(The following is an edited email correspondence.)

I just finished reading "Chosen in Christ."

For many years, I have been feeding on charismatic literature, and I have never learned about these things that you write about and that are so obvious in the Bible. I am now 50 years old and I regret how stupid I have been for so long.

I am still puzzled about some of those who would be sent to hell. What about those Catholic nuns who care for needy people — someone like Mother Teresa?

Thank you your books. It would be a good to make your literature available to the Hungarian Reformed Church.

Thanks for writing.

Since your context is predestination, we should first note that the question regarding the "good" works of the non-Christians — the wicked, the heretics, and the teachers and believers of false gospels — applies not only to the biblical doctrine of predestination, but also to the whole biblical faith in general, or justification by faith in particular. All Christians who are really Christians believe that man cannot be saved by works.

Indeed, it can be shown that justification by faith is inconsistent with any view other than Calvinism, or biblical predestination, so that the two cannot be properly considered independently from each other. However, even if we ignore this necessary connection for now (although we can do it only by force), your question implies a hesitation not only concerning Calvinism, as if it is a doctrine of man, but against the acknolwedged common foundation of all who affirm the gospel — justification by faith apart from works.

Just because Teresa appears to have done an abundance of good works does not make one bit of difference, that is, unless she indeed trusted Christ for salvation. Trying to assist, heal, unite, or even save humanity without God, and without the true and only gospel, is nothing other than another attempt at building Babel. It is a man-centered attempt at building up humanity. It is sin and rebellion disguised as righteousness and compassion. The good works of the wicked are done not out of a motive to help humanity in obedience to God and to glorify God, but to help humanity in defiance of God so that they will not need or worship God.

Thus if we set up ourselves and our works as the point of reference for good and evil, then we have already succumbed to the first temptation of Satan. A "good" work is truly a good work only because it is so in reference to God (only because it glorifies God, because we do it on his say so, and because he approves), and not because it is helpful to man and judged as good by man apart from God.

On this topic, the Westminster Confession declares:

Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands; and of good use both to themselves and others: yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith; nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word; nor to a right end, the glory of God, they are therefore sinful and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God: and yet, their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.

As long as they remain non-Christians, their so-called "good" works are still sinful, and as such, they incur God’s wrath. The difference is that these "good" works, since they demonstrate a superficial agreement with God’s precepts, are often considered less sinful than the other works of the wicked. However, it is still not necessarily true that the "good" works of the wicked are always less sinful than their evil works, since God also takes one’s attitudes and motives into account.

So if a non-Christian performs an apparent "good" work, such as helping a beggar or feeding a child, but from an intensely wicked motive (great pride, great admiration for his own "compassion," etc.), it might just be counted as even more wicked (and certainly more hypocritical) than if he had, without hiding his true nature as a non-Christian, kicked the beggar in the face or deliberately starved the child.

Concerning the gospel, Paul writes: "As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:9). Once a false gospel is taught and affirmed, then it is ultimately irrelevant whether one still appears to do good works, because "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). People think they are good works only because they think so, and not because God says so.

Of course, what I have been saying here is just basic Christianity, and to deny it is to reject the gospel and forfeit salvation. Thus I suppose that you already believe all of this, only that you need to apply it consistently.

Recommended:

What’s Wrong with "White" Magic

Vincent Cheung, Systematic Theology

Vincent Cheung, Commentary on Ephesians

Vincent Cheung, Commentary on Philippians

Jonathan Edwards, Justification by Faith Alone

Charles Hodge, Justification by Faith Alone

Horatius Bonar, The Everlasting Righteousness

William Pemble, The Justification of a Sinner

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