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A THOUSAND TIMES NO
Every now and then when the subject of various churches or denominations comes up someone will say something like this: “Well, you know we're all working trying to get to the same place.” My answer is No! No! No! A thousand times no! I am not working trying to get to Heaven! I am not! The Bible says: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law,” (Romans 3:24-26). Being “justified” or judicially declared righteous in God's eyes does not come about by works. If Christ did not redeem you with the blood He shed on Calvary you are not redeemed. If you do not have “faith in his blood” you are not redeemed. If your faith is not in Jesus Christ you are not redeemed. If you are not redeemed you are not going to Heaven. If salvation (redemption, justification, etc.) were by works – if works have anything to do with it – then men could boast about their good works. But Paul say “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.” Furthermore, Paul quoted King David who wrote: “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin,” (Romans 4:6-8). Those who have the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed or charged to their account cannot have sin charged to them. And this justification is “without works” as the last quotation plainly says. Anyone who is trying to go to Heaven by his works is cursed. In Galatians3:10 it is written: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” No one is able or ever has been able to keep all the Law. To go to Heaven by works demands perfection: perfect obedience to the holy Law of God. A thousand times no to the idea of going to Heaven by works. The Bible says: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
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