do with exercising the Christian graces (such as faith and love) and fighting our personal sins of heart and life. Instead of chasing recognition and approval for what we are visibly doing, the “good works” of most Christians will be the quiet, ordinary work of pursuing heart holiness and moral integrity. This point is picked up by Zachary Boyd in a sermon on Ephesians 2:10, where the Christian is said to have been “created in Christ Jesus unto good works … that we should walk in them.” Zachary Boyd (1585–1653) was a minister in Glasgow. He contributed around a tenth of the content of the 1650 Scottish Psalter. In his sermon, Boyd explains that those who have been justified by the blood of Christ must walk in good works, and shows that this will be a lifelong walk.

What part do good works play in salvation?

The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2:10 that we are, “created in Christ Jesus unto good works,” and he goes on to say that “we should walk in them.” This is why God has ordained good works. He does not say that we should merit by them, but that we should walk in them. Here it may clearly be seen that good works are, as one of the Church Fathers rightly said, “the way to the kingdom, but not the cause of reigning.” It is by the blood of Christ that we are justified, but those who are justified must walk in good works.

The text says “good works.” One good work is not enough for someone who wants to get to heaven. We must not sit down on one good work and say it is enough. No, we must walk in good works, from one to another. When someone has done one good turn, he must not lie down and puff, with those lazy priests in Malachi, saying, “What a weariness is in it!”

As the ending of one hour is the beginning of another, so must the ending of one work be the entry to another. As your breath continually comes and goes, as your pulse beats continually, as the sea is constantly in motion, as the heavenly bodies are always moving in their course, so must we be always doing good, going from one good work to another. This is the Christian pilgrimage. The one who wants to lodge in heaven must walk in works, from work to work, from grace to grace, till he reaches glory.

Many, if they have done any part of God’s commandments, brag of it as if they had done them all. Saul thought he had done well because he had killed the lean and worthless of the Amalekite animals, even though he had spared the fattest sheep and oxen, against God’s commandment. When Samuel came to him, before he could open his mouth to reprove him, Saul began to praise himself, saying, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord!” (1 Samuel 15:13). “Good,” Samuel said, “But what meaneth the bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” (1 Samuel 15:14). There are many Sauls in the world, who will make conscience of little sins, and keep alive the greatest and fattest, straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel (Matthew 23:23). Herod heard John gladly, and did many things at his desire. But the fed ox of his incestuous marriage, lowing in a filthy stable? Because John told him to kill it, he killed John.

Let us learn not to spare our fattest sins. It is a good work to put out the life of sin. It is a good work to destroy the works of the devil. To do good and to destroy evil are the works of the new creature, and we are ordained by God to walk in such works.

Where are we walking from?

Where we should walk away from is the corruption of our nature. This is where the prodigal walked from when he came to himself again (Luke 15:17). Those who walk towards heaven must turn their back on Sodom, the puddle of pollution.

Where are we walking to?

In our good works, we are walking to glory in the heavens. The Christian’s pilgrimage is from sin to grace, and from grace to grace, till at last he comes to glory. This is what David desired in his prayer, “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me into glory” (Psalm 73:24). As there is a way from grace to grace, so there is a way from grace to glory, and indeed, from glory to glory. For, “by beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). Here ends the travels of the patriarchs. This is the Lord’s resting place, appointed for weary souls.

What is the pathway we walk?

The way is Christ and good works. “I am the way,” said Christ (John 14:6). Here it is said that we should walk “in good works.” Good works are via regni, the way to the kingdom. Christ is both via regni, the way to the kingdom, and causa regnandi, the cause of the kingdom. This is what the prophet called the “ancient path” (Jeremiah 18:15). Let this preaching of mine be a voice behind you, crying to you, “This is the way! Walk ye into it!” when you turn to right hand, and when you turn to the left (Isaiah 30:21). The prophet Jeremiah cried to the people to walk in the good, old way, “and ye shall find rest to your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). Christ and good works are the good old way. In them alone is rest for the wearied soul. The merits of works is a new way, and if you walk in it, supposing you would walk to the world’s end, you will never find rest to your soul.

What time are we walking?

The time for walking is the daytime. “The night is far spent and the day is at hand,” said Paul. What does he infer from that? “Let us walk” (Romans 13:12–13). The day is for working and walking, the night is for resting. If darkness comes on us, wherever we are, there we must stop. As long as we have life and gospel, we may walk.

Our lifetime is the daytime. Our youth is our morning. Travellers ordinarily start off in the morning. Our voyage is long, from the earth to the heavens. The day of our life is short, and we are slow. We are loathe to leave our sins, our old companions with whom we have been so close since the cradle. Our day is often gone before we have finished our adieus. We could spend Methuselah’s years just giving our sweet farewells to our sins, to “riot and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, strife and envy” (Romans 13:13). We grow grey hairs before all these goodbyes are done. But if we were wise, we would hurry to God with such haste that we would not spend a moment even kissing our father goodbye.

Let us begin early. Let God get the flower of our age. What should God do with the dregs of our days? What can you do for God, after you have spent all your strength in your sins? What will God do with you when you have become an old, rotten, toothless, bleary, deaf and coughing creature, a burden to yourself and a bother to others? (Ecclesiastes 12:1–6). If we had Methuselah’s years to live, it would not be too much to repent and return to our God. We all know this. Yet Lot will not go out of Sodom till an angel pulls him out by force (Genesis 19:1). We leave it all to the afternoon, and for the most part we die in our folly.

How should we walk?

1. Paul tells us to walk honestly, as in the day (Romans 13:13), that is, without deceit or guile.

2. To walk in good works we must walk circumspectly. Moses “looked this way and that way” before he killed the Egyptian who was oppressing the Israelite (Exodus 2:12). Christ commands His simple doves to be wise like serpents (Matthew 10:16).

3. We must walk consistently, and more swiftly at the ending than at the beginning. You can tell apart a faithful Christian and a hypocrite by their walking. Hypocrites will run fast at first, as far as appearances go, but they run like the foolish Galatians. Paul said, “You did run well,” as if to say, “you did once run well” (Galatians 5:7). It would be small praise to say to someone, “You were once an honest man!” It is good to begin well, but only the one who “persevereth to the end” shall be saved (Matthew 24:13). The Christian’s pilgrimage is like a horse race. They need both the spur and the switch. Happy is the one who has run in such a way that he can say with Paul, “I have finished my course.” The hypocrite makes great haste to start with, but soon falls back. But the Christian finishes the course. The Christian runs “so that he may obtain” (1 Corinthians 9:24). The best of us has a lazy nature. We need to pray with the spouse, “Draw me, and we shall run after thee” (Song 1:4).

What hindrances will we meet?

There are various things which will hinder us in our Christian course, some external and some internal. There are the heavy flesh and burdens of sin within us, Satan and the world about us. Satan is always like a serpent in the way, an adder in the path. By his bite, he will make a man fall backwards. What are our daily, sins in words, thoughts, and deeds but the biting of that adder in the path?

There are also burdens of worldly cares, which greatly hinder the soul. There is also laziness and lack of courage. “There is a lion in the way!” says the sluggard (Proverbs 26:13). There are also the caltraps of various temptations, which will wound the feet of the soul unless they are well shod with the preparation of the gospel (Ephesians 6:15). [Caltraps or caltrops are sharp spiky metal objects that would be strewn over a piece of land to slow down troops, especially on horseback.]

Lastly, of all hindrances, bad company is not the least. The prophet was hindered in his journey by the persuasion of the old false prophet, and so became prey to a lion (1 Kings 13:28). The Levite was detained by his father-in-law so that he was forced to lodge in Gibeah among the sons of Belial, with a terrible and fearful outcome (Judges 19:12).

What will help us make progress?

When Israel set off on the journey out of Egypt toward Canaan, they used four helps — they prepared food (the lamb of the Passover), they girded up their loins, they put shoes on their feet, and they had staffs in their hand. All these outward things represent spiritual helps which we must have in our journey toward heaven.

Our souls must have food, and soul food is the bread of life, that feeds to life eternal (John 6:35).

We must “gird up the loins of our mind” (1 Peter 1:13). Our long trailing affections must be gathered up, so that we may run in the way of God’s commandments.

Our souls must be “shod with the preparation of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:15).

With all of these helps, we must have the staff of faith, the soul’s third foot, with which we may leap over the ditches of any difficulties.

Many other helps are required, but these are the special ones which, if we are equipped with them, we shall walk towards God in the way of good works. So, at last, we shall enter into His rest, into which the Lord will bring us all, for the sake of Christ His Son, to whom with the Father and Holy Ghost be honour and majesty, power and dominion for ever.

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