This is the way things are:

Romans 2:6-7: “God will render to everyone according to their deeds. To those who, by patiently continuing to do good seek for glory, honor, and immortality, he will repay eternal life.”

This is the problem with the reality of Romans 2:6-7:

Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Romans 7:18: “For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, no good thing dwells, for to desire is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.”

This is the solution God came up with:

Romans 8:3-4: “For what the Law could not do because it was weak through the flesh, God did. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in those of us who do not walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Titus 2:11-14: “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purchase for himself his own special people, zealous for good works.”

Folks, the solution was not to change the judgment, but to change us into those who could pursue glory, honor, and immortality by patiently continuing to do good. The reward for doing so is eternal life. Galatians 6:7-9 states that clearly. By sowing to the Spirit rather than sowing to the flesh, and not growing weary in doing so, we will reap eternal life. This is God’s solution, to deliver us from sin, not merely to overlook our sin. Only those who practice righteousness will experience the righteousness of Christ (1 Jn. 3:7). Both Galatians 6:7-9 and 1 John 3:7 warn us not to be deceived about what they say.

This is God’s plan of salvation. It is to make righteous people out of people who were formerly sinners. Do not receive the grace of God in vain. The grace of God is supposed to re-create you to do good works (Eph. 2:8-10). Yes, you can, and must, receive that grace by faith apart from works, but once you receive it, you must not receive it in vain (2 Cor. 6:1).