HOW MANY GOOD DEEDS ARE ENOUGH?

"Why Good Works Are Not Enough – and Why That’s Actually Good News"

When I recently listened to Donald Trump speak about the assassination attempt on his life, he mentioned that God had spoken to him and spared him so that he could bring peace to the world. From this, he concluded that he now needed to perform good deeds in order to spend eternity in God’s presence—a presence he currently feels very far away from. His words struck me in two ways: they impressed me, and they unsettled me.

I was impressed because he clearly experienced a divine encounter as something very real. But I was unsettled because he drew the conclusion that he now had to earn eternal life with “good deeds.”

The crucial question would be: how many good deeds are enough? Ten? A hundred? A thousand?

The Bible is clear on this:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23, NIV)

Our standard simply doesn’t measure up, because God’s standard is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Even our very best falls short of his holiness.

That’s why good works are not a ticket into God’s presence. They are instead the fruit of faith—the visible outcome of a living relationship with Jesus (James 2:17). They do not prove our worthiness; they show that God’s grace has become active in our lives.

And that is exactly the good news! The door into God’s presence is not opened by our performance, but by faith in Jesus Christ. On the cross, he already paid the price for our guilt (1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21). If we were still trying to earn salvation on our own, his suffering and death would have been completely in vain (Galatians 2:21).

Whenever I think about this, I’m reminded of the scene at the cross. Next to Jesus hangs a criminal—at the very end of his life, with no chance for restitution. At first he mocks Jesus, but then he suddenly realizes who it is that suffers beside him. In his final moments, he begins to believe. And Jesus gives him the promise: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

No time for good deeds. No possibility for making things right. Only trust.

Nothing illustrates more clearly that God is not after our performance, but our heart—and that he freely gives eternal fellowship with himself, even beyond death.

Of course, this doesn’t mean: “Just believe—and then live however you want.” A real encounter with Jesus always changes a person (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christians remain imperfect and still struggle with weaknesses (Philippians 3:12), but they no longer delight in sin. Step by step, faith transforms life—not out of pressure, but out of love for God (John 14:23).

We are both: declared righteous through Christ (Romans 5:1), and learners still on the journey, making mistakes but moving toward God’s perfection (Hebrews 10:14).

Hearing Trump’s words reminded me again how widespread the belief is that one can secure eternity with God by piling up good works.

My hope is that many will honestly ask themselves this question: What am I really relying on—my own performance, or on the One who, by his sacrifice, opened the way to God once and for all? Because true hope and eternal life are not found in our “good deeds,” but in Jesus Christ alone (John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8–9).

WHY THE OLD TESTAMENT MATTERS TO ME

When I first came to faith, I was excited about the New Testament and its good news. But the Old Testament felt far away—often hard to understand and a little overwhelming. But as I’ve grown in my journey, I realized just how important the Old Testament really is. Without it, I don’t think I could fully understand or even believe in the New Testament.

The Old Testament makes up most of the Bible, and skipping it means missing the heart of who God is and how our story with Him unfolds. It’s also the Scripture Jesus read and quoted. When Jesus talked about the Scriptures, He was referring to the Old Testament, saying they “bear witness about me” (John 5:39). To really understand Jesus—who He is and why He came—we need to spend time with these ancient writings.

Both the Old and New Testaments show us the same God—one who is just, loving, merciful, and holy. The Old Testament helps explain big ideas like sin, promises God made (called covenants), and sacrifices. It also shows just how much humanity needs rescue, setting the stage for Jesus’ mission.

The New Testament often points back to the Old, showing how Jesus fulfills the hopes and prophecies from long ago. When I see those connections, the story of Jesus gets so much richer and more powerful for me.

The Old Testament’s stories, poems, and wisdom still speak to the struggles and hopes we face today. Reading both parts of the Bible together has helped me see God’s love and redemption as one beautiful, unified story. That’s why the Old Testament matters to me.

A DROP ON A HOT STONE ?

How God Uses Our Lives

We often think that the impact our lives have on others hardly matters — that it’s nothing more than a drop on a hot stone. “What difference can I really make?”

But if you stop and ask what actually happens to a drop on a hot stone, you notice something surprising: The drop doesn’t simply disappear. It begins to evaporate, rises upward, cools in the heights, joins with other drops, and eventually returns as rain or snow.

That’s exactly how it is with the influence our lives have on the people around us. Even if we can’t see it, God sets something in motion that may only bear fruit much later. Our words, our attitude, our lived-out faith are not wasted — they become part of something much bigger.

We don’t know when or how God will bring these seeds to life. That’s why we shouldn’t get discouraged if we don’t see immediate changes in others. Jesus Himself encouraged us to move on when someone wasn’t open to His message. Faith can’t be forced — but it can be lived: genuinely, honestly, and in love.

Our task is not to count souls or measure results. Our task is to remain faithful: to bear witness to the truth of Jesus and to live out His love — right where we are. The rest is in God’s hands.

FAITH AND FEAR CANNOT COEXIST

It’s fascinating how our fears and faith interact, often in a delicate and challenging balance. We believe every word Jesus says and cling to every promise He makes, yet more often than not, we allow fear to creep in and grow within us. The irony is that Jesus patiently waits for us—waiting for us to hand over that fear to Him right away, to exchange our worries for His peace.

A few years ago, while watching a TV show, I heard a testimony from one of the most unlikely people to speak God’s truth—the rapper 50 Cent. Despite leading a challenging and tumultuous life, he shared how his Christian mother taught him a crucial lesson: fear and faith cannot coexist. We always have to choose one or the other. This insight struck me deeply and has stayed with me ever since.

Fear and faith cannot coexist because they are fundamentally at odds. Faith is trust—trust in Jesus’ goodness, His promises, and His power to work all things for our good (Romans 8:28). Fear, on the other hand, is doubt disguised as worry, anxiety about what might happen, and a focus on uncertainty instead of on Jesus’ assurance. Jesus calls us to choose faith, to reject fear, and to live in the confidence that God is always with us (Isaiah 41:10).

I must admit, I struggle with this choice constantly. The tension between my human frailties and my born-again spirit often leads me down the path of fear more times than I’d like. But recognizing this struggle is part of the journey. It reminds me that faith is not a one-time decision but a daily commitment, a conscious choice to trust Jesus even when circumstances tempt me to fear (2 Timothy 1:7).

Writing in my journal has been a vital part of this journey. Looking back through its pages, I see countless moments where I faced fears that seemed like towering mountains, yet Jesus’ grace transformed those mountains into molehills. His blessings and peace replaced my anxiety time and again (Philippians 4:6-7). That’s what God does for His children—He turns our fears into testimonies of His faithfulness.

So today, I encourage you and myself to make that choice anew—to let go of fear and embrace faith. The road may be difficult, but Jesus walks it with us, ready to carry our burdens if we but ask (Matthew 11:28-30). With Him by our side, we can face tomorrow with courage and peace.

THE LIGHT OF JESUS REMAINS

When life hits us blow after blow – yet the light of Jesus remains

Life can sometimes feel overwhelmingly hard, as if difficulties and setbacks keep coming one after another. In those moments, it’s easy to lose hope, believing that any joy we find will soon be taken away again.

It can be like being trapped in a trench—unable to lift our head above the edge because we know countless snipers have their sights set on us. And so, we find ourselves living on the dark side of this world—always tense, always on high alert.

But is that really where we, as followers of Christ, are meant to live?

Jesus calls Himself the Light of the world, and He invites us to embrace a light that no darkness can overcome. Though life does not become pain-free or easy, His light offers us hope, peace, and His constant presence—even in the darkest valleys.

For believers, life on the “dark side of the world” is not the end but a crossroads. We must choose: will we remain in fear, or will we cling to the light Jesus gives—a living power that transforms how we see ourselves, our struggles, and our future?

Even when life hits hard, the light of Jesus calls us to look beyond our troubles. It encourages us to believe that joy can bloom again, that the forces threatening us are powerless before His love, and that a brighter path lies ahead.

Yes, we can walk through darkness as followers of Christ—but we never walk alone. And we never walk without a light to guide us safely forward.

“I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

LOSING YOUR SALVATION

Unfortunately, there is quite some division among believers on the subject of whether one can lose their salvation. However, the overwhelming weight of biblical evidence affirms that once a person is truly born again, their salvation is eternally secure.

I firmly believe that a person cannot lose their salvation once they have been genuinely regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Those who later abandon their faith were never truly born again or saved in the first place. As the Apostle John explains:

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us." (1 John 2:19)

This shows that falling away is evidence that one was never truly part of the redeemed.

Being saved means your old self has been crucified with Christ, and you now live controlled by the Spirit of God (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20). This new life in Christ is not temporary or dependent on human effort; it is a sovereign work of God. The Holy Spirit indwells and seals every true believer, guaranteeing their salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14). His presence marks the believer as God’s own, making it impossible for God to lose what He has given.

On the other hand, many associate with “Christianity” as a religion or tradition without having experienced regeneration through the Holy Spirit. They may attend church, quote Scripture, and appear devoted, but their hearts are untouched by God’s transforming power. Such individuals are described as “antichrists” (1 John 2:18) and are likely to abandon their faith because they were never truly saved.

John MacArthur offers a simple yet profound insight:

"If I could lose my salvation, I would, because I don't have the power to hold it."

This underscores the biblical truth that salvation is God’s work, not ours, and that it is God who keeps us secure until the end (John 10:28-29).

The Bible assures us that nothing—including death, life, angels, or any created thing—can separate the believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). Furthermore, the act of justification by faith guarantees glorification (Romans 8:30), meaning our eternal destiny is as certain as God’s promise.

It’s important to clarify that eternal security is not a license to sin. True salvation results in a transformed life that bears fruit (Matthew 7:16; Romans 7:4). Those persisting in unrepentant sin reveal they never possessed genuine faith (1 John 3:6). Saving faith perseveres as evidence of a real relationship with Christ.

Even as saved believers, sealed by the Holy Spirit, we will still struggle with sin. This is part of living in a fallen world and carrying our human nature (Romans 7:15-25). But for the true believer, sin is no longer our master (Romans 6:14), nor can we embrace or excuse it. When we do fall, sin grieves us because it feels like betraying the One who gave Himself for us. True Christians cannot sin with lasting joy—because the Spirit convicts and calls us back to repentance. And even in our failures, God’s Word reassures us:

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2)

The biblical doctrine of eternal security offers immense comfort. Once saved, always saved is not wishful thinking—it is God’s promise. Our salvation is not lost by human weakness but kept secure by God’s unchanging grace and the indwelling Holy Spirit.