For most of my life I pictured living it as a scale: I did just enough good things to outweigh the bad. The problem is that my idea of “good” and God’s idea of good are two different things. God woke me up to the fact that it does not matter how many “good” things I do that will gain me entrance into Heaven, it is whether or not I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour and repented of my sin.

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  (9)  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  (10)  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Even after I was born again, my good deeds are worthless if they were not done in obedience to God.

Romans 4:1-5 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?  (2)  For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.  (3)  For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.  (4)  Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.  (5)  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

The wonderful message in Romans 4:4 is that God justifies the ungodly! That should excite everybody! Abraham was not saved because of the things he did, but because of his faith toward God. The things he did were the result of his salvation. Please do not rely on working your way to Heaven.

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