Can someone go to heaven based on their works?

Answer 1

No.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Romans 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

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Some see a contradiction between this and James 2:20 where it says faith without works is dead. This is how Catholocism and other fake Christian institutions got their works doctrine. But by reading v. 19 where it says "you believe there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe and tremble" you can see the faith spoken of is intellectual orthodoxy, or faith merely in the sense of believing there's one God. This is different from the faith Paul speaks of as in Romans 10:8-10 and elsewhere that involves repentance and trusting in Jesus to the extent of full commitment to Him.

To see a case of one who did works and one who repented, and which one was justified:

Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

This is why:

Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Answer 2

Become a Muslim, kill an infidel by blowing yourself up, and in heaven you will get 72 virgins.

This is the story some of them think, anyway. but I wonder...where do all the virgins come from? How do they recruit the virgins? Get heaven and here's what you get... not a very good deal for the virgins.

Answer 3

Good works does not get you to Heaven. Being saved by the Grace of God does. Jesus saids, you must be born again. When you are saved you should work for Jesus. Tell the world about Jesus and how to be saved. We will get rewards for the work we do for Jesus, when we get to heaven.

Answer 4

Gotta read the book of James, people.

Faith must be accompanied by ACTION. "A person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

A spirit that has been transformed by the gospel ought to be a spirit that is straining to get to work bringing about God's reign here on earth. This is exactly what Jesus was talking about with the vine and branches in John 5:

"If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned."

This is Christ's promise - we will bear spiritual fruit if we truly be long to Christ, but we will be unproductive branches thrown into the fire if we fall away. Moreover, without Christ we are utterly depraved - we are incapable of doing good deeds apart from Christ.

Answer 5

No. Salvation is based on what Jesus Christ did on the cross. He died for our sins, He was buried and took our sins away and rose again the third day for our justification. He did it all and we had not part in it except to believe. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Answer 6

To get to Heaven, one has to have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and believe that He suffered and died and rose again, and that because of that you are forgiven. It is not by good deeds that one gets to Heaven, even if it were, one would commit a lot more bad than good, I'm sure. Hope this helps, God bless!

Romans 3:27
Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith.

Answer 7

Not on works only, you must have faith too.

Faith alone is not enough, it must ba accompanied with works.

Jam 2:14-20
(14) What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
(15) If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
(16) And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit?
(17) Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
(18) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
(19) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
(20) But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Answer 8

You cannot earn your way into heaven, Jesus has already done that. So, faith gets you into heaven. However, won't true faith lead you to do good works?

Answer 9

No

Galatians 2:16
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Answer 10

faith without werks is soooooo freakin dead..just like the one whos not doing the werks...i gotta disagree wit jzyehoshua1


you can get kiked out based on your werks...."Faith without werks is Dead" you get in by faith, after that...if the only thing thats changed about your life is now your saying your a Christian...phff...you were never saved to begin with.

Gods Grace isnt a big cover-up...ppl get Justification confused with Sanctification... the Blood of Jesus Justifies you before God...once you in its up to you to Sanctify yourself. Bible Example: God took his ppl outta Egypt, then what did he say “go into the wilderness and SANCTIFY YOURSELF” in English, “I got you outta Egypt, now you get Egypt outta you”. Too many Christians are lazy now days, its like the old saying “Come as you are” “O LORD JESUS I COME JUST AS I AM!!! FORGIVE ME FORGIVE ME FORGIVVVVEEEE MEEEEEEEEEEE” then what happens? They come just as they are, and leave just as they were…

Answer 11

No ... ultimately, it is faith in Christ that brings us to Heaven.

Faith has many elements, and one of them is works. "Faith without works is dead," the Letter of James tells us, just as a body without a brain or a heart or a liver cannot survive.

Protestants often see faith and works as separate things -- they don't see works as a manifestation and an integral part of our faith, as we Catholics do.

Protestants also misconstrue the Catholic notion of salvation as one of "faith plus works." That's sort of like saying that you go to Point A to Point B with "a car plus an engine."

But, of course, we don't go to Point B with a car plus an engine -- we go there with a car, of which the engine is a vital part.

Same with faith. Works are not separate from faith, as Protestants believe when they falsely claim that Catholics believe in "faith plus works."

Rather, works are part of faith -- just as your heart or stomach or liver are a much-needed part of your body.