It’s all or nothing

I have what I believe is a knock-down refutation of any doctrine of salvation by works. I call it the “All or Nothing” argument. See what you think.

If our salvation were based on our works, on how we obeyed or failed to obey God’s commands to love him and our neighbors, then it’s a merit-based system. A merit-based system necessarily uses a standard which one must meet to receive what one is trying to merit. Fall short of that standard, even by a tiny bit, and the desired prize is denied you.

For instance, to make the varsity track team one must run a mile in or under a set time. Come in a second over and you’re disqualified. Or a prestigious university requires a minimum SAT score. Come in a point under and you would not even be considered. Both have a line, a level, a point that must be met or crossed or you’re out.

One quickly recognizes that there will be people who will come oh so close to that point but fail to meet it. So that the difference between one person gaining the prize and another not is a mere second or one wrong answer.

This may be acceptable for temporal situations where one has other options for success and happiness. But when it comes to the difference between an eternity in heaven or in hell, it would be grossly unjust. I composed a little scenario a few years ago about how this would play out. You can read it here.

If God awards an eternity of blissful coexistence with him in heaven based on how good we are, there must be a standard of goodness we are required to reach. We might be pretty good but if we fail to meet the standard we’re not good enough. 

But what if we just miss it? What if just one more donation to charity or one less lie means the difference between eternal bliss and eternal torment? A just God would surely not create a system whereby two people with virtually identical goodness records end up in different places.

So he must require perfection. Even one sin must disqualify us, because what of the person who only sins twice? Or three times? Wherever God would draw the line he would unjustly condemn the ones who just miss it.

So he sovereignly, justly, and mercifully decreed the “All or Nothing” salvation plan. Our works save us if we do all and only right things and never sin, OR nothing we do or don’t do saves us except only our faith in Jesus Christ. And you can read about that here.

Make sense? Let me know if you think not.