Heidelberg Catechism Week 24

62. Q. Why can't the good we do make us right with God, or at least help make us right with Him? A. Because the righteousness which can pass God's scrutiny must be entirely perfect and must in every way measure up to the divine law. Even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with sin.

63. Q. How can you say that the good we do doesn't earn anything when God promises to reward it in this life and the next? A. This reward is not earned; it is a gift of grace.

64. Q. But doesn't this teaching make people indifferent and wicked? A. No. It is impossible for those grafted into Christ by true faith not to produce fruits of gratitude.

My reflections on the reading from the book...

DeYoung: 

The gospel won't be good news if we haven't heard any of the true, bad news... You and I are worse than we think and we can do less to please God than we ever feared on our most dismal day.

It all starts with meditating on the holiness and excellence of God, by which we get a truer picture of our sinful ingratitude, rebellious lawbreaking, selfish priorities, and natural enmity towards God - and thus realize our need to be made right with God!

DeYoung: 

We do nothing to undo our bad doings because we have nothing to contribute but more sin (Isa. 64:6). The reward of eternal life is not a wage we earn but a gift we receive. Undeserved mercy is the good news and scandal of Christianity.

What good news! But then some may ask, "Why do good deeds and deny yourself if sch works can do nothing to merit divine favor anyway?" Gratitude! The structure of the whole Heidelberg Catechism points in this direction, as it is often summed up in three words - "guilt, grace, gratitude."