Why is being a good person not enough to get you into heaven?

But further, as we learn from Christ what are the elements of heaven, by the very same application of Him, one may know why and how it is that the simplest soul who receives the gospel will be in the nearest circle round the Son of God in the heavens. And another thing is discovered which otherwise might perplex some — how it is that the amiable, the moral, the benevolent, might nevertheless be lost, instead of going to heaven. How many do not understand this!*

The idea of satisfying God by so-called "good works" and in virtue of them being entitled to a place in heaven, not only characterized a long period of church history but is still to be found in our day. So it should be stated right at the beginning of this article that good works will never bring us to God or secure our place in heaven. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:23-24); "For by grace are ye saved through faith... Not of works." (Eph. 2:8-9).

The only standard by which men are to be measured is "the glory of God"; and inasmuch as all have come short of that — the best as well as the worst of men — there is no difference. Were it merely a question of conscience, or of human righteousness, there might be some difference. Were the standard of measurement merely human, then indeed some shades of distinction might easily be established. But it is not so. All must be ruled by the glory of God; and, thus ruled, all are alike deficient. "There is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

Why does the apostle say, "come short of the glory of God?" The reason is this. Man has lost the earth irretrievably; it is now for him a question of heaven or hell. But who is able to meet the requirements of God's glory, so as to be free and at home there? In Isaiah 6 we have a man terror-stricken because for one moment he found himself in the presence of the glory of God. There has been but one man in this world whom the glory could acknowledge as worthy of it. To Him there came a voice from the excellent glory: "this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (2 Peter 1:17). In Him then we see what the glory of God requires in a man. Do we correspond to Him? Here alone is the true standard whereby we may measure ourselves aright. Suppose a young man sought entrance amongst his Majesty's guards, it would be vain for him to plead that he is the tallest person in the town if he falls below the fixed standard. In like manner it is useless to compare ourselves with other sinners. The Pharisee of Luke 18 committed this folly, and in consequence went home unblessed. Sin is a great leveller. God has said it, and from His sentence there is no appeal: "There is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." The religious man and the atheist; the High Conservative and the Socialist; the moral man and the adulterer stand upon one common platform of guilt before God.

Certainly, there is not a soul who does not need forgiveness, though we do at times fall in with some of the ninety-and-nine just persons who judge that they have no need of repentance. But they are deceiving themselves. The wise man's words are all too true: "There is not a just man upon earth that does good and sins not" (Eccles. 7:20). The summing up of the Apostle is even more conclusive: "There is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). Such comprehensive language leaves no door of escape for any; the whole human family is brought thereby under the judgement of God. Moreover, from such a condition none can extricate themselves; no amount of human effort, as amendment of life, almsgiving, etc., can possibly purge away a single sin.

It does not, I think, mean here that there is no difference in degrees of wickedness, or that God makes no distinction between men; for we read in Rev. 20 12, "The dead were judged … according to their works," and in Luke 12:47-48 we have the same thing; but that there is no difference in the sight of God between the Jew and the Gentile for the simple reason that "all have sinned," and "all" do "come short of the glory of God." See how this sentence cuts at the root of all human pride and self-righteousness. First of all God says "all have sinned." How easily, and with what indifference, do people use the language of Scripture! How common to hear people say, "Yes, of course we are all sinners," as if it was a matter of course, and it did not make much difference whether we were or not. But have you ever thought, dear reader, what God says is the consequence of being a sinner? He says, in Rom. 6:23, "The wages of sin is death." And what then? "After this the judgment." (Heb. 9:27.) And after the judgment? "The lake of fire." (Rev. 20:15.) And then? Eternity. But not only have all sinned but notice the expression, "all do come short of the glory of God;" not "have come short," but "do come short," is the correct way of reading it. What a standard God gives! God does not say, "You have come short of what you ought to be." Most would own that; but He says, "You have come short of my glory."

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” It is hard to knock the idea out of people’s heads that good works can save the soul—people will cling to this mistaken thought. The turning over of new leaves, the saying of prayers, the doing of penance and good works, their churches and their chapels; they think these will save their precious souls. They cannot. Why, one of the Old Testament prophets knew better than that, and said, “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Suppose you were to clothe yourself with filthy rags, and visit a dear friend of yours, wouldn’t he think you were insulting him? Of course he would. Yet that is just what you are doing when you are bringing your good works to God. There are people going about to establish their own righteousness. Going about! How busy they are with so-called good works! Our verse says, they “have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” They have not bowed to Christ. What is the righteousness of God?

Good works have invariably been held in high esteem amongst men, but it has sometimes happened that they have been accorded a false place in the mind. Some, for example, have judged them to be the sole procuring cause of salvation; others; not caring to go so far, have considered that they at least help forward the matter, even if something divine is required in addition. Both opinions are at fault, if Scripture is to be believed. If it is indeed true that the fleshly mind is enmity against God, filled with rebellion against His law, and incapable of being brought into subjection thereto, then it follows that "they that are in the flesh (i.e. the unregenerate) cannot please God" (Rom. 8:7; 8). This entirely disposes of the notion that human works of any kind can contribute in the smallest degree to the salvation of the soul. God's titles for the varied products of our fallen nature are "dead works" and "wicked works."

Salvation is the fruit of a totally different principle. "By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). He who knows the plague of his own heart will be grateful for such a statement as this. Such a principle as grace gives hope for the most unworthy; indeed it opens the door for us all. But grace must have a foundation of righteousness on which to work; else the grace of God would be mere trifling with sins which is impossible. The majesty of the divine throne must be upheld at whatever cost; the holiness of the divine nature must be met in all its claims and dues. Here the cross of Christ comes in, which is at once the full answer to all the divine requirements and the very expression of all the grace of the heart of God towards erring man.

True, social laws distinguish carefully and well between the drunkard and the sober man, nor is morality, in every way, to be but commended and esteemed; but the balances of divine equity are far more delicately adjusted than human scales, so that what may pass before the dull eye of man may be faulty in that of God. Now God’s standard is that by which each action is to he measured; and learn, O reader, that if “all unrighteousness be sin,” so too “thy righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Such is the decision pronounced by the word of God—such is the result of God’s measurement. And surely this is exceedingly solemn! Bad as open sin may be, the good works themselves, of an unconverted man, are unclean in His sight. Have you bethought yourself of this? Perhaps, like him of whom you have been reading, you have been building on a blameless life, an amiable disposition, a charitable heart, or a religious character, without recollecting that in thought, word, and deed, you have sinned daily, until you have run up another such accumulation of crimes. We read that David, the “man after God’s own heart,” wrote of himself that innumerable evils had compassed him about, and that his iniquities were more than the hairs of his head. Innumerable evils! an amount that could not be numbered; beyond calculation. And yet each was known to God; placed “in the light of his countenance;” “naked and opened before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

Then, again, if one were justified by law, his righteousness would be of a human order. Our righteousness must be either man’s or God’s. There must not be any mixture about it. It must be either human or Divine. It must be altogether that which I have done, or altogether that which God has done, supposing that He intervenes in grace. I must be accepted in my own best, or it must be God’s best that covers me. But if I fulfil my obligations, so that I cannot justly be numbered with transgressors, I am immune from death; I am entitled to live upon earth, but have no title to heaven.