Never add works to salvation. Works are for rewards not salvation.

[alaric]

We are born in a fallen body that will keep on sinning even if we do not want to.

Romans 7:18-20 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Everyone is born a sinner (with compliment from Adam) and no sinner can enter heaven. It is our nature that prevent us from going to heaven, NOT what we do. We do what we do because of our nature.

Romans 5:19 For as by one man's (Adam) disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus) shall many be made righteous.

Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

In order to enter heaven, we need to be righteous and sinless body (a new body that does not want to sin) Everyone who accepts Jesus as savior and trust in Jesus' finished work is enough to save them will receive Jesus' righteousness just as Jesus' received our sin and condemnation on the cross and paid fully for it. It is a divine exchange and a free gift for our benefit.

1 Corinthians 1:30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

As for our new and sinless body, we will receive it on the day of the rapture.

1 Corinthians 15:53-56 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

So do you still believe that a sinner can clean himself and go heaven? I do not think so. You can pretend and act like a saint but you are still a sinner by nature and nothing you do can change that. Only God can save us.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Good works are for the sake of good works themselves, because we were created for good works (Ephesians 2:10).

Why should a servant expect prizes for doing the bare minimum required of them?

There's no fundamental difference between doing good works for "salvation" or doing good works for "rewards", both are fundamentally and equally wrong for the same reason.

If we are trying to score brownie points with God, then we aren't doing good works at all.

God doesn't need our good works, but our neighbor does.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[alaric]

Good works are for the sake of good works themselves, because we were created for good works (Ephesians 2:10).

Why should a servant expect prizes for doing the bare minimum required of them?

There's no fundamental difference between doing good works for "salvation" or doing good works for "rewards", both are fundamentally and equally wrong for the same reason.

If we are trying to score brownie points with God, then we aren't doing good works at all.

God doesn't need our good works, but our neighbor does.

-CryptoLutheran

Yes. I agree with you. But the topic is about salvation.