It is the common teaching of
so many religions, as well as being the common-sense notion most people have –
the way of salvation is by being good. Although this is widely held, sincerely
believed and often preached, it’s not biblically based. The Bible stands apart
from every other message and says that salvation is not by good works. In fact,
the Bible teaches that if you seek salvation by good works you will get
neither.
To help you understand what
I mean, I will tell you about a conversation I recently had with a very
religious man (Alan).
Doing good is no
good
I asked Alan for his opinion
on what I needed to do to get to heaven. His answer was, “Be good.”
Alan said he believed the
Bible was God’s word, so I showed him that the Bible teaches that we all have
broken God’s law and fallen short of His standard of goodness, and for that
reason no one will be accepted by God based on the works we do and the life we
live (Romans 3:20).
If we are as good as we
should be then God will accept us, but we aren’t, so He won’t. The fact is, all
of us have sinned, repeatedly and deliberately. Trying harder and doing better
won’t pay for our sins. Even if we never sinned again, we are only doing what
God demanded for the whole of our lives. It would be like someone offering the
following defence in court, “Yes, I did break the law, but I keep it most of
the time and intend to keep it from now on.” It’s not much of a defence, is it?
You are meant to keep it all of the time. And that is why, as far as getting to
heaven is concerned, doing good is no good. If you seek salvation by good
works, you won’t get salvation.
Doing good is
not good
Alan then asked me how I
thought people could get to heaven. I told him that God has provided the answer.
His Son, Jesus, came to be the substitute for the guilty and pay the penalty
for sin. That’s what He did on the cross. He bore the judgment from God against
sin. As proof that the price has been fully paid, God raised Him from the dead.
If we make Him all our trust and our only plea then God will write over our
whole record of sin, “Paid in full.”
Alan got the point that he
was depending on the life he lived, while I was depending on the death Christ
died. He then said, “Well, if that’s it, then there’s no point in being good,
doing charity and helping the poor.”
I told him, “What this shows
me is that, as far as you are concerned, the only point in being good, doing
charity and helping the poor is so that you go to heaven. That tells me that
you aren’t really being good – all these things you do are done for yourself. The
only way good works are even possible is if salvation is not by works. I can be
good, do charity and help the poor, not for my sake, but for their sake, for
God’s sake, for goodness’ sake. So, all these good works you thought you had
done aren’t actually good works at all – they were just done for you.” If
you seek salvation by good works, you won’t get good works.
Alan told me he had never
considered this before but could see what I was saying. Can you? As far as
getting to heaven is concerned, good works are no good – we are guilty and need
a Saviour. And if you are trying to get to heaven by good works then your good
works are not good.
Step off the treadmill of
works-based religion, and step into salvation by grace. It’s the only way
salvation is possible, and the only way good works are possible too.
