The problem with our religious good works is that we are attempting to “serve God” or “do good things” without being in a right relationship with God and without understanding how He wants to be served. Our good works are pure presumption and cannot be the means by which we are reconciled to God. 

It’s hard for the unconverted heart to receive the truth that we are, apart from Christ, in a state of perpetual rebellion against God (Rom. 8:7). Such a notion grates against our reason, our own self-assessment, and our experience. “Surely God doesn’t despise the good things I do,” we conclude. Such an aversion to the truth of our depravity came to light in a recent gospel conversation I had with a young man.

This man had been recently attending a local church, but he had yet to hear the gospel. I was grieved to hear that he had no acquaintance with the good news because he was presently attending an evangelical church. Nevertheless, I took a few minutes to explain to him the basic truths of the gospel—the reality of God’s holiness (Isa. 6:1-3), the nature of our sin (Rom. 3:10-18), the condition of the unredeemed heart (Jer. 17:9; Eph. 2:1-3), God’s solution in Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom. 3:21-26), and the appropriate response to these truths: repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:17; Rom. 4:5; 2 Cor. 7:10-11).

“I have a problem with that.”

As is often the case in these gospel conversations, this young man was troubled by hearing that nothing he did apart from Christ could please God. He couldn’t countenance the idea that all the noble things he had accomplished in serving others and in being a good friend were not pleasing to God. “I have a problem with that,” he said. Indeed.

In truth, we all have a problem with such devastating news until God graciously opens our hearts to believe that, “There is none righteous, no not one….There is no one who does good, not even one” (Rom. 3:10, 12), and helps us to see Jesus as our all-sufficient Savior.

When sharing the gospel, it’s important to remember that humans are naturally religious and designed by God for worship (Rom. 1:18-25). Ever since the fall, we’ve been on an intentional trajectory away from the one true God, but worship we must, so we invent all kinds of religions and labor to soothe our consciences with self-made rituals and good works.

But when people find it difficult to grasp why God doesn’t accept their good deeds, I like to offer a few illustrations to help them better understand their standing with God and the nature of the good works. One illustration I like to use involves an estranged neighbor and my front lawn.

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