Of good works and salvation

Who cries for the children?

I do.

Sometime in the night

When you’re feeling the cold

Take a look at the sky above you

Those are faces in the light

Hear ‘n Aid

– Stars

 

There are a lot of do-gooders who go above and beyond the call of duty to help others. So impactful are their works that they receive praises, awards, and some may even receive national honours. It is hard to imagine that such persons have not ‘booked’ their ‘spaces’ in heaven. Many do-gooders even believe it is their rite of passage to enjoy everlasting life following all that sacrificial investment – it is inconceivable to think that they could be judged the same as those who die without ever confessing Christ as their Lord and Saviour and living a committed Christian life.

For insight on the scenario above Family and Religion reached out to the Reverend Dwight Bryan of the Dominion In Christ International Ministries, who reminds that heaven is the jurisdiction in which God reigns.

“Every sovereign state on Earth reserves the right to determine what travel documents are required for entry and the due process for residence or citizenship. A traveller would never presume to show up at the point of entry in another country bearing testimonials of his or her good deeds without appropriate travel documents. It comes as no surprise that they would be turned away and denied access, so why would we expect heaven to be different?” Bryan quizzed.

Using the visa analogy, he said countries typically require a valid passport with an appropriate visa stamp. Similarly, heaven’s requirement is that the traveller must be sealed in the blood of Jesus in order to gain entry.

According to Bryan, ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, there has been two perspectives on man reconnecting with God – God’s prescribed way and man’s efforts at gaining God’s approval through his own good works.

“However, the biblical pattern is that God accepts those who choose His path, while rejecting those who rely on human efforts,” he pointed out.

Genesis 11, shared Bryan, gives a classic example of human efforts at the Tower of Babel. Men came together to build a tower to reach heaven. God intervened, confusing their language and scattering them across the Earth so that their building project ceased.

“This shows clearly that God will not allow man to get to heaven based on his own efforts. Moses tried to deliver his fellow Israelite by killing an Egyptian. Although he was called to be a deliverer, his own efforts earned him 40 years’ exile in the wilderness! All through the Bible, human achievements have never won favour with God, as shown by Nebuchadnezzar being driven to insanity after surveying “‘this great Babylon that I have built’,” Bryan highlighted.

More than meets the eye

When we try to evaluate the eternal destiny of an individual based on his or her lifetime of good works, we fail to recognise that there is more to us than meets the eye. Human beings are tripartite beings. Each one of us is a spirit; we have a soul and live in a physical body. When man sinned at the Fall, man died spiritually. Our spirit was separated from God. This did not apply only to Adam and Eve but to every human being. Romans 5:17-18 tells us that through one man (Adam) death reigned while the gift of righteousness came through Jesus Christ. Righteousness cannot be earned through good works, it is a gift of God (Romans 6:23), which must be received by accepting Jesus Christ. Isaiah 64:6 clearly tells us that all our good works are seen in God’s eyes as “filthy rags”.

Another human tendency is to try to compare ourselves with others in order to justify ourselves. Imagine a student who is enrolled in a course who barely manages to pass each assignment. A more gifted colleague could audit the course without enrolling in the programme and turn in brilliant assignments. However, the brilliant work would not be acknowledged at the end of the course because of the failure to enrol. This parallels the sad state of individuals who think their good works would certainly earn them a place in heaven ahead of the believer who is a mere ‘C’ student.

In Luke 18:10-14 we see the contrast between a publican and a Pharisee. The Pharisee gave eloquent prayers thanking God that he was not like other men and outlined his spiritual achievements. The publican, on the other hand, asked God for mercy. Jesus made it clear that the publican was the one who went home justified before God. In John chapter 3 we see the famous encounter between Jesus and another Pharisee named Nicodemus. Jesus plainly told him that except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God! He clearly stated that he must be born of the Spirit. This dialogue culminates in the well-known scripture John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jesus sums it up in John 14:6 with“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” No matter how beneficial or well-intentioned, this effectively closes the door on any noble acts. Individuals cannot earn their way into heaven by their own good deeds.