“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
The Bible clearly states that there is only one way to go to heaven. That way is by trusting in what Jesus did on the cross to pay for our sins. Good works cannot earn salvation from the punishment of sin.
Before I was saved, I was convicted of all the sins I had committed. Guilt from my sin was a mighty burden, that was getting too difficult to carry. The religion I had been raised in taught me that forgiveness and salvation could be earned. I started wondering, “If the promise of Heaven can be gained by good works, have I done enough? How many good deeds do I have to do? Is it 100? 200? 10,000?”
Since that time 35+ years ago, my almost daily Bible reading has never shown me a number of good works one must perform to get to heaven. The reason a number is never stated is because good works have nothing to do with getting one to heaven. God’s Word clearly states that the only way to heaven is through what Jesus did for sinners on the cross. He paid the price for our sin. There is nothing we can pay to have our sins pardoned.
Although many nod their head in agreement to the verses stating that Jesus paid the price for our salvation, most still try to add deeds to be assured of their salvation. Some of the works performed to try to get salvation are:
- Anointing of the sick
- Baptism
- Being good
- Confirmation
- Daily Worship
- Donations
- Eucharist
- Fasting
- Good deeds
- Keeping the Ten Commandments and other laws
- Kindness
- Joining a church
- Marriage
- Obedience to church or religious teachings
- Penance
- Pilgrimages
- Praying to the dead
- Praying to gods or goddesses
- Priestly vows
- Sacraments
- Sacrifices, and …
Although some of the deeds may be good things to do to please God after one is saved, they do not earn anyone a place in Heaven. None of man’s good works are mentioned in the Bible as ways to Heaven.
It may be natural thinking that if good deeds outweigh the bad deeds, that we will get to heaven. The Bible, God’s only word on the subject, clearly states that salvation is not of good works! Jesus is the only way – plus nothing!
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesisans 2:8-9
“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” II Timothy 1:8-10
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 (Good works are not included.)
I believe one can be truly saved and so astray and really sin but when one is truly saved and they repent as we all should do daily when we do wrong still go to our Heavenly home . I too was saved very young Jesus touched me and in spite of times I had gone astray there is not one who could tell me Jesus is not real . Later when I was 17 I was at a church camp and they had the call to altar and I thought I am saved I don’t need to go guess what … I felt a push on me and no one was touching me and it was Jesus telling me I need to go up and repent again hmm still I did not get baptized until I was 23 so what I am saying is Jesus knows his sheep and he does not want to lose us . Yes we all are going to sin again and if we say we don’t we are fibbing as we all still sin but Jesus loves us and He wants us so all I know to do is keep looking to Him not down not back not around just up to Him as Jesus is the only one I can really trust .
We all are generally in one accord. I feel compelled to drop in one caveat to what Pastor Doug said.
“And I tell them that you can’t work to be saved, and you can’t work to stay saved!”
I was saved as a 8 yr old boy. No doubt. The Lord has allowed me to experience it again since. I prayed through, there was a change. It was much more than praying off conviction.
Later, as an older teen and young adult, in fact: for 15 years, I did everything I was big enough to do, Fornication, alcohol, you name it. Drug my young wife off into sin as well. There is no way on this earth I was saved… .
I can also remember coming back to an altar, under conviction and the Lord doing another work in my life. That was the time I turned back to him and chose him again instead of my sinful lifestyle. I am telling you, there was a heart change then, just like there was when I was 8.
Since then, I have worked at serving the Lord, not to earn my salvation, but to serve him because it is in me. For that, he has sanctified me and I become more Christlike every day that I get up, pray, read the word, and crucify the flesh.
The Bible says that we all must WORK out our salvation with fear and trembling. Not to earn it, not to keep it, but to keep ourselves.
A person I know once had a death of a relative in the family. The deceased was a curser of God, a drinker, wife abuser, in short, reprobate. He died unrepentant. The person remarked how they were relieved about the death because the sinner was in a better place. He had made a profession of faith some 25 yrs earlier at a revival and this person believed the deceased was saved. We can have a discussion about what happened at that revival, but I dont think anyone would dispute that he split hell wide open.
No doubt wiser men than me have discussed this issue. Bro Bill alludes to a possible Catholic upbringing where what you do is everything,…..but does not save you one whit.
Bro Bill, I love this topic. I love to have other men sharpen me.
Thanks to you and Bro Doug. I appreciate the dialog.
PS… can you get some easier math problems on the posting key?? Ha ha. 14+19 taxed me!
Not a Catholic upbringing, but a Presbyterian one. They, however, have many of the “forms of godliness (actually ungodliness) that is found in Catholicism. Presbyterianism is a protestant ‘religion”. Earlier in history they “protested” Catholicism, and sort-of came out, but brought a lot of the false religions trappings with them.
I believe the context was to believers.
Yes sir,
Bro Bill, Isn’t it amazing how much discussion this subject brings?
Lord: please help me to be as passionate about witnessing to the lost as I am in rooting around in doctrine!
No we cant earn our way to Heaven here I agree but Jesus did say if we cloth feed shelter another we also have done this for him . Yes off subject as this is not works but Jesus is teaching us to be kind to others as well .
It’s sad to see how many trust in these outward expressions. I was talking to a man the other day and I said I’m praying my daughter will get saved before Jesus comes back so she can get caught up together with us and he went on to say “has she been baptized yet”. It broke my heart to hear that many in the “Bible belt” are so confused just like a termite in a wooden yo-yo. Jesus is enough and will always be enough, by His blood we are pardoned.
Bro. Bill,
I think many times our society has been so conditioned to earning things by “good works” that they have a hard time understanding that salvation is solely faith in Christ alone PLUS nothing! We grow up getting paid and rewarded for good grades! We get prizes for winning 1st place. We get rewarded for being good in class – and we take this same mentality and apply it to God and salvation! Many people think that they have to do the same “good works” with God that they did as a child growing up to earn favor with God. And I tell them that you can’t work to be saved, and you can’t work to stay saved! It’s all grace through faith in Christ!