Are Good Works Enough?
"The irony is that most people who believe that you have to work your way to heaven are not working!" - Dr. D. James Kennedy
8 Reasons Why We Can't Work Our Way To Heaven
Image source: Christianity.com
1. If we can get to heaven by our own good works then why did Jesus have to suffer and die? Why did God the Father, send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to be born, not in a royal palace, but in a lowly manger? Why did the Father send His only Son, knowing beforehand that Jesus would be rejected by men, scorned, beaten, mocked, ridiculed, slandered, slapped, punched, spat upon, have his beard plucked out, and a crown of thorns pressed into his head? Why did the Father allow His only Son to be tortured and crucified if it were possible for us to gain salvation apart from Christ? "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Galatians 2:21) (also see: Galatians 2:16)
2. God hates when people boast about their good deeds. The Bible says "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift— not from works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
3. We'll never know when we've done enough good deeds.
4. We can never do enough good deeds (or be good enough) when the standard is perfection. "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)
5. God sees the heart. What looks like a good deed on the outside, inwardly may be done with a selfish motive. "All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD." (Proverbs 16:2)
6. Not a single good deed amounts to anything for the unconverted. They are like filthy rags. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." (Isaiah 64:6)
7. The Bible says that salvation is by the grace of God. "But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." (Acts 15:11)
8. The Bible says that salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it! "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) "So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life." (Romans 5:18) "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." (Titus 3:5)
This is one of the major differences between Christianity and all other religions. All the other religions require that you work your way to heaven, paradise, nirvana, etc. Where they say "Do!", Christianity says "Done!" There is nothing that we can do to add to Christ's sacrifice on the cross. His work is sufficient! It's an offense to God the Father for us to think that somehow His Son's sacrifice wasn't enough. (See: Main Difference Between Christianity and Other Religions - Paul Washer)
When Jesus was hanging on the cross being sacrificed for the sins of the world, the Bible says this:
After This, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28-30) [emphasis added] (See: It Is Finished!)
2. God hates when people boast about their good deeds. The Bible says "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift— not from works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
3. We'll never know when we've done enough good deeds.
4. We can never do enough good deeds (or be good enough) when the standard is perfection. "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)
5. God sees the heart. What looks like a good deed on the outside, inwardly may be done with a selfish motive. "All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD." (Proverbs 16:2)
6. Not a single good deed amounts to anything for the unconverted. They are like filthy rags. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." (Isaiah 64:6)
7. The Bible says that salvation is by the grace of God. "But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." (Acts 15:11)
8. The Bible says that salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it! "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) "So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life." (Romans 5:18) "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." (Titus 3:5)
This is one of the major differences between Christianity and all other religions. All the other religions require that you work your way to heaven, paradise, nirvana, etc. Where they say "Do!", Christianity says "Done!" There is nothing that we can do to add to Christ's sacrifice on the cross. His work is sufficient! It's an offense to God the Father for us to think that somehow His Son's sacrifice wasn't enough. (See: Main Difference Between Christianity and Other Religions - Paul Washer)
When Jesus was hanging on the cross being sacrificed for the sins of the world, the Bible says this:
After This, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28-30) [emphasis added] (See: It Is Finished!)
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. - Isaiah 53:5
Chuck Swindoll writes in his devotional Walk with Jesus: A 40-Day Journey to the Cross and Beyond, "With Jesus' last breath on the cross, He declared the debt of sin canceled, completely satisfied. Nothing else required. Not good deeds. Not generous donations. Not penance or confession or baptism or ...or ...or ...nothing. The penalty for sin is death, and we were all born hopelessly in debt. He paid our debt in full by giving His life so that we might live forever."
Jesus said: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). In other words: Stop trying to work your way to heaven. You can't do it! It's impossible! Besides, aren't you tired yet? Stop it! Come to Jesus with empty hands of faith and he will give you complete rest!
"Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling." - Augustus Toplady
Chuck Swindoll writes in his devotional Walk with Jesus: A 40-Day Journey to the Cross and Beyond, "With Jesus' last breath on the cross, He declared the debt of sin canceled, completely satisfied. Nothing else required. Not good deeds. Not generous donations. Not penance or confession or baptism or ...or ...or ...nothing. The penalty for sin is death, and we were all born hopelessly in debt. He paid our debt in full by giving His life so that we might live forever."
Jesus said: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). In other words: Stop trying to work your way to heaven. You can't do it! It's impossible! Besides, aren't you tired yet? Stop it! Come to Jesus with empty hands of faith and he will give you complete rest!
"Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling." - Augustus Toplady
You Do The Math
Faith versus works is a debate that still continues. Can we work our way to heaven? Can we obtain salvation simply through faith regardless of how we live? This video investigates how the truth really adds up.
Faith versus works is a debate that still continues. Can we work our way to heaven? Can we obtain salvation simply through faith regardless of how we live? This video investigates how the truth really adds up.
The Just Shall Live by Faith
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)
Justified By Faith in Christ and Not By Works
"[We] know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified." (Galatians 2:16)
"[We] know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified." (Galatians 2:16)
Any religion that adds works to the gospel of grace is a false religion.
In their zeal to eliminate good works as a requirement for salvation, some have gone to the extreme of arguing that good works are not even a valid evidence of salvation. They teach that a person may be genuinely saved yet never manifest the fruit of salvation—a changed life. See: What is the evidence of salvation? by John MacArthur - Christianity.com
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If you were to die today... where would you spend eternity? Are you sure?
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Is your name written in the book?
"Nothing impure will ever enter it [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27) -See: Everyone dies, but not everyone goes to heaven!
"Nothing impure will ever enter it [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27) -See: Everyone dies, but not everyone goes to heaven!
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