The Gospel and Our Good Works

I have no idea when I spent the most amount of time between sins. I sin every day. As long as I have memories of being alive, I have memories of sinning. But I know I have had hours or afternoons when I have been able to go without sinning.

But you know what?

On my best day, on my best afternoon, that is still not enough. In fact, if I went decades without sinning, it would not be enough.

It is impossible for any of us to ever do enough good things to satisfy God’s standard of righteousness (Matt 5:48). We simply cannot earn God’s favor by our good works (Rom 3:23).

That is an elementary truth that we all believe, but the practical reality is that we often think our obedience to God is what makes us saved. Obedience doesn’t save us, but it does prove salvation.

In other words, obedience is the fruit of salvation, but it is not the means (or mode) of salvation. Obedience proves we know Christ and that He has made us anew as slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:15-23).

Our obedience isn’t enough to save; only the perfect obedience of Christ (II Cor 5:21) was satisfactory for God’s justice. Only one Man’s obedience was enough – that of Jesus Christ.

My advice? Keep obeying the Lord, for it pleases the Father and will help prove your salvation (Phil 2:12-13) but don’t ever believe that God’s offer of eternal life is based upon how many good works you stockpile. Remember that the thief on the cross entered heaven with hardly any good deeds. His faith was the only good work he likely “performed.”

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ lived a perfect life (which we could not live) so that we could enjoy the eternal blessings of being in our Creator’s presence and be treated as if we lived Jesus’ life.