ACC ~ John 3 v21

THE GOOD REJOICES IN BEING SEEN

TERTULLIAN: The things that make us luminaries of the world are these—our good works. What is good, moreover (provided it is true and full), does not love darkness: it rejoices in being seen and exults over the very recognition it receives. To Christian modesty it is not enough to be so but to also appear so. For its fullness should be so great that it flows out from the mind to the clothing and bursts out from the conscience to the outward appearance. ON THE DRESS OF WOMEN 2.13. [1]

[1] CCL 1:369; ANF 4:25*.

NOT ONE’S OWN MERITS

AUGUSTINE: He declares that the works of the one who comes to the light are wrought in God, because he is quite aware that his justification results from no merits of his own but from the grace of God. ON THE MERITS AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND ON INFANT BAPTISM 1.62. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 5:40**.

HATE YOUR OWN WORK; LOVE THE WORK OF GOD IN YOU

AUGUSTINE: But if God has discovered everyone’s works to be evil, how is it that any have done the truth and come to the light?… Now what [Jesus] said is that they “loved darkness rather than light.” He lays the emphasis on that. Many have loved their sins. Many also have confessed them…. God accuses your sins, and if you accuse them too, you are joined to God…. You must hate your own work and love the work of God in you. And when your own deeds begin to displease you, that is when your good works begin as you begin to find fault with your evil works. The beginning of good works is the confession of evil works, and then you do the truth and come to the light. How do you do the truth? You do not soothe or flatter yourself or say, “I am righteous,” while in actuality you are unrighteous. This is how you begin to do the truth. You come to the light so that your works may be shown to originate in God. And you have come to the light because this very sin in you, which displeases you, would not displease you if God did not shine on you and his truth show it to you. But the one who loves his sin, even after being admonished, hates the light admonishing him and flees from it so that his works that he loves may not be proved to be evil…. For little sins, if allowed to accumulate, lead to death. Little drops swell the river. Little grains of sand become a heap that presses and weighs down. The sea coming in little by little, unless it is pumped out, sinks the ship. And what does it mean “to pump out,” except that you do good works, mourn, fast, give and forgive so that sins do not overwhelm you? TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 12.13-14. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 7:85-86**.