as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks God.
All have turned aside; together they have
become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
(Romans 3:10-12 ESV)
Do you know any individuals who trust in their good deeds to get into Heaven? If so, you might want to ask them, “By what standard will God judge you?”
The truth is that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God’s standard is perfection, and as humans, we are incapable of being perfect. Nevertheless, by our faith and being justified by God’s grace as a gift, we gain entry into Heaven through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).
According to C.S. Lewis, man's greatest sin is pride. Often pride occurs without our even recognizing it. And the pride in one’s accomplishments, even when serving God, is still pride and is sinful. So, if you know someone who thinks their good deeds will gain them entry into Heaven, urge them to repent of their pride and trust Jesus alone for their salvation.
We can’t make it into Heaven on our own.
“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity