Does a child of grace walk in good works? Absolutely!!! God's eternal predestination is toward that very thing. Scriptures say that before the foundation of the world, He had ordained his children "UNTO GOOD WORKS" and you can trust his promise that they SHALL WALK IN THEM" no doubt about it!!!
I also find that scripture makes very clear that these works are not our works but His works for it is HIM "that WORKETH in us BOTH to WILL (thats the initiative and desire) and to DO (that's the ability and outworking) HIS good pleasure."
Scripture also says that our sanctification also, is not our working, but HIS!
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is HE that calleth you, WHO also WILL DO IT."
We are also warned to not "put any confidence in our flesh" because "in my flesh dwells no good thing" and that our "heart is deceitfully wicked above all things and who can know it"
So we trust that HE, as HE promised, IS doing the work HE promised to do and that in HIM we are pure, blameless, and holy, but not because of anything in our flesh, but only because we are IN HIM. HIS obedience, HIS righteousness, HIS life is what GOD counts for righteousness, never ours! We can be sure that our works are never done with right motives, done in pure righteousness, done good enough, and from our heart and not our flesh.
I have mimicked righteous acts before I was converted and many people were fooled by how "spiritual" I seemed to be! But it was not real, it was a farce, it was manufactured by my flesh! Religious parroting! And we know that those things done in the flesh profit nothing and cannot please God! So how do we know it's God and not the self righteous works of our flesh??? How do I know when it's God at work in me and not me at work in me? How can we know if we are not sewing our own fig leaves????
The deal is, we cannot fully know! With that being the case, why would we boast in anything but what we do know, and that is that Christ has accomplished a sure salvation for His people where HIS obedience and righteousness is imputed to them and He has promised to preserve them and to conform his children to his image when He is completed. We should testify of what Christ has done and have hope that we are included in that promise!
Brethren, the heart God gives is a broken and contrite heart, not a boastful and proud heart that draws attention to one’s self works. A broken heart cries out, from the realization of their sin and failure to keep the law of God and a contrite heart hopes in a righteousness that is given. Not given in the flesh, but by virtue of imputation!
Are there those who have false humility, yes! But the child of grace really has been humbled when shown his sin and its continued hold on the Adamic man! Only when we are delivered from this body of death are we fully free from the constant warfare, to want to do good but find in our member the inability to do it. Oh yes, we will serve the law of God with our mind, but our flesh the law of sin. This is Gods ordained plight for His people, so that we might always be reminded, that we can never measure up. So that we must continually look to HIM, who is not only the Author and Finisher of our faith, but the sustainer of it! He is our righteousness, our law keeper, our justification, our savior!
God bless
Mikal
