Article 12

“Although good works, which are the fruits of faith and follow on after justification, can never atone for our sins or face the strict justice of God’s judgment, they are nevertheless pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and necessarily spring from a true and living faith. Thus a living faith is as plainly known by its good works as a tree is known by its fruit.”

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An evangelist once described two very different people he had met who wanted to become Christians. Both had heard about Jesus, who died on the cross in their place for their sins, and both wanted to respond to this sacrificial act by putting their trust in him. Both people realized that there was nothing they could do to make themselves acceptable to God; they simply had to believe what Jesus had achieved for them. But both of these people knew that their lives would need to change as a result of their new-found faith.

One of these people was a young man who was converted at an open-air meeting. When he heard the gospel message, he repented and acknowledged Jesus as his Lord. However, he had a problem: for the previous four years, he had made his living by burglary. For him, becoming a Christian meant going to the police station and giving himself up – an act which led to a prison sentence.

For a small girl at a Sunday School camp, becoming a Christian had different implications. When asked, “What difference will this make to the way you behave at home?” she replied, “Well, one of my jobs is to make jello for lunch on Sunday. I never really mix it until all the crystals dissolve, but now I know I will have to!”

The 39 Articles explain: “Although good works, which are the fruits of faith and follow on after justification, can never atone for our sins or face the strict justice of God’s judgment, they are nevertheless pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and necessarily spring from a true and living faith.” In other words, a Christian seeks to live a good life, not to win God’s approval, but in response to what God has already done for us.

When someone becomes a Christian, their life will change. Their faith, which is invisible, is confirmed by a visibly changed life. As the article concludes: “a living faith is as plainly known by its good works as a tree is known by its fruit.”