Good deeds, Bad deeds?

Question

I just asked a question, where do you think we go when we die? I got a lot of answers on "we go to heaven if we are good, or go to hell if we are bad.

Look at this : http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2064:6
Says even our good acts are of filthy rags. I think that means our good deeds can not save us. If that is true, can our bad deeds condem us?

i also found this : http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2034:11;%20Psalms%2062:12;%20Proverbs%2012:14;24:12;%20Isaiah%2059:18;
saying you will get your reward according to what you have done.

This is confusing, what is your opinion?

Answer 1

This is my belief: No good deeds are going to get us to heaven. Only believing and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he did for us, gets us to heaven. I am a christian, which doesn't make me perfect by any means... We live in a sinful world. Jeus is the Way, the Truth and the Life... NO one gets to the Father except through Jesus Christ. I asked Jesus for forgiveness, I asked him to come into my life. Jesus has changed my life, the person that I was is not the person I am now. Everyone who knows me, knows this to be true. I will check out your sites above, but this is my response.

Answer 2

Good Deeds

Answer 3

You've identified one of the classic contradictions of Christian theology, and one they can't really extricate themselves from. In order for Christianity to be necessary, they had to make Christ absolutely essential to salavation. If I can get into heaven by being a pretty good person, then Jesus and his death were not necessary, and more importantly, neither is his church. On the other hand, if saying the magic words and accepting Jesus are all that matters, then all of the moral instruction in the Bible, all of the admonitions of what we should and should not do, are worthless.
The Catholics get around this be saying that begging Jesus for forgiveness AND confessing to a priest AND sacraments administered by the Church, AND avoiding certain unpardonable sins and working all the others off are all required for admission to heaven. The Protestants generally deal with the problem by ignoring it.

Answer 4

Good question!

We are judged by God and only God on that day..not anyone here on earth.

What you researched in Isaiah is a precious citing that describes his desperate pleadings for God's forgiveness and understanding to us "mortals". That is all we can do, pray and beg forgiveness. A little furter down (verse 9) 9 Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look upon us, we pray,
for we are all your people.

You see that he is begging forgiveness to continue on in God's service. This is the very obedience and respect (fear) that the Lord needs from us. He needs to depend on us to serve and glorify HIs name. Then, He can grace us with mercy and joy. He wants us to feel as if we can rely and must depend on HIm for strength, discernment, wisdom, courage, etc. Reaching out for HIs help shows God that we believe in Him and HIs power to save us...and He will.

In the other great reference, John tells us what pleases the Lord. Our good deeds demonstrate our love for the Lord through obedience. Our obedience comes in the form of loving one another, helping one another in time of need, helping the poor, sick, elderly, etc.

Giving our time, assistance and resources to others is exactly what God expects us to do, since that is why He gaves us these resources and talents to begin with, to share with others and lead them to the Lord.

You are perceptive to notice this difference, but not any contradiction. The prophet Isaiah states that we are filty rags, or admits that we are sinners. But, he begs forgiveness in order to show love and respect for the Lord.

This is what the Lord expects and deserves from us. We should not give HIm any less...after all, why wouldn't we want to help the poor, the sick or the elderly? Are we too busy?

Answer 5

I believe that when we die, we decay and become inanimate.

There are better passages like this, however.

It says that good deeds are still not enough, one must trust God to liberate us even at our best we are but dust, but when we do act faithfully to God we will be rewarded for our good deeds.

Ironic choice for the reward passage given that it is Job.

Answer 6

Christians must be holy, pure and have good Christian works of faith to be saved.

No one among us can avoid sinning, but willful sin, the practice of sin leads to damnation. Thus an extreme effort to walk the narrow road must be done.

When baptized Christians commit a serious sin God disciplines them for this so as to prevent them
-- from repeating it.
-- from being condemned with the world. In other words, they pay for their sin through suffering so as to stay alive or be saved.
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For two subjects about this:
Judgment of Christians How are Christians judged by God?
Why do the wicked seem to flourish?

The links are:
http://bythebible.page.tl/Judgment-of-Christians.htm
http://bythebible.page.tl/God%5C-h-s-Payback.htm

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About the condition of the dead, see this page:
http://www.bythebible.page.tl/

Scriptural proof found here:
Soul[Immortal & Animal, What?] Man’s Spirit

Condition of the Dead:[ One & Two, Special Scriptures ]

Sheol and Judgment Rev 20:11-15 Resurrections – First & Second

Hell Fire

Answer 7

Yeah, it doesn't matter. You can kill everyone on the planet and repent for it, and you'll still be on your way to heaven. But if you save everyone on the planet but aren't Christian, you're on your way to Hell.

Answer 8

Ecc.12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Answer 9

A god that judges you on who you know not what you do sucks as a god.

I'd never get involved with such a deity.

Answer 10

Bottom line is this:

With Christ....you go to heaven
Without Him.....you go to hell

Works don't save us.....Christ's blood does