Bribing The Judge

Do you think it is wrong to bribe a judge? Yes, or no? Would it help if I told you that bribery is against the law? So, why do people still try to do it? Why do "Christians" still try to do it?

If you ask people if they think they are good enough to get into heaven, a great number of them will answer "yes." If you press them a bit they will site the good deeds they have done.

"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." - Isaiah 64:6

There is NOTHING we can do the EARN our way into heaven. PERIOD. Yet many religions have a works-based component to them. Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, even Catholicism. All these have things you must, or can, do to increase your chances of getting into heaven.

Christianity is different. The Apostle Paul says is best in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -  9not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

When Jesus died on the cross He said, "It is finished." (John 19:28). JESUS did the work, not us.

That said, we were created FOR good works. Our works determine our reward (Romans 2:6-11, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:12) but it does NOT get us into heaven!

"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books." - Revelation 20:12

Doing works, to earn our way into heaven, means that Jesus' work was somehow insufficient or not quite good enough. We would be trying to bribe the judge (God).

Robert E. Parsons, associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University recently answered the question, "What is the role of grace in LDS (Mormon) theology?" (Ensign, July 1989 p. 59-61). He asked, "Are we saved through Christ's grace by merely confessing him as our Savior? Or are we saved through his grace after doing all we can -- both in confessing his name and in keeping his commandments?" He then proceeds by answering his question. "Both reason and scripture loudly proclaim the latter...."

In other words Mormon salvations is by grace . . . AND works.

As always, my favorite example of grace is the thief on the cross next to Jesus. He did no good works at all, only bad. Yet, he repented and recognized Jesus as God. Do you remember what Jesus told him?

"Today you will be with me in paradise."

What Are Meritorious Works In Catholicism? - GotQuestions.org