John Calvin Commentary Acts 10:35

"but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him." — Acts 10:35 (ASV)

He who fears God, and does righteousness. In these two elements is comprehended the integrity of the entire life. For the fear of God is nothing other than godliness and religion; and righteousness is that equity which people use among themselves, taking care that they do not hurt anyone, and striving to do good to all people.

As the law of God consists of these two parts (which is the rule of a good life), so no one will prove himself to God except the one who refers and directs all his actions to this end, nor will there be anything sound in all duties, unless the whole life is grounded in the fear of God.

But it seems that this passage attributes the cause of salvation to the merits of works. For if works purchase favor for us with God, they also win life for us, which is placed in the love of God toward us. Some also seize upon the word righteousness, so that they may prove that we are not justified freely by faith, but by works.

But this latter point is too frivolous. For I have already shown that it is not taken for the perfect and complete observance of the law, but is restricted to the second table and the duties of love. Therefore it is not the universal righteousness by which a person is judged just before God, but that honesty and innocence which concerns people, when that which is his is given to every person.

Therefore the question still remains: do works win the favor of God for us? To answer this:

1. First, there is a twofold way God regards loving people. For since we are born children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), God will be so far from finding anything in us worthy of His love, that our entire nature causes Him rather to hate us. In this regard, Paul says that all people are His enemies until they are reconciled by Christ (Romans 5:10). Therefore, God's first acceptance, by which He receives us into favor, is altogether free; for as yet no regard for works can be had, since all things are corrupt and wicked, and bespeak their origin.

   Now, those whom God has adopted to be His children, He also regenerates by His Spirit, and reforms His image in them: from this arises that second regard. For God does not then find a person bare and naked, and void of all grace, but He knows His own work in him, indeed, Himself.

   Therefore, God accepts the faithful because they live godly and justly. And we do not deny that God accepts the good works of the saints; but this is another question: whether a person anticipates the grace of God with his merits or not, and insinuates himself into His love, or whether he is beloved from the beginning, freely and without regard to works, since he is worthy of nothing else but hatred.

   Furthermore, since a person, left to his own nature, can bring forth nothing but cause for hatred, he must by necessity confess that he is truly beloved. Consequently, it follows that God Himself is the cause that He loves us, and that He is moved by His own mercy, and not by our merits.

2. Second, we must note that although the faithful please God after regeneration with good works, and by consideration of their works, yet that is not done by the merit of works. For the purity of works is never so perfect that they can please God without pardon. Indeed, since they always have some corruption mixed with them, they deserve to be refused. Therefore, the worthiness of the works does not cause them to be esteemed, but faith, which borrows from Christ what is lacking in works.