Interesting Questions-49
"The good person in God's sight"
Letter to the Editor:
PASUGO, March 1996, p.3
THERE IS A ravaging illness that runs in the
family I belong to. It has already taken the lives of a
number of my uncles and aunts. I am not afraid of
the illness or the death it brings but of what is in store for me
when I die.
As a Catholic I have learned that the good go to
heaven and hell is for evildoers. But, it is unclear to me as
to what kind of good deed it is to be done for one to be worthy of
God's kingdom.
Is there a way that I could be considered good in
spite of the unintentional mistakes I make once in a while?
Consuelo, Obina
Cavite, Philippines
Editor's reply:
It is commendable that you have the foresight to
prepare for death, an inevitable reality that will overtake
all of us sooner or later. That you have this viewpoint
shows that you are concerned about what will take place after death,
that is, when we all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to
receive what is due us, according to our deeds be it good
or bad (cf. II Cor.
5:10).
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each
one may receive the things done in
the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
(II Corinthians 5:10, NKJV)
Thus, your query as to what good needs to be done
to be worthy of God's kingdom is a wise question.
Why did we say so? Because most people presume that they
know what is good. What are some of these presumptions?
-
Some believe that by being upright by one's
own standard, one will be saved.
-
For others, all one is to do is believe
in our Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior and he is saved.
-
Still others hold on to the belief that using
the Savior's name in performing "miracles" and other wondrous
deeds will merit a person the salvation of his soul.
In effect the good that needs to be done to be
worthy of salvation depends on one's personal beliefs and values.
Good to them, then, is a relative thing. Is this
so? Let us first examine these presumptions in the
light of the truths of the Holy Scriptures.
1. Does the Bible approve
of the belief that it is only by being righteous that one is saved?
Apostle Paul answers us accordingly:
"not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His
mercy He saved us, " (Titus 3:5, New King James Version)
A case in point is the centurion named
Cornelius, If we will be the ones to decide over his salvation he
would pass with flying colors for he was a devout man, God-fearing
and charitable. (cf. Acts 10 :l-2), However, the good
deeds he had done were not enough.
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of
what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a
devout man and
one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously
to the people, and prayed to God always. (Acts 10:1-2, NKJV)
He was instructed by the angel of God to send for
Simon Peter in order for him and his household to hear the words of
God (cf. Acts;10:3-8, 33-34).
About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel
of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” And when he
observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”
So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a
memorial before God. 5 Now
send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He
is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He
will tell you what you must do.” 7 And
when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two
of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who
waited on him continually. 8 So
when he had explained all these
things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now
therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things
commanded you by God.”
34 Then
Peter opened his mouth
and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
Acts;10:3-8, 33-34, NKJV)
Not only did Cornelius and his whole household
receive God's words, but more importantly, they believed
in the gospel and received baptism (cf. Acts 10:34-48).
It is quite clear, therefore that being
upright is not enough for one to be saved.
2. What about those who
simply believe and call upon the Lord Jesus' name, one is
saved. Christ answers them thus:
“Not
everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew
7:21, NKJV)
Simply calling upon the
Savior's name will not guarantee a person of salvation.
3.
What if he not only call upon Jesus' name but use it to do many
wonderful deeds? This is what the Lord Jesus Christ's answer:
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have
we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and
done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And
then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you
who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:22-23, NKJV)
If the above-mentioned things which many people
consider as good, merits no weight for salvation, what then is the
good that needs to be done by man for him to be saved?
In the first place, what is it that is good? The Bible
says:
Therefore the law is holy,
and the commandment holy and just and good. (Romans 7:12, Ibid.)
What is good, therefore, is
God's, law―His will
as written in the
Scriptures. This is the good that man needs to do in order for him
to enter the kingdom of God (cf. Mt. 7:21).
“Not
everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
(Mt. 7:21, NKJV)
What is God's will
regarding all men? All men must be gathered in Christ
and this
is done by becoming members of His body, the Church (cf. Eph.
1:9-10; Rom. 12:4-5; Col 1:18).
9 having
made known to us the mystery of His will, according
to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,10 that
in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might
gather together in one all things in Christ, both
which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. (Eph. 1:9-10,
NKJV)
4 For
as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have
the same function, 5 so
we, being many,
are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
(Rom. 12:4-5, NKJV)
18 And
He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the
preeminence. (Col. 1:18, NKJV)
Which church is being
referred to by Apostle Paul?' This is the Church of Christ which the
Lord Jesus Christ purchased with His blood (cf.
Acts 20:28, Lamsa)
Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which
the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of
Christ which he has purchased with his blood. (Acts 20:28, Lamsa)
Joining the Church of
Christ, therefore, is the good deed that needs to be done by man for
him to be saved. But, those who have joined His Church must remain
faithful to the commandments of God and endure to the end (Mt 24:13).
___________________
Note:
Verses in smaller font
were added for clarity. Emphasis ours.
Bible Study
Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free
to visit the
Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or
an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question
you have in mind.