The Pilgrim's Progress 🍇

𝐕. 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐘 - That we may render unto God the obedience which he requires, or on account of the command of God. - That we may thereby testify our faith, and be assured of its existence in us by the fruits which we produce in our lives. “Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit”…It is by our good works, therefore, that we know that we possess true faith, because the effect is not without its own proper cause, which is always known by its effect; so that if we are destitute of good works and new obedience, we are hypocrites, and have an evil conscience instead of true faith. - That we may be assured of the fact that we have obtained the forgiveness of sins through Christ, and that we are justified for his sake…That we may be assured of our election and salvation. - That we may escape temporal and eternal punishment. "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire." "If ye live after the flesh ye shall die." - That we may obtain from God those temporal and spiritual rewards, which, according to the divine promise, accompany good works both in this and in a future life. “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1 Tim. 4:8.) And if God did not desire that the hope of reward, and the fear of punishment should be moving causes of good works, he would not use them as arguments in the promises and threatenings which he addresses unto us in his word. —Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, q.91