Is it impossible to earn everlasting life?

Question

There are 3 parts in this question. Let me explain:

"It is appointed man once to die and after that to face the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)

A very popular assumption is that if my good outweighs my bad then I should be OK when I get there. But what concerns me is this: How can we be good enough?

The Bible gives a test for this goodness called the 10 Commandments. Have you ever told a lie? Ever stolen something? Ever coveted? Ever lusted? Ever hated someone? Ever used God's name in vain? Ever disobeyed your parents? Has God always been first in your life?

It seems impossible to keep perfectly all the Commandments. So...

1. Standing before God in judgment, would He find us guilty of breaking His commands?

2. If guilty, should He send us to Heaven (reward) or hell (punishment)?

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23).

"Fear him who, after death of the body, has power to throw you into hell..." (Luke 12:5)

3. Seeing that it is impossible to be "good enough" and because of that we are condemned is the following true?

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

Answer 1

Yes, it's absolutely beyond our power to earn salvation, that is, to do anything to deserve it. When we sinned, we burned our bridges to the presence of the God of righteousness. How could we, being sinful, ever rebuild a clean, pure, sinless connection to Him? That's why we need Jesus. He's our living bridge to the Father.

Answer 2

Life begins at conception in the physiological world -of the womb- continues in this physical world- the earth - and then in the spiritual worlds of God. It has a beginning but no end so in that aspect it is everlasting.
However from what I gather, you are concerned with the QUALITY of that spiritual life that awaits us because you ask "How can we be good enough?"
It is an excellent question for the following reason. If we look at carbon molecules in the mineral kingdom they can become charcoal or they can become diamonds. Charcoal and diamonds belong both to the mineral kingdom and are both made of carbon molecules. The big difference is that diamonds are a PURE form of carbon and charcoal is not. But charcoal can become a diamond given certain pressure and temperature conditions.
If we translate this analogy to the human kingdom we are all humans and our goal is to become diamonds - acquire the maximum amount of moral qualities and put them to the service of mankind - and not remain as a piece of charcoal. But the problem as you rightly point out is that we don't know what is our real or full POTENTIAL. How can we be the very best we can if we don't know how much we are capable of?
But is the fact that we are not aware of our full capacity really a PROBLEM or a BLESSING in disguise?
The answer is that not knowing exactly what is our full potential is a huge motivation for each one of us to do our maximum and not be content with the MINIMUM effort because human capacity to progress and acquire moral values is UNLIMITED and UNENDING.

Answer 3

PRAYER Jesus Christ taught shows that a dramatic change is at hand. In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us to pray: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."-Matthew 6:10, King James Version.
What is God's Kingdom? It is a real government, one that rules from heaven. That is why it is called "the kingdom of the heavens." Jesus, the "Prince of Peace," has been appointed by his Father to be its ruler.-Matthew 10:7; Isaiah 9:6, 7; Psalm72:1-8.
When God's Kingdom comes, what will happen to this hate-filled world? "The kingdom," will "crush and put an end" to all the corrupt governments of this world. (Daniel 2:44) The Bible explains: "The world is passing away . . . , but he that does the will of God remains forever."-1 John 2:17.

Answer 4

Contradictions do no longer exclude certainty. Up and down do no longer contradict one yet another different than to the rational innovations and certainty and actuality are actually not project to rational thinking and good judgment. Up and down are the comparable direction and bring about the comparable place in area in simple terms simply by fact the Infinitely small and the Infinitely great embody the comparable quantity of area. whilst that's actual it can not be grasped by utilising the rational innovations yet could be experienced - and then it can not nevertheless be placed for sure into words in simple terms simply by fact the actuality can not be spoken. besides the undeniable fact that that's familiar by utilising the grace of God. The worldly innovations can not understand religious issues and while it tries confusion and hostility result. the secret to non secular enhance isn't learn with the worldly innovations yet contemplation with the religious colleges interior, soul concept, instinct, a state the bible calls 'stillness'. Be nevertheless, and understand... people who holler from the rooftops what their mortal minds have grasped are blind foremost the blind. The rantings of preachers from pulpits around the international, from each faith are of the comparable mien. i think of it grow to be Schopenhauer who made sparkling what the sound of lack of understanding grow to be while a guy speaks. that's heard in his inflections and intonations. We hear a million lies to each certainty here on earth. And quoting the Bible would not recommend one is speaking the actuality. Even a parrot can learn how to quote the Bible and it continues to be meaningless even while stated with super earnestness. yet no be counted if the Bible has contradictions would not recommend it truly is not certainty. Namaste'

Answer 5

Yes. NO one can earn everlasting or eternal life.
However, there is a solution!
God's grace. We do not, can not deserve this everlasting life. It is purely a gift.
He set us free from all our Sins. He loved us to send His son, to be put on a cross, to bear all sin, and to go to hell.

Yes, the last part is true.
He who believes in Him (Him being the one who died for you and me) shall no peirsh but have eternal life.
Eternal is different from everlasting, which is what was asked.
Eternal life is life that cannot be taken away.
But, everlasting is a reality and is included with eternal life.

Answer 6

It is possible to get through the judgement on merit alone, but not something I would ever want to face. The worry alone would cripple me. However, there is an easier way to eternal life. Just confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead. Bingo! Saved! No more judgement. It really is that easy.

Answer 7

The 10 commandments were God's standards for the nation of Israel, who were God's chosen people at the time, to follow. No one is perfect and all of the sacrifices they were required to offer up (many were sin offerings) were to keep the Israelites aware of their imperfection and their need for a savior who, as it happens, God had prophecied about and who they were waiting for the arrival of. The 10 commandments (or Mosaic law) was done away with when Christ arrived. It was replaced by the law of Christ, which is basically two commandments - 1) love God with your whole heart, soul and mind; and 2) love your neighbor.

Regarding Hebrews 9:27, the "judgment" refers to a time after Armageddon when those who live through that time along with those who are resurrected from the dead (both the righteous and the unrighteous - see Acts 24:15) will be given the opportunity to submit to Jesus' authority as the appointed King of God's kingdom. Christ will rule this kingdom for 1000 years, during which humans will be brought back to perfection as Adam and Eve were, and then the kingdom will be handed over to God so that he can be "all things to all". Interestingly, the judgment comes into play AFTER the 1000 year reign of Christ. The Bible says Satan will be released from the abyss for a short period of time (basically as a final test to humans who have at that point been brought back to a state of perfection). Those who choose to rebel at that time will be then be judged by God.

With regard to heaven and hell, many don't realize that according to the book of Revelation, heaven is reserved for 144,000 who were "bought from the earth" by Jesus for God and they will serve in the capacity of kings and priests with Christ during his 1000 year reign over the earth. (See Rev. 5:9, 10; Rev. 14:1, 3; Rev. 20:4). Further, "hell" is not an actual place of fiery torment for sinners as some churches have depicted it. The world "hell" actually means to cover over in the sense of no longer being seen. It is the common grave of mankind so to speak and the place where everyone who dies will go (with the exception of the 144,000 who will serve with Christ). The confusion comes in with the word Gehenna which was a place where trash was burned and the fire was consant. Those who were considered unworthy of a proper burial were also pitched there. According to the Bible, the dead are conscious of nothing at all. (See Ecclesiastes 9:5) The ultimate punishment after being judged unworthy of being a citizen of the kingdom of God is eternal destruction. You would no longer be worthy of having eternal life...nothing more, nothing less.

So in answer to your question #3, yes, its true.

OH! I almost forgot...in answer to your question regarding earning eternal life, many people think all you have to do is believe in Jesus and you're saved. The Bible, however, says we have to work out our own salvation. (See Philippeans 2:12) So if we're having to work for our salvation, that would imply that we actually do earn salvation by being obedient to God.

Answer 8

It is very much possible for any human to earn eternal life, but only throuth Jesus Christ.

All the verses you quoted are right but you missed so many verses that explains the context of those verses you quoted.

through Adam's sin each and every human kind that comes on earth gain the same capacity as Adam's because we are his decendents.

but God the Father didn't want His creatures the Human to die and go to hell (remember the "Hell" is not prepared for human beings but for Satan and his fallen angels) so he made a way out from perishing as you quoted the verse John: 3:16. throuth Jesus Christ His son.

Jesus came to the world not to condemn but to give life. The Bible very clearly says that God doesn't like any one perish and go to hell.

but if you volunteer your self to follow God's enemy the Satan through the knowledge he promised you to deny God and deceived you are subjected to earn the dwellings where your master dwells.

so, since follow my Master Jesus Christ then I will be with Him were He is... if you follow Satan then you ought to be with him where ever he is the "hell"....

why can't you just believe in Jesus Christ and obay his commandments instead of asking questions to deny Him. it is as easy as it is to enter in to heaven.

please don't follow what your intellectual mind says you to do but follow what Jesus Christ tells you to do then we will meet in heaven for sure.

God bless you sir.

Answer 9

No human being can ever be good enough to deserve everlasting life or God's love. But through God's forgiveness and Jesus' death on the cross, it is possible.

Answer 10

Yes it is impossible to earn heaven. Yes the undeserved gift or grace of God is life.