Do All Good Deeds Count?

It isn't wrong to do good deeds for others. The problem lies, as with other actions, with the motives behind them.

The chief wrong motive is to butter God up. On the face of it, That's what the people mentioned in Matthew 7:21 (BBE) tried to do. Christ in that verse warns, "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will go into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the pleasure of my Father in heaven."

In parable form, Christ told about who really did the will of his father. It was those sheep'' who gave food, shelter, and medicine to his impoverished saints. As Matthew 25:40 (BBE) says, "And the King will make answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, Because you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"

But there will be many who thought they were heaven bound who will find themselves in hell. Instead of seeking the will of the Father, they sought to glorify themselves. Christ warned of such individuals in Luke 20:46 (BBE). "Keep away from the scribes, whose pleasure it is to go about in long robes, and to have words of respect said to them in the market-places, and to take the chief seats in the Synagogues and the first places at feasts;"

Earlier on, Jesus compared the covetousness of the Pharisees with leaven that infiltrates and puffs up. Luke 12:1 (BBE) records, "At that time, when thousands of the people had come together, in such numbers that they were crushing one another, he said first to his disciples, 'Have nothing to do with the leaven of the Pharisees, which is deceit.'"

Like many self-important religious people, the Pharisees made a show of their phoney piety. Mark 12:40 (BBE) is part of Christ's condemnation of those wicked types. "Who take away the property of widows, and before the eyes of men make long prayers; these will be judged more hardly."

We have people today who dress in robes and love being called father or minister. We also have people who brag about how they tithe and give. But like Christ warned in Matthew 6:1 (BBE), deeds aren't rewarded when they're done for show. "Take care not to do your good works before men, to be seen by them; or you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."

This will be part of my theme in my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? Far too many folks think their good deeds will get them into heaven.

On Thursday, I hope to publish about world religions which teach about good deeds.