Do you really not know what it means to do good? My mistake, please forgive me. I thought you would know what doing good is.
Any way, Jesus gives many examples of doing good to others, but it would take way too long to list them here. Perhaps you should read more about Jesus and His words.
Anyway, Jesus contrasts doing good in John 5:29 with doing evil in the same verse. Surely you know what doing evil is. Jesus only gives two kinds of people, those who do good and those who do evil. And He only gives two events for those people, the resurrection of life, and the resurrection of damnation.
Would you like to guess the final event for those who do not do good? It's really simple.
Let's examine your thoughts on "doing good" a little deeper, and, of course, using Scripture as our guide. Fair enough?
What did Jesus say to the unbelieving Jews and Pharisees? John 5:39 - “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me".
The Jews were taught by the Pharisees that they would receive eternal life by obeying the Law. It was a works-based system of salvation.
And here, Jesus refutes them directly in their view from the very next verse: "and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life."
The phrase "come to Me" refers to placing their faith in Him FOR eternal life. Just count the times Jesus directly said that eternal life is given on the basis of faith in Him: Jn 3:15,16,18, 5:24, 6:40, 47, 11:25-27. And John the baptizer echoed Jesus' words in 3:36 and John the apostle summarized his gospel by echoing Jesus' words in 20:31.
Now, Paul also echoed Jesus' teaching in Romans. In fact, he refuted those, like you, who believe that by "doing good" one will be saved, or have eternal life.
First, he makes this point: - 6 who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life Rom 2
Hm. Kinda sounds like what you've been claiming. He even said this: - for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. Rom 2:13
So, it is really possible for anyone to fulfill either of these verses?
No, for Paul then makes this point crystal clear:
3:9 - What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
How clear is that? All have sinned, and all are under sin. Therefore, NO ONE can fulfill what he wrote in 2:6,7,13. His point in those verses is that ONLY those who are perfect would be able to receive eternal life. But he wrote 3:9 and 23 to PROVE that no one can do that.
Not only that, but consider 3:20 - because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Here, he directly SAYS that no one will be justified by keeping the Law, or doing good. That was NOT the purpose of the Law anyway. It was to bring knowledge of man's sin.
Paul even said that in another epistle: "Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made." Gal 3:19
iow, the Law came because of man's sin, and was in effect until Christ came, "to whom the promise (of salvation) had been made".
Then, Paul clarifies:
24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
The purpose of the Law was to teach us about sin and lead us to Christ, who died for our sins and that we would be justified by faith, NOT WORKS.
v.26 is quite clear about how one becomes a son of God: through faith in Christ. NOT BY WORKS.
One would have to reject All of Romans and all of Galatians in order to accept your view. I will not do it.
