“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
Bible Verses About Good Works Not Getting You To Heaven
Romans 3:20 – Good works cannot justify us before God.
“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” – Romans 3:20
Isaiah 64:6 – Our righteousness is insufficient without God.
“But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” – Isaiah 64:6
Ephesians 2:8-9 – Salvation is a gift from God.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
Galatians 2:16 – We are justified by faith, not the law.
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” – Galatians 2:16
Romans 4:5 – Faith counts as righteousness.
“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” – Romans 4:5
Luke 18:9-14 – The humble are justified, not the proud.
“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.'” – Luke 18:9-14
Philippians 3:8-9 – Righteousness through faith, not works.
“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.” – Philippians 3:8-9
2 Timothy 1:9 – God saved us according to His purpose.
“Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” – 2 Timothy 1:9
Titus 3:5 – Not by works of righteousness.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” – Titus 3:5
Matthew 7:21 – True followers obey God.
“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
Romans 11:6 – Grace and works cannot coexist.
“And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” – Romans 11:6
James 2:19 – Faith without works is dead.
“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” – James 2:19
Matthew 5:20 – Our righteousness must surpass the Pharisees.
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:20
1 John 1:8 – Acknowledging our sinfulness.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8
Romans 3:23 – Everyone has sinned.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23
Matthew 19:16-17 – No one is good but God alone.
“Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.'” – Matthew 19:16-17
John 3:16 – Belief in Christ yields eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16
1 Corinthians 3:13 – Our works will be tested.
“Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” – 1 Corinthians 3:13
Colossians 3:23-24 – Serve God wholeheartedly.
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” – Colossians 3:23-24
John 14:6 – Jesus is the way, truth, and life.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'” – John 14:6
Revelation 20:12 – Everyone will be judged according to their deeds.
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works.” – Revelation 20:12
Hebrews 9:27 – Each person will die once and face judgment.
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” – Hebrews 9:27
Matthew 25:31-46 – The final judgment.
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” – Matthew 25:31-46
Romans 8:1 – There is no condemnation for those in Christ.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” – Romans 8:1
2 Corinthians 5:10 – We must all appear before Christ’s judgment seat.
“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.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10
Romans 6:23 – The wages of sin is death.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23
James 2:24 – Justified by faith and works.
“You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” – James 2:24
1 Peter 1:17 – God judges according to our works.
“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.” – 1 Peter 1:17
Final Thoughts
In reflecting on these verses, it’s clear that good works alone cannot earn us a place in heaven. It’s not about what we do, but rather our faith in Jesus Christ that saves us. Our actions should stem from our relationship with God and not be seen as a way to gain favor with Him. This isn’t a license to avoid good deeds, but a reminder that true faith will naturally lead us to do good works out of love.
As believers, we should focus on living out our faith authentically, showing love to others. Understanding these truths helps us to share the Gospel effectively and encourages us to help others grow in their relationship with God. I urge you to explore more on this topic and others, like Bible verses about leading others to Christ or Bible verses about showing love through actions.
Learning together strengthens our faith and equips us to impact the world around us positively.