YOUR GOOD DEEDS DO NOT SAVE! THEN WHY BE GOOD? This may sound strange to some, especially those accustomed to receiving payment for the work that they do. But our good work, good deeds, or good behavior can’t save us.
We have been looking at how to manage the money and resources God has given us successfully. We have determined that successfully managing money and possessions involves getting our priorities straight. In setting our priorities, we must put God first in everything we do and value people and relations with others over money and possessions.
Like everything else, when it comes to living eternally, we must have faith and trust in God for our eternal salvation. Though we are not saved by the good that we do, yet from examining the Bible, we find that as faithful managers of His resources, God expects us to do good.
Thus, we now look at what God has promised us and the assurance that we will get what He has promised.
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Seeking God’s Guidance
God Almighty, in our hearts, we are deceitful; our thoughts are evil continually. We have not the power to change our hearts, but you do. We, therefore, surrender our hearts and minds to you; save us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Though our good behavior can never earn us a right to live in God’s eternal kingdom, the Bible presents the hope of eternal salvation as a motivator for faithfully living a life of obedience to God’s word while recognizing that we are underserved receivers of His Amazing Grace.
David shows that he recognized the value of obedience to God when he wrote Psalm 19:7–11
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them, there is great reward. (Psalm 19:7–11).
Furthermore, the Bible speaks about the rewards God has promised us. But these rewards are not because of anything we have done. They are all because of what Jesus has done for us. These rewards are given to us after Jesus’ comes back the second time. Thus, as managers of God’s property, we look with anticipation for our reward.
However, how we see reward and how the scripture presents reward is quite different and perhaps may be beyond our understanding, especially when we see reward as something we deserve for good performance.
For instance, Hebrews 11:6 talks about the reward for our faith:
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Furthermore, the following scriptures talk about rewards according to our works:
Revelations 22:12
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (Revelation 22:12)
Isaiah 40:10
10 Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. (Isaiah 40:10)
Isaiah 62:11
11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed To the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.’ ” (Isaiah 62:11)
These scriptures could give the impression that our reward of eternal life is based on the works we do. But God’s gift to His faithful children is unique. It is different from our understanding of reward.
You see, Some things we will not completely understand until we see God face-to-face. For as with many spiritual things, we may not understand everything now. In such cases, it requires faith.
The book The Great Controversy puts it this way: “Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 674.
Jesus, in the delivery of his sermon called the Beatitudes, found in Matthew 5, talks about the gift waiting for us in heaven. The Beatitudes are included in Jesus’ teachings on the Sermon on the Mount.
In Matthew 5:11-12, speaking of reward, Jesus says:
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11, 12).
Furthermore, Paul, in Hebrews 11, gives a list of people who remained faithful despite their hardships. Many of these people suffered for their faith, just as Jesus spoke about in Matthew 5:11, 12. They all died. (Split)
However, even at death, they believed God would wake them up from the dead when He returned. Therefore, In the next chapter, in Hebrews 12:1-2, Paul talks about Jesus’ willingness to die on the cross and the joy that He got from doing so.
Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Hence, God’s reward for our faith is not the same thing as our saving ourselves through our own good behavior. It is not salvation by works. None but Jesus has works good enough to save us by His merits.
This is why Jesus’s death on the cross was necessary. If we could save ourselves through our works, then it would not have been necessary for Jesus to have died on the cross. This is why Paul in Romans 11:16 says:
“And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work” (Romans 11:6, NKJV).
Thus, our rewards are the outworking of what God has done for us and in us.
Jesus promised to return to get the faithful, and he said that his reward would be with him. But what happens to those who are not faithful? Find out in Day 3: Everlasting Life
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My Local Church:
Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church
7902 Wheatly Street
Houston, TX 77088
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