Why can't you buy eternal life?

Question

I know that some people, especially religious ones, believe that they can do good things, like baby sitt for free, donate money to charities, not disobey their parents/superiors, and more. It's good to do that, but that WON'T get you to heaven. Why not? People always tell me that, and I truly believe, but many of my neighbors hear about my being a Christian. I would just like one good reason, so I can tell it to them; most are Catholic, some Presbyterian, one an atheist, and the others I'm not sure.

People, please understand! I NEED A STORY. AN ILLUSTRATION. I believe. I know Jesus paid it all and we don't have to worry about it. Thank you all. I do believe. But my neighbors don't.

Answer 1

Eternal life can only be "bought" with a sinless, perfect life. Nobody is perfect. So no one can get to Heaven. But God has mercy on us. He sent his Son Jesus in human form to live the perfect life we can't live. It is his life (and death) that paid the price we cannot pay ourselves.

Therefore, you cannot "buy" eternal life for two reasons:

1) You cannot be perfect
2) Jesus already paid the price for you

The reason we do good things is because we are grateful to God because of what He has done for us -- not because we are trying to earn our way into Heaven.

That is the "Gospel" (good news) as simply as I can explain it.
Rejoice and be glad! You are forgiven! Because Jesus died in your place, you do not have to die.

For an illustration: http://www.geocities.com/wisdomfolly/Pictures/jesus.gif

Answer 2

There are two major reasons we can not buy eternal life.

First, we are told that the wages of sin is death. (Romans 3:23) so the only price we could pay for our sin is death. Death is actually separation. When our bodies die, our soul is separated from our body. Eternal death happens when our soul is separated from God.

Couple this with the value of our righteousness (or our good works) according to God.

Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness es are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

We are also told why our works can not buy salvation:

Ephesians 2:8-9

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.

In reality, since God has already paid the most expensive price for our salvation, to think we can earn it would be sort of like having Bill Gates give us a million dollar mansion and having us insist that we will pay for it as we hand him a nice shinny new...DIME.

Answer 3

To start with, salvation is free.

God has made it free so that only the humble will recieve it. The rest will go on trying to buy it and thereby show how much better they are than other people.

Rom 4:1-8
2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about-but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
(from New International Version)


1 Cor 1:26-31

26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
(from New International Version)

Answer 4

i don't understand the point you're making here. Yes its true that good deeds cannot get you to Heaven. The ultimate truth to have eternal life is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. But the thing is, if you say that you have accepted Christ into your life, but continue doing evil things and disobeying God, then obviously you are lying because God truly works inside your spirit when you accept Him.

So doing good deeds are, well kinda like a supporting sideline that is a nessecity in order to go along with your ticket to Heaven.

Answer 5

Doing good deeds shouldn't be about getting "brownie points" into heaven - they should be about love and help and sharing and simply doing the "right" thing.

But if you need an answer to why you can't buy eternal life, it's pretty simple: 1) Jesus already paid the bill on the cross and 2) God's love and mercy is the ultimate key to eternal life.

Answer 6

It is because our good doings, everything nice and kind and innocent we do, are pus-filled, filthy rags. We can't go up to God, the creator of us all, in rags, can we? We are unworthy as we are. When you truly Believe, God gives you the Robe of Righteousness, the Key to getting to Heaven, because the only way to get it is to believe. Think about how dirty our sins must be! God makes the most amazing offer of life: trading rags for robes. That trade can only occur at the Mercifulness of God, when you believe. Lay down your sins and leave the dungeon of Eternal Death, put on the clean, golden robe and enter the palace of Eternal Life and Belief. That is why. Your good stuff, charities, are utterly, most entirely, unworthy.

Answer 7

Why can't you buy eternal life? Because love of money is the root of evil.
God sees what is in your heart. If you just to good deeds do get into heaven, you're not being sincere; you have to do them out of love for your brothers and sisters.

Answer 8

Explain it like this if you want... we are created to do good, it is whats expected of us... but when we sin, which we ALL do, thats what keeps us out of heaven accept through repentence through Jesus.

Imagine God makes drinking glasses and we are all drinking glasses. Our purpose is to be used to hold good beverages however as soon as we crack (sin) we can no longer be used. It doesnt matter how many good beverages we have served in the past or how many we hold now... we're cracked and therefore no longer usefull...However, since this happens to EVERY glass, God provides a way to fix the crack (Jesus) if we accept Him to fix us, we can be used again, if we refuse to be fixed, we will be thrown away.

Answer 9

Eternal Life is the GIFT of God.
People can NOT BUY a gift.

Eternal Life is the Gift of God, NOT OF WORKS lest anyone could boast.

No one will be able to boast they bought Eternal Life.
No one will be able to boast they worked for and earned Eternal Life.

We will not boast, except in Christ our God.

Answer 10

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. " (Eph. 2:8,9).

This tells us that God wants us to do good works and help others, but we have to remember that it won't earn us heaven. Jesus has already earned heaven for us by dying in our place and taking away our sins. We are humans and can't do anything to save ourselves. All we need is faith in God, which is worked in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.