Please let me explain a little about the spiritual reasons as to why works will never count towards salvation unto eternal life… here it goes.

People of the world who do not know Jesus (or about anything of His kingdom) yet believe that they will inherit heaven when they die, because they see themselves as ‘good people’ who have maybe ‘made a few mistakes’ but are generally loving, kind and generous to those around them; they believe these good works merit them as worthy to eternally be in the presence of the good Lord in heaven, reaping their rewards for a life well lived in spite of their flaws. They may have even given millions to charity during their lives, and done many wonderful works that people who are onlooking admiringly can only hope to imitate. Or maybe they feel they are average, but have done just enough because they have heard that God (if He exists) is so very merciful, and they think they are really quite lovable. Many, many people think like this.

Then, there are believers in Christ who also think along these lines, but it’s in a religious way. They feel like rarely missing a Sunday morning service, taking communion, helping at the local homeless shelter and helping disadvantaged people (for example) qualifies them to eternally be in the presence of God forever. And these ARE good works, right? How can God NOT reward their faithful servitude for being so good? These people generally think they are worthy of great honour for their services, and that God owes them one.

But let me reveal to you soberly right now, that these kinds of people have received all the reward they will ever get for those works, during this life, and may only have damnation to come rather than the awards they are expecting.

Sounds harsh? Well, let me explain that the biblical reason for saying this is that it’s clear that no amount of works (other than the works of Jesus) can ever save ANYone. It sounds unfair to many, and people even despise this truth… yet, Truth it remains.

Let me explain that truly good works are inspired by God’s Spirit, and therefore only Christ can take credit for ANY of them. They are all HIS works, not ours, even the works in unbelievers. Those who are of the flesh cannot understand this, because they do not know Him and cannot recognise Him working in their lives. Yes, God works in the lives of those who might even blaspheme Him all day, yet who are charitable to other human beings! His Spirit IS the love within any being who is inspired to any charitable works, and therefore as He is the One who inspired it, He gets any credit due for it. It goes so deep! Deeper than most are willing to concede.

So, what does save us then? Anyone who got born again knows only too well that trusting alone on the finished works of Christ, instigated at the cross and resolved at the resurrection, is the only hope any sinner will ever have to receiving eternal life. Yet, this produces works of eternal merit in us as a result of that realisation.
The flesh, which is always hostile to God, wants to take credit for the actions of the body, because it is always proud and arrogant, even when it is disguised within what the rest of the world sees as overtly good works. But the Lord knows the motives of the heart, and even if the motives appear good to human beings, without the recognition that they are really CHRIST’S works within us, the soul will remain completely lost and bound for destruction.

I have heard some believers say that all works are like filthy rags before God (the Greek says ‘menstrual rags’ indicating the difference between the corrupted blood of a sinner compared to the pure blood of the sacrificed Lamb), because of the scripture in Isaiah 64:6. 
Well, this is true if we are applying the works to our OWN righteousness, but if we acknowledge that the righteous works are really from God, and that He takes all the credit for them for the entirety of each of our lives, then those works are eternally beautiful. Those works will stand on judgement day as some kind of ‘reward credit’ to the being who is trusting alone in the blood of Jesus to save their wretched souls, for their obedience to His Spirit has glorified the Lord and He promises to repay such faith (Proverbs 19:17).

I’ve spoken in the past about how obedience adds to salvation, and this is the way. When we gladly do the Lord’s works as He directs us to do them (and they are usually the opposite of what our flesh wants to do, which makes it kinda hard and requires discipline), He rewards our faith. Without the knowledge of salvation and His Spirit living in us, we would never even know how to do any truly good works, and that is why our obedience adds to the whole thing… He is a GOOD Father who loves to give good gifts to His children; what made us His children was the blood unto salvation, but rewards come to those who listen and obey and acquiesce that He alone deserves any credit for any works we ever do.

Without the knowledge of salvation and His Spirit living in us, we would never even know how to do any truly good works, and that is why our obedience adds to the whole thing… He is a GOOD Father who loves to give good gifts to His children; what made us His children was the blood unto salvation, but rewards come to those who listen and obey and acquiesce that He alone deserves any credit for any works we ever do.