Benedict Pictet was translated and published by the Presbyterian Sunday School Board in the 1800s for the edification of readers. While some portions were expurgated and some rated a footnote of disagreement, this was allowed to stand as Presbyterian teaching:
As to the necessity of good works, it is clearly established from the express commands of God–from the necessity of our worshipping and serving God–from the nature of the covenant of grace, in which God promises every kind of blessing, but at the same time requires obedience–from the favors received at his hands, which are so many motives to good works–from the future glory which is promised, and to which good works stand related, as the means to the end, as the road to the goal, as seed-time to the harvest, as first-fruits to the whole gathering, and as the contest to the victory…
So good works are instrumentally related to entering into eternal glory. It is hard to imagine this being published today. Yet it sounds quite like what we find in the Westminster Confession on good works, as well as in Scripture.
These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.
The Confession is translating the contemporary English translation of First Corinthians 6.22. Here it is in context:
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Westminster Confession teaches that personal holiness (sanctification) is the means to the end, which is eternal life.
This is the whole issue:
>good works are instrumentally related to entering into eternal glory.
“instrumentally” implies “causality” (or “means” as you say) but Protestant and Reformed understanding (even in the WCF) has this (correctly – IMO) reversed. The “works” (or “acts of obedience”) are a necessary consequence of the “living faith” (and even the promise of future glory) and not a means to that end.
So the promise of a future glory/living faith are a means (cause, necessary pre-requisite) to the works, the works are not a means to the future glory.
?
If instrumentalality implies causality then faith causes justification. Protestant thinkers of the Reformation and post-Reformation period have always seen “instrumental” or “means of” as an alternative (and a preferable one) to “cause.”
Pictet’s uncle for example, Francis Turretin (scroll down) wrote:
So causality and instrumentality are alternatives to one another as I see it.
OK. I see your point about “cause.”
And I’m comfortable with “necessity” – good works are a necessary consequence of a living faith through which we receive justification (and therefore glorification a la Rom 8).
And I guess, since sanctification culminates in glorification, I can see good works as a “means” (understood as you’ve now clarified for me) since glorification is the termination point of that process.
I guess, reading “instrumentality” as “causality,” as I was incorrectly doing, I have an issue with our works being a cause of our glorification – but I guess that was my misunderstanding.
And I have a problem with our works being a means to justification – but I guess you’re not implying that.
Thanks
Jim
Thanks. By the way, if someone wants to improve on Turretin and Pictet I’m all for it (though we need to make sure we don’t ignore Biblical data they were trying to account for). My point is that I want the “baseline” to be honestly acknowledged. Change can be good. the Memory Hole is never good.
For what it is worth.