Good Works lead to Deception...

My parents were not perfect , no one is . We are all sinners in need of God's grace to come to Christ and receive redemption. But one thing they showed me was a giving,sharing and forgiving example and they were not Christians . Granted I think looking back now that the Judeo-Christian influence held sway but that would be the extent. We always had wonderful Christmas's and Mom made it clear it was about Jesus . Even Easter the resurrection would be mentioned. But I could not say I was raised by Christian parents.
However the example of the level of giving ,caring ,forgiving and sharing has impacted me . They opened the home to all, I remember a numerous times when we had people stay for attended periods of time. No one was made to feel unwelcome and the level of giving and sharing was always a way of life.

My mom died a believer thankfully . Trusting in Christ and not her "good works" to justify her . But it took cancer and her imminent death to shake her form the reality she was a "good" person before a holy God. In the worlds eyes , yes she was good but before God she was a sinner .

That is the thing that we need to convey clearly . Good works are great but they will not save you from the wrath of God. They are deceptive because people in general think they are good. But we are not . We are closer to Hitler than we are to God . We are sinful to the core and even all of those good things done were tainted with sin as Luther pointed out. The only one who has ever fulfilled the law perfectly is Christ. It is His righteousness we need , because our own righteousness is as filthy rags.