Now, however, we have become children of God through faith in Christ (John 1:12). Consequently, it follows that without faith in Christ, no work is able to please God the Lord. The sum and substance of all good works consist of love (Rom. 13:8). But now upright, God-pleasing love sprouts forth out of faith, as it is written in Gal. 5:6—Faith is productive through love.  Upright good works are fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Now, the Holy Spirit is given into our hearts through faith in Christ (Gal. 4:6). Since you are God’s children, God sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts. Through Him we cry out, Abba, dear Father. The good works are fruits of righteousness (Phi. 1:11). But we become righteous before God solely through faith in Christ (Rom. 3:28). Anyone who remains in Christ and Christ in him, the same person brings forth much fruit (John 15:5). However, now Christ resides in our hearts through faith (Eph. 3:17). (Schola Pietatus-Volume 1 by Johann Gerhard, Repristination Press, p. 15-16)

No work pleases God the Lord—though it be as big and grandiose as it may wish—unless the person who does it is pleasing to God, just as it is described in Gen. 4:5: God looked graciously on Abel and his offering; namely, because it was brought to God through faith and in faith, just as it is explained in Heb. 11:4. Through this faith, Abel was reconciled with God and was made acceptable to Him. However, God did not accept Cain and his offering; namely, because it was offered there without faith and the person was not reconciled with God the Lord. The works which will please God the Lord have to flow forth from the Spirit of fellowship. For those whom God the Lord has not yet received as His beloved children, their works are unable to please Him. (Schola Pietatus-Volume 1 by Johann Gerhard, Repristination Press, p. 15)

So that we may all the more orderly and clearly show what the holy apostle wants us to understand by the godliness in which we are to train ourselves, it can readily be summarized in two parts; especially since true, upright, and God-pleasing godliness, first of all, encompasses within itself true, genuine repentance, followed by righteous fruits of repentance, namely bettering of life, new obedience, and a holy conduct. That is the form in which the tree, along with its fruit, is to be composed. Consequently, we may draw this kind of conclusion from this: Godliness is comprised of not only just one or two Christian virtues, not just one or two good works; rather, all Christian virtues in their entirety and the entire flow of good works; when St. Paul consequently says in 1 Tim. 2:10 that godliness is manifested through good works, he is not just talking about a good work as being one; rather, through good works, as though many. However, if truly good and God-pleasing works are to be produced by us, they have to flow forth from faith in Christ; for whatever does not proceed from faith is a sin (Rom. 14:23) and without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). (Schola Pietatus-Volume 1 by Johann Gerhard, Repristination Press, p. 14-15)