Why are good deeds not enough? (Heidelberg 24)

Having heard that we are made right with God through faith alone, in this session we think about two questions people often ask: why can we not please God through good works? And if our good works don’t earn anything – doesn’t that mean we can just do what we like?

This is such an important issue to be thinking about. If good works don’t earn anything with God, does that just mean we can act however we like? It’s a good question, and it’s one which a lot of people ask.

The Heidelberg breaks it down into three questions:

  • Q62 “Why can our good works not be our righteousness before God, or at least a part of it?”
  • Q63 “But do our good works earn nothing, even though God promises to reward them in this life and the next?”
  • Q64 “Does this teaching not make people careless and wicked?”

I think that final question is the one which people ask – if our good works don’t earn anything, why not just do whatever you like? Why not just live any way you choose? What does the Bible have to say to that question…

Want more?

If you enjoy this, you can do the whole series right here on the website, or on the app (see links on the right hand side of the page). Alternatively, I am uploading them regularly to YouTube and Facebook. All sessions on YouTube are available on this playlist.

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