Why Not Good Works Versus Bad?

Many religious leaders including many Christians, Jews and Muslims, have contended for centuries that a “weighing in the balance” of good deeds versus bad deeds ultimately determines our eternal destiny. Many people around the world today still think such a scenario represents Christianity.

This view of salvation (or condemnation) leads to minimizing sin and its damaging effects, and at the same time exaggerates both the quantity and quality of good works.

The question of how God judges became the focus of a debate between the prophet Ezekiel and Jewish religious leaders of his day.

Ezekiel declared the common perception of judgment day as the balance scale scenario to be only partly correct (18:4-32; 33:10-20). He explained what God does with the “record” of people’s lives. It all depends on their response to God’s grace - whether they accept or reject His offer to replace their prideful spirit nature with a nature to obey. Once a person accepts that exchange, “none of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them” (18:22). On the other hand, if a person repeatedly refuses to repent and receive God’s gift, then “none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered” (18:24).

In essence, only one pan remains on the proverbial scale. When people turn from trusting their own righteousness to trusting in God’s righteousness, God deletes the record of their transgressions. IT’S GONE! So for those who accept God’s offer, made available personally in Jesus Christ, judgment day resembles a joyous awards ceremony (1 Cor. 3:12-15). When people opt to trust in their own goodness as if it were “good enough”, God deletes their accomplishments record. IT’S GONE! All that remains is the account of their misdeeds. So for those who reject God’s offer in Christ, judgment day means facing up to a nightmarish reality (Rev. 20:13).

Ezekiel’s explanation drew a huge outcry from the religious leaders. They complained, “The way of the Lord is not just” (18:25,29). Yet an earlier prophet, Isaiah, had already warned them that their self-righteous deeds looked more like filthy rags (Isa. 64:6) because such acts represented efforts to bring glory to self rather than to God. They reflected pride, not humility. And so they could not be considered good at all.

As Ezekiel reminded them, God in His kindness had determined not to  count such “righteous deeds” against those who remain unrepentant and ungrateful. He implored the people, “Repent and live!” (18:32).

Among those who bow before God, no room for pride remains. They grow to understand that whatever good they accomplish is motivated, empowered, and set up by God. As the apostle Paul wrote, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).