And he did that which was right in the sight of
the Lord, but not with a perfect heart (II Chron. 25:2).
And he (Amaziah)
did that which was right in the sight
of the Lord, yet not like David his father: he did according to all
things as Joash his father did (II Kings 14:3).
COMMON GRACE
ARGUMENT:
This text is sometimes used to support the
notion that the natural man, without the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit, is
able to do “good” (contrary to the doctrine of total depravity).
(I)
Prof. Herman C.
Hanko
[Source:
Common Grace Considered [2019
edition], p. 268]
[It]
is quite possible and even likely that Amaziah was a godly king who loved the
Lord, although he was also very weak in many respects and did not do good “with
a perfect heart.”
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(II)
Herman Hoeksema
(1886-1965)
Good is an act
when it is motivated by the love of God and of men; evil an
act when in its deepest root it is motivated by hatred of God and our fellow
men. There is nothing else. There can be nothing else. Now, according to the
Synod of Kalamazoo, 1924, the unregenerate man can do what is called civil
good. Hence, the synod maintains that a man that is not motivated by the love
of God and of the neighbour, who, in fact, in his deepest heart is motivated by
enmity against God and against the neighbor, can do good. You may call it
natural or civil good—to me that makes no difference—it is not sin but good, in
the moral and ethical sense of the word.
Of [Amaziah] we read … that he did what was right
in the sight of the Lord (II Kings 14:3). Thus also in II Chronicles 25:2: “he
did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.” We must understand, in the
first place, that this “right in the sight of the Lord” refers to that which he
did as king, particularly, to certain reforms he brought about. But, in the
second place, he did this “not as David his father,” and he did it not “with a
perfect heart.” Whatever his motives may have been, he did it not from “a
perfect heart,” not from the love of Jehovah his God and, therefore, whatever
he did was not good, but was sin.
That this is true is evident from what we read in II Chronicles 25:14ff.: “Now
it came to pass, after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites,
that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his
gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense before them.” And
when a prophet of God came to rebuke him, he said to the prophet: “Art thou
made of the king’s counsel? Forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten?” (v. 16).
… [The] mere fact that a man can and does something
right is no proof at all that so-called “common grace” restrains him from sin.
On the contrary, at the same time that he does well, he sins against God.
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(III)
Westminster
Confession (1647)
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 (16:7).
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(IV)
Heidelberg
Catechism (1563)
Q. 8. Are we then so
corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all
wickedness?
A. Indeed we are, except
we are regenerated by the Spirit of God.
Q. 91. But what are good
works?
A. Only those which
proceed from a true faith, are performed according to the law of God, and to
His glory; and not such as are founded on our imaginations or the institutions
of men.
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(V)
More to come! (DV)
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