How do we really balance out the Scriptures that say God's gifts of love, forgiveness, salvation and redemption are undeserved, unmerited and free, with those that emphasize the importance of what we do? How do I process that God loves me completely, fully, purely, and perfectly and nothing I do or say can change that?
It is true that we can please God by what we do and say - how we live - the true motives of our hearts. But does that affect our eligibility for Heaven? If God's gift alone is what gets us to Heaven then, no!
What about the parable of the sheep and the goats? In the end they were separated because of what they did and did not do. But they didn't EARN their entrance (or denial) by what they did... rather what they did was the evidence of what was in their hearts.
What we do doesn't earn or win us anything but what we do, whether good or bad, is the reflection, the evidence, the proof of what's inside - of whether or not we belong to Jesus - of whether or not we are in relationship with Him. If He is INSIDE... He will be evident on the OUTSIDE.
Yes, if He is IN me, He will ooze out and be evident on the outside. If He is IN me and I am listening and obeying and being transformed by His Word and His Spirit, then how I act and respond to the world around me...the things I do - my attitudes, my words, my sensitivity to the needs of others, how I extend grace and forgiveness, my willingness to sacrifice of myself - my time - my resources; it will all come out and be evident on the outside.
Just like if I am not in true relationship with Him and I am not listening or obeying and I am not being transformed by His Word nor His Spirit, then it will also show on the outside. My selfishness, my pride, my fight to defend myself, my impatience, my insensitivity to other's plights in life, my unwillingness to sacrifice, my search for my own comforts and well-being above all else, demanding my own rights...it will all come out and be evident on the outside.
And like the sheep and the goats, we are often oblivious asking, "When, Lord? When did I do (or neglect to do) all these things?"
Because though we strive to be good or do right or act right, we can't really keep up a farce for very long. Eventually the truth, the reality that is inside of us oozes out and is evident on the outside and we usually don't even realize it's happening.
So, no, we don't EARN our salvation or WIN God's love, but what is true on the inside will be true on the outside. This can give God joy and pleasure or it can give him sadness and displeasure.
His love is a given. He loves us just because He does. Because He created us with love and desire for relationship - nothing can change that!
But how we live our lives and the choices we make bring consequences and if those are good then it pleases Him because He loves us, He wants the best for us and He wants to be in relationship with us. But, if they are bad, then obviously this will be a source of sadness and pain for Him as He watches us live with the consequences of our choices and as He suffers the pain of separation from us.
Because of His Great Love, He feels Great Joy... and Great Pain.
