This episode spells out the disconnect between believers' conception of good works and those of unbelievers. Worship of God is the indispensable element of all good works, according to the Scriptures. Believers, because of a cleansed conscience (Hebrews 9:14) and a new heart given at regeneration, aim to worship and serve God, and bring forth "good" works as they abide in Christ. (John 15:5) Unbelievers, even if they accept and adhere to Biblical morals, really don't have the worship of God in view. The basis for good works or being a good person is often the low standard of not committing felonies and/or adherence to acceptable moral standards as defined by the culture at large. Since morality and "good works" aren't related to the honor and worship of God, a completely different standard of what constitutes good works predominates among most unbelievers. And, it is typically based on a comparative assessment of oneself in light of others. These differing standards of what constitutes good works help explain the disconnect between believers' and unbelievers' conception of good works. The latter part of the episode suggests a different tactic in reaching unbelievers, focusing on using the "worship" standard of good works, instead of morality, untethered to worship of God.
Good Works and Worship
This episode tackles the false dichotomy between "worship" and "service" made by many unbelievers, where "good works" are mostly about service to others and don't flow from worship. Christ Himself exploded this distinction in Mat 4:10, connecting service to worship, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve." Service then is an expression of worship. Unbelievers don't typically connect service to worship of anyone, preferring to emphasize outward service divorced from worship as the basis of good works. The episode highlights that genuine worship of God sometimes conflicts with "service" to man, where affirmation and toleration of behavior, divorced from God's standards, is evidence of virtue or goodness. Good works in the form of "service" to man, even when it looks "intolerant," flows from worship of God. Not embracing God's standards, unbelievers usually omit "worship" from a discussion on "good works," instead imposing an anthropocentric psuedo-morality that emphasizes tolerance and outward acts of service as the ground of good works.
Good Works’ Reflect the Object Worshipped
This episode provides the reason why most unbelievers consider themselves good people capable of doing good works. As a consequence of the great exchange, where all people exchange the truth of God for a lie and worship and serve themselves, "good" and "bad" is primarily measured by service/disservice to the object being worshipped. Mankind becomes the measure, and this idolatrous thermometer leads to assessments in which men commend themselves by themselves. (2 Cor: 10:12) This faulty assessment of course misses the true standard of God in which God is the object of worship. The episode closes with an exhortation to do good works by embracing the standard of God in the person of Christ.
The god behind the ‘Good Works’ of Unbelievers
This episode addresses the root reason why unbelievers are often adamant about their ability to do good works. Works can be described as "good" in so far as they serve some purpose. Since mankind was created for God's glory (Isaiah 43:7), but has nevertheless fallen short of that glory (Romans 3:23), his works can not logically be described as "good." But if man rejects his purpose, that he was created for God's glory, and even exchanges that glory for man's glory, then the works of man are evaluated based on their service to the glory of man. Morality itself becomes a social construct ultimately aimed at the glory of man. Romans 1:18-25 traces the descent of exchanging the glory of God for an image in the form of corruptible man, concluding that man "worships and serves the creature rather than the Creator." Very critically, unregenerate man rejects the glory of God as the purpose of man, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness, and substitutes himself as the object of worship. Morality and "good" works merely reflect the god that is served, so not surprisingly, many unbelievers insist that they do good works.
The Micah 6:8 Test of Goodness
This episode initially highlights the misplaced morality of the Pharisees and then applies the Biblical standard of "goodness" to the worldview of unbelievers confident in their own goodness. Christ took issue with the overemphasis of the Pharisees on issues such as tithing combined with neglect of the "weightier provisions of the law" like "justice, mercy and faithfulness." (Mt 23:23) Christ was likely alluding to Micah 6:8, a succinct description of mankind's obligation to God, doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God. Many Pharisees focused on external matters like tithing instead of the essence of the Law. The episode applies Micah 6:8 to the worldview of most unbelievers, noting that justice, mercy and humility before God are redefined or thrown out. The Biblical standard of justice or righteousness is entirely wrapped up in love of God and neighbor. The world at best gives lip-service to God but then proceeds to redefine "justice" and "goodness" in terms of social norms where God is not remotely in view. "Mercy" for most moderns means tolerance of other people and practices without reference to an objective standard. Christians, by contrast, are called to extend mercy, and this mercy presupposes not executing judgment or being judgmental despite people's failure to meet God's absolute standards. Finally, Biblical humility naturally doesn't describe unbelievers since they don't acknowledge God's Lordship.
When morality is man-centered and not God-centered
This episode explodes anthropocentric morality as the standard for good works. Deism is cited as a prime example of a philosophical or religious system that defines good and bad based on outward morality. Love of God in the great commandment is not the primary objective, virtue itself is the goal. This redefining of good and evil in terms of outward morality apart from love of God is typical of modernity's penchant for commending itself outside of the standard of God. Repentance from dead works is the repudiation of any man-made system of morality that doesn't have love of God as the prime directive.