I’m sure if you ask someone on the street, “What must someone do to go to heaven?” they’ll probably say something along these lines: You must be a good person, go to church, follow the Ten Commandments, etc. Is that what you would say? All these things are great in themselves, but is that the way to get ready to meet God? Many people live in a rat-race world – get up, go to work, go to bed, and repeat. Do. Do. Do! And many apply the same routine when it comes to spiritual matters. The Bible is clear: It’s not “Do,” but “Done!” I’ll explain further. Let’s look at a verse together: “He saved us – not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy – through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5 CSB).
Who saves us, according to this verse? The Bible is clear: God. And God is in the business of saving people; that’s why He sent Jesus. And to make sure we understand the point, Paul clearly says, “not by works.” Maybe you’re saying to yourself, It must not be that simple. There must be an error in that passage. Let’s look at another clear verse: “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9 CSB). Again, note the phrase “not from works.”
So, what’s the problem with doing good works? If you do good works, don’t stop; we need good neighbors. But if we can get to heaven (or, in other words, be forgiven of all our sins) by our good works, why did Jesus Christ die on the cross? Just to be an example? A martyr? No. It was to provide a way to heaven for us. He took our sins upon Himself at the cross. He paid the debt. And He said on the cross, “It is finished” (Joh 19:30). Done!
Why do we want to do good works? It makes us feel good, right? You, like many others in this world, might have this idea that when you die and meet God, He will have a balance before Him. Your good deeds will be on one side and your sins on the other, and whichever weighs more wins. But this teaching is not found in the Bible. And what a way to live, not knowing where you’ll be for eternity. We cannot pay for our sins. That’s why someone else, Jesus Christ, became the Substitute, the Redeemer. His name means “the LORD saves.”
Do you agree with what the Bible says? Are you still relying on your works to bring you to heaven after you die? I hope these words make you reflect on what you’re trying to do. All has been done by the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. Because He loved us, He gave Himself for us at the cross. And God has raised Him from the dead, which proves that God has accepted His work. Now you must repent and believe on Him.
Have you?
