The message that our gracious God loves us fully despite our sin necessarily implies that he does not account our good works as the reason that he must show us his affection. This truth provides comfort to those whose failures afflict their consciences, but it also robs all of us of any cause for pride in self and of all personal resources for brokering God’s gifts into personal rewards. Long-term Christian workers may find these truths particularly distasteful. It is easy to feel, even if we would theologically dispute the claim, that God owes us his favor for faithful service.
An old tale speaks of a man who died and faced the angel Gabriel at heaven’s gates. Said the angel to the man, “Here’s how this works. You need a hundred points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things that you have done, and I will give you a certain number of points for each of them. The more good there is in the work that you cite, the more points you will get for it. When you get to a hundred points, you get in.”
“Okay,” the man said, “I was married to the same woman for fifty years and never cheated on her, even in my heart.” “
That’s wonderful,” said Gabriel, “that’s worth three points.”
“Three points?” said the man incredulously.
“Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my money and service.”
“Terrific!” said Gabriel, “that’s certainly worth a point.”
“One point?” said the man with his eyes beginning to show a bit of panic.
“Well, how about this: I opened a shelter for the homeless in my city, and fed needy people by the hundreds during the holidays.”
“Fantastic, that’s good for two more points,” said the angel.
“TWO POINTS!!” cried the man in desperation. “At this rate the only way that I will get into heaven is by the grace of God.”
“Come on in,” said Gabriel.
Because of “the great disproportion” between our best works and God’s true holiness, we are unable to trade our righteousness for God’s favor. Our bargaining chips of good works have no currency with God. God will bless according to his purposes good works done in
obedience to him, but we cannot bind him to our definition or preferred degree of his blessing. God’s blessings, for instance, may come in the form of difficulties that bring us closer to understanding his heart by allowing us to share in Christ’s sufferings (Phil. 3:10).
If the reason we obey God is to bribe him with our goodness, we need to be reminded that God will be no one’s debtor (Job 41:11; Rom. 11:35). We cannot bank on having a great academic career because we vow to study hard. We cannot secure an absence of family difficulties because our dinner devotions are consistent. We cannot guarantee financial success in our business because we operate with integrity. Our attempts to barter for God’s kindness with our goodness, great efforts, and long-standing resolutions will not move him.
As we discover that the works we thought would justify us before God cannot do so, we ultimately realize that the old gospel song “Rock of Ages” really got it right:
Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the Fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.
Many of us regularly sing these words with the thought of our initial salvation in mind. We rejoice that God made us right with him (or “justified” us, as the theologians say) apart from any goodness in us. But health and vigor will be added to our spiritual service as we understand that this song applies to us at every stage of our Christian lives. To grasp fully the grace that daily restores our confidence in his love, we must keep our hands empty of any claim that God must bless us on the basis of our goodness. For if he loves us because of what is in our hands, then the days will come when we will believe that his affection has diminished because our works are small, or that his care has vanished because our deeds are wrong.
Bryan Chapell (2003-02-10). Holiness by Grace (pp. 23-24).
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