Good Works, Providence, And Promises: Common Fundamental Doctrines
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, May 11, 2026 (Donate)
Whole books could be written on each of these doctrinal
topics. They are actually quite important but I’m not sure how often they are
discussed and explained in our local churches and ministries. Let’s look closer
at them and see if we can gain a better understanding of these fundamental doctrines
from a biblical viewpoint.
Good Works
Good works are actions performed in obedience to God that
arise from true faith and love for Christ. A common misconception is that people
think that they are “good enough for heaven” if their good works outweigh their
“bad” works (e.g., our sins).
But good works are not the cause of salvation but the
fruit and evidence of regeneration in Christ. A perfect God expects us to be
perfect and have no sins! But we all fall short ever since Adam and Eve sinned.
Good works are irrelevant to salvation because it is our sin (e.g., bad
works) that still needs to be punished and one sin against a perfect and
eternally holy God is still demands a punishment.
Instead, we are saved by faith in Christ’s death and
resurrection (his works) and we subsequently do good works because we love Him and
He expects us to do good works. These are godly good works.
In theological discussions, the Protestant position is that
sinners are justified by faith alone, yet genuine faith produces holiness and
obedience. Out of this obedience, we get godly good works. Godly good works
glorify God, and of course they benefit others, but they also show other the
reality of our conversion and repentance.
Godly good works proceed from the grace of God working
within believers. Fallen mankind cannot produce spiritually acceptable
works apart from Christ and the Holy Spirit. Without Christ, they are simply
filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
Godly good works are performed by believers after salvation
and are accepted by God through Christ’s righteousness rather than our own human
effort. Consider Ephesians 2:10 and Titus 2:11-14 that show believers are
redeemed and sanctified unto good works.
· For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10, NKJV)
· For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14, NKJV)
Providence
Providence is the continual care, preservation, and
government of all creation by God. He taught that God not only created the
universe but also sustains and directs all events according to His wisdom and
holy will. This is still the case, even in a sin-cursed and broken world since
Genesis 3. God is giving man a taste of what life is like without His fully
blessing and a perfect works due to our sin against Him.
Nevertheless, God’s providence extends to nations,
individuals, circumstances, and even events that appear small or “accidental”
to human beings. Nothing ultimately escapes God’s oversight.
Providence is God’s wise and powerful ordering and sustaining
of all creatures and all actions for His glory and the accomplishment of His
purposes. Even sinful being cannot escape God’s willpower. Bear in mind that
providence is not fate or chance when we affirm that God
actively governs the world while remaining perfectly holy and just.
God’s providence is still worked even through the use of man’s
(or Satan’s) will. The Bible teaches that providence includes preservation,
concurrence, and government.
· Preservation means God sustains all things
· Concurrence means creatures act under God’s sovereign oversight
· Government means God directs all things toward His ordained end
Providence gives us (believers) confidence during
suffering and uncertain times knowing that God rules all things wisely and remains
in charge no matter what.
The Promises Of God
The promises of God are divine declarations in Scripture
in which God graciously assures His people of blessings, mercy, guidance,
forgiveness, eternal life, and future glory. This is not too hard for all all-knowing
and all-powerful God! The promises are based in God’s truthfulness and
faithfulness. We can be comforted, have hope, as well as be encouraged through
trusting the promises of God revealed in His Word.
The promises of God are really blessings that are revealed
throughout Scripture. The promises originate from God’s eternal purpose and are
certain because God cannot lie or fail. There is a blessing in knowing that God
is not going to the change the laws of physics tomorrow! We know this because God
promised it in Genesis 8:22.
Keep in mind there are general promises and special
covenant promises given to believers. General promises in the Bible
are blessings, truths, or assurances God declares broadly to humanity or to all
believers. Genesis 8:22 was to all of mankind.
These general promises often reveal something about God’s
character, His mercy, His wisdom, His provision, and the general moral code.
For example, God promises wisdom to those who ask in faith (James 1:5) and
promises that those who seek Him diligently will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
These promises are generally applicable to God’s people as a whole.
Special covenant promises are specific promises God
gives within a particular covenant relationship and are often directed to
certain people, nations, or even for redemptive purposes. These include
promises made to Noah, Abraham, Israel, David, and ultimately the New Covenant
in Christ. For example, God promised Abraham that through his seed all nations
would be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3), and under the New Covenant, God promises
forgiveness of sins and a new heart to His redeemed people (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
These covenant promises are tied directly to God’s unfolding plan of redemption
and are fulfilled according to His covenant faithfulness. Even so, all the
promises ultimately center upon Christ and are fulfilled through and by Him.
The promises of God are essential for strengthening our faith.
They also help encourage us to persevere in hard times—knowing God has made
promises we can rest assured will continue. This really helps us in amid our trials
and tribulations. I want to encourage Christians to study, trust, and rest upon
God’s promises because they reveal His faithful character and unchanging
purposes.
I hope that these brief explanations are sufficient to get
you to understand the basic importance of godly good works, providence,
and God’s promises.
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing
evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as
a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers
News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a
Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a
Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and
running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic
materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a
grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar,
Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science
was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one
year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and
scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over
25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.
*Images generated using ChatGPT
