Question #4: Are we judged based on our good deeds or our faith in Christ?

We are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. But we are saved to do good works. (Ephesians 2:8-10) So when you read passages of scripture, like Matthew 16:27, which seem to indicate that we're judged based on what we do, you have to remember a few points. 

First of all, it is our good deeds or works that give evidence to the authenticity of our faith. (James 2:14-26) Author Anthony Hoekema puts it this way, "The reason why the Bible teaches that the final judgment will be according to works, even though salvation comes through faith in Christ and is never earned by works, is the intimate connection between faith and works. Faith must reveal itself in works, and works, in turn, are the evidence of true faith. As John Calvin once put it, 'It is...faith alone which justifies, and yet the faith which justifies is not alone.'" 

Second of all, the Bible is clear that based on what we have done in this life the believer will experience different levels of rewards in heaven. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 talks about this. Some people will be saved but they will have very little to show for the time they spent here on earth. Their experience of heaven will be different from someone who has given their life in service to Christ. Think of it like this.

I spent the majority of my childhood playing baseball. I ate, drank, slept and breathed it. I gave time and effort to practicing and playing my favorite sport. Once when I was in college, my school played a game in a minor league park in Savannah which is home to one of the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league teams. I was playing shortstop that day. As I'm warming up, my coach walks over and says, "You know who once played on that very spot where you're standing? Ozzie Smith." I almost passed out. I was taking ground balls where one of the greatest players of all time had done the exact same thing. That day the whole experience changed for me. I'll never forget it. Years later, I told my wife that story. You know what it meant to her? Absolutely nothing. Put her in the same situation and it becomes a completely different experience. Not because she's a bad person. But she doesn't love baseball like I do. She doesn't care who Ozzie Smith is. It's just not the same.

In a sense, that's what heaven will be like for some people. Their hard work and devotion in this life will greatly enhance their experience in eternity. Their diligence in this life will translate into greater responsibility in the next (Luke 19:11-27). God's judgment will include not just whether or not we believe in Jesus but what that faith caused us to do and become.