Does Good Works Guarantee Us Heaven?

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This is in reply to a question I received from another Catholic about a person going to Heaven because of the many good works he had done through most of his life, even though towards the end of his life he turned to sin. In this same vein, how about a person who lived in sin most of his life but then turned to God. The following is quoted from the Book of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 18:20-32: (20) “The person who sins will die………… (21) But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. (22) All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. (23) Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? (24) But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. (25) Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not right”. Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? (26) When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die. (27) Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. (28) Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. (29) But the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not right,’. Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?”

Hebrews 6:4-6: “For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold Him up to contempt.”

To sum up. If you are a sinner but before you die you ask forgiveness from God and truly repent - all of your past sins are forgiven and you will go to Heaven… BUT, although you do many good deeds during your life time that pleases God, but right before you die you turn to a sinful life, your many past good deeds are forgotten and you face the torment of Hell.

What the above tells me is that we must always be ready to meet God with an open heart and clean soul. Don’t rely on our good deeds, even though they are important and support our Christian principles, for if we turn our back on God, they will be forgotten. God wants us with clean souls and pure hearts when we die, and none of us knows when this will be. It all points to the fact that the condition of our soul at the time of death, not before our death, determines our ultimate fate. BE PREPARED

If one has strong faith, believes in God, and repents for his sins, he will also be doing good works by virtue of his faith and love for his brothers and sisters in Christ. Faith and good works go together - one without the other is lacking in the overall scheme of God’s plan.

Comments are most welcome.
 
First, it is impossible to be saved without faith in God. Even if you ended world poverty, stopped all wars, and prevented a thousand homicides, you’d still be on your way to the eternal flame without faith in God.

Works are important, but as they act as justification of faith, they have nothing to justify if there is no faith.
 
SeanTom said:
What the above tells me is that we must always be ready to meet God with an open heart and clean soul. Don’t rely on our good deeds, even though they are important and support our Christian principles, for if we turn our back on God, they will be forgotten.
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As far as “relying” on our deeds, don’t forget, it is good works that increase the grace that will prevent us from turning our back on God.

2 Corinthains 9:6-10
Now this I say: He who soweth sparingly, shall also reap sparingly: and he who soweth in blessings, shall also reap blessings. Every one as he hath determined in his heart, not with sadness, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound in you; that ye always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work, As it is written: He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor: his justice remaineth for ever. And he that ministereth seed to the sower, will both give you bread to eat, and will multiply your seed, and increase the growth of the fruits of your justice
 
Hi Sean,

The gift of final perseverance is the one that really counts and, although we cannot enter God’s design, we have many hints on “how he thinks”. Matthew 25, 31ff is very pertinent in this regard.

Jesus, in the Last Judgement, does not praise the elect for their purity, honesty and peaceful behavior. He praises them for their charity to their neighbor.

Inasmuch as you did it to these least of my brothers, you did it to me.

In the same way he does not condemn the damned for theft, adultery, murder. He condemns them for lack of charity towards their neighbor.

Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of these least, you did not do it to me.

So it morally impossible that God would not give the grace of final perseverance to persons who spent their life doing good to others for His sake, without pride and self-interest.

Let’s not be paranoid. God **wants **us to be saved.

Verbum
 
Marco Polo and Verbum,

Good posts. But remember, Faith in God is most important. Good works without faith in God won’t get us into Heaven. If we turn our backs on God, we will not see the gates of Heaven. Although, in summing this up, God is the final jjudge and the statement I just made may not have any bearing on the Will of God.
 
Good posts by all.

Faith is need but the idea of faith alone is explicitly refuted by James 2:24 “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”
 
It is not just faith or even living out that faith that is important, as we must love God.

Without love our faith is just the same as the demons, without love our works are just self serving.

Do we need to love God? We cannot exclude love.
1 Cor 1:13
When the Bible compares Faith and Love what does it say?

(Works might guarantee us heaven, if you believe that making a profession of belief in God guarantees us Heaven. But that would exclude a living faith and love of God, which is wrong and evil.
No Catholic can believe in a salvation by works, as they would be rejecting the faith which requires salvation by Gods Grace through faith working in love. Gal 5:6

In Christ
Scylla
 
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