064. May I not merit heaven by my good works?

May I not merit heaven by my good works?

If your works are absolutely perfect, if you should never break the law of God at any point from the hour or birth until death, if you do all that God requires of you and all that pleases Him, you would merit heaven by your good works. But this is something that no man but Jesus Christ ever has done. “There is no difference: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-23). The moment that any man breaks the law of God at any point he can no longer merit heaven by his good works. The law demands perfect obedience (Galatians 3:10). Nothing but perfect obedience to the law of God will secure life or heaven. There is, therefore, no hope on the ground of our own works. The moment a man has sinned at any point his only hope then is that he be justified freely through the grace of God in Jesus Christ. But justification by free grace is offered to all who will accept Jesus Christ. All who believe are justified freely (that is, as a free gift) through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24). God set Him forth to be the propitiation through faith by His blood (Romans 3:25, R.V.). Study the whole passage, Romans 3:9 to Romans 4:8, and you will see how impossible it is that any man can merit heaven by his good works, and what God’s method of justification is.