If we do good things to get to heaven, that is a selfish thing to do.
However, I have repeatedly been told on this thread that you have to do good things to get to heaven. One wanders how many people who do these things really have the selfish motive of maximizing their heavenly position.
Correct. As long as one is a true human being, there is something inside him that wants to do good. So we should follow that inner light and do what is good.
I have no way of knowing what God, if he exists, wants.
One would hope that he would be pleased that people do good, regardless of whether they believe in him.
Perhaps I can help shed some light on the matter.. I've made some posts in another thread on this topic you may find helpful.
Let's say your an atheist, but your a good person. Your charitable, don't hurt anyone, aren't involved in any major sins.. you have good "works" in your hand.
Yet, the Bible says the atheist will rise to judgment and condemnation based on his disbelief in Jesus.
On the other hand I'm standing over here. My "works" are similar to yours. I'm generally a good person, don't have any major sins to my account, charitable and so forth..
Yet I'm justified by my belief in Christ and will rise to life because as Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me."
So its obvious that the outward lack of sins and various good works isnt what justifies us.
At this point we must ask ourselves; so can we look to a general lack of sins and general good works after our initial justification as being the means or vessel of our ultimate salvation? It seems silly when we see it like this doesn't it?
If works has no bearing before justification then it has no bearing after justification either, everything about salvation must have its root in Christ or it's false.
Therefore, the works we are looking for after our initial justification are works that come from a regenerated heart - works that are God-centered and have the Will of God in mind - not self, not some arbitrary reward or human reason. Yet the works won't save you, they are the product of ones justification.
There are two types of works which come from two different reasonings for moral acts. One morality is based on God and God alone, and works in accordance to the Will of God. (God wills it, so I will it, God loves them, so I love them)
The other morality is the morality of man. It works and does in accordance to what he thinks is right, and can be based on personal experience or a view of social necessity, but it is man-centered.
The first kind of work is what the justified man does, the later is not. The first kind is possible through Christ.
James says there will most certainly be some type of physical or outward proof of our faith, but that doesn't contradict with Grace and it doesn't add or subtract from salvation, it simply shows faiths existence. It outwardly shows the internal change wrought in you by God.