This is a question many have asked themselves over the ages. Have my good deeds outweighed my bad deeds enough that God will let me into heaven? Fortunately, in God’s Word, we can find the answer.
Rom 2:6-11 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
God’s righteous standard for eternal life is patient continuance in well doing while seeking glory, honor and immortality. What, then, does it mean to patiently continue in well doing?
Patient: Persevering; constant in pursuit or exertion; calmly diligent.
Continuance: A holding on or remaining in a particular state.
Well doing: Good works.
So, to gain eternal life, one must be in constant pursuit of good works, without ever wavering. The purpose of these good works must be the seeking of glory, honor and immortality – in other words, one must be doing these good works for the purpose of seeking God.
1Tim 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The consequence of not meeting this standard is: “indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil.”
Obviously, failure is not an option. But everyone born of Adam’s seed does fail this standard.
Rom 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Nobody is capable of meeting God’s perfect standards.
Rom 3:19-20 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
No one is good enough to get to heaven . . . except one.
2Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Jesus Christ, God’s son, manifest in the flesh, lived the perfect life required in Romans 2:6-10. He never sinned.
But that verse also says the God made him to BE sin for us. What does that mean? How was a sinless man made to be sin FOR us?
The answer to that question goes back to the penalty described in Romans 2:8-9. Jesus Christ suffered indignation, wrath, tribulation and anguish for all that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness. He suffered the penalty for our sins when he shed his blood on the cross. He not only died a physical death for us, but he died the second death – a spiritual one – for us.
Since we are all unrighteous sinners, we deserve the death that he died.
Rom 3:21-24 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
But now, the righteousness that God requires of us can be obtained by the faith of Jesus Christ “unto all and upon all them that believe.”
God will attribute the righteousness of Christ to you if you believe that you are unable to save yourself, and completely trust that Christ paid the penalty for your sins when he died on the cross.
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood . . .
Propitiation means satisfaction or to appease judgment and confer favor to one. God does that through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ as a fully satisfying sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. You only need to believe and trust in that.
Rom 5:6-8 ¶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
You can’t get to heaven by walking an aisle, confessing your sins, saying a prayer, getting water baptized or even the enigmatic “making Him the Lord of your life.” The only way is to trust that he died for your sins and was raised for your justification. When you believe this, God no longer sees you as a sinner. You are placed into the body of Christ, and once in Christ, your eternal destination is secured forever.
Rom 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you have any questions, please speak with one of us or email keith@gracealive.org.