Salvation & Assurance - Does Being Good Save Me?

Does Being Good Save Me?

Written by Kevin A. Hall (03.2017)

The question of the assurance of eternal security or salvation has been a much-debated topic for centuries. Many have taught the way to God is through good works or just being a good person. Eastern Pantheists claim that “Many roads lead to the One.” Hindus and Buddhists believe in an “Eight-fold Path”, following a set of practices and beliefs that grants union with the One. Many declare “There is no God”! Therefore, there is no moral law, no law giver, no judge, no standard, just life lived as each man sees fit. The only thing man is guilty of is guilt. The naturalist agenda suggests each person is “king and bishop of their own realm” (Sire, 110-112). In such a world, God and his laws are rejected and men seek to live life just being “good” -whatever “good” is.

In the Biblical account of a rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-30), this young man was sympathetic towards God and asks the question “What good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life?”. The Jews believed that the way to God was to keep the commandments/follow the Law of Moses. Under the old covenant this was the practice. When Jesus came to the earth, He set in place a new covenant which would provide salvation for mankind. This young man asked the perfect question that addresses whether we can obtain salvation through good works. The young man told Jesus “All these things (laws) I have kept; what am I still lacking?” In other words, the young man was saying “I have been doing good all my life…anything else?” To his question Jesus establishes the requirement – The way to God is not through good deeds, but rather by submitting one’s life to God, allowing Him to be Lord. Allowing Christ to be Lord means acknowledging Him as owner and ruler – total submission!

To this young man Jesus said “If you wish to be complete, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me”. From this we can see that there is a place for obeying the laws and doing good. But that is not all. The “follow Me, make Me Lord” was missing. Following the Lord guarantees the eternal treasures one seeks. The young ruler was devout, and religious and possibly blameless, but God was not his Lord. Outside of good things and law keeping Jesus declared, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). This young man’s challenge like all of us was “How did the other parts of his life line up in relation to God?” (Moore, 471)

The young man “went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property” (Matthew 19:22).

He couldn’t do it. His money was his idol. He could not give up something he loved and his reliance on being “good” to “follow Jesus”. To his response, Jesus said “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (19:24).

Salvation is not as the world promotes. It is not through following rules, being good and doing good. Those all play a part, but Jesus declares first “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This is the only qualification. His point to the young ruler “No amount of good works will suffice. We must abandon all that stands between us and Jesus and trust God alone, completely!” (Moore, 473). The young man’s grief suggests that it is easy for us to compartmentalize our lives, doing good things while not totally surrendering our lives to Christ. This, the reason Christ says “We cannot serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24).

Salvation is a gift of God. It is a gift of Grace which cannot be obtained by good works. Grace is “that which counteracts the effects of sin”, and God’s “Grace-gift is the means through which salvation is brought to mankind” (Cottrell, 307). “For the Grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men” (Titus 2:11). We are no longer under the Law system as was the rich young ruler, although we are still required to obey God’s laws. No one would have been able to keep all of the Laws perfectly. In fact, if you broke one (the young ruler did – money was his idol so he broke the 2^nd commandment) you were guilty of all (Galatians 3:10). The law system required 100% obedience, which no man of himself can do. Jesus was the only sinless One. So the sinless one (Christ) paid the penalty for the whole world’s law breaking – He sacrificed Himself on the cross, paying that penalty. Now we can be assured of righteousness  (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus declared it is our duty to serve Him (Luke 17:7-10). But we must go a step further, we must accept Him as Savior. After which, He imputes righteousness to us. Accepting the gift of Grace means God will see the penalty for our past, present and future sins as “paid in full”. We are declared “Not guilty” (Romans 8:1). Therefore, through faith, believing that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead, we can have salvation – not by our good deeds. Then through baptism in Christ, having been justified, we are assured salvation. The next stage of the journey for the believer is the pursuing of holy living. With absolute reliance on the gift of the Holy Spirit (not solely on following the Law and good works as the rich young ruler), each believer fixes their sight on eternity while purifying himself or herself as God’s witness to the world.                                 Through Christ is the only qualification, and assurance is given to those who abide in Christ (John 14:17;15:1-6).

References:

Moore, M. The Chronological Life of Christ. The United States of America: College Press (2011)

Sire, J. The Universe Next Door. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press (2009)

Cottrell, J. The Faith Once For All. The United States of America: College Press (2002)
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