Must I continue in doing good to receive eternal life?

“God, who will render to each one according to his deeds:’ eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality.” Romans 2:5b-7

A casual reading of these verses has led some to include that one must continue in doing good in order to receive eternal life. But how does one harmonize such an interpretation with the many verses that clearly teach that eternal life (salvation) is a free gift which one receives by believing in Jesus alone (John 3:15-16, 36; 4:10-14; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26; 20:31; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 16:31; Romans 3:22-26; 6:23; Ephes. 2:8-9; I Timothy 1:16; I John 5:13; Rev. 22:17)?

A more consistent way to understand these verses is to realize that Paul is speaking to the self-righteous moralist who thinks he is good enough to enter heaven on the basis of his own morality (Rom. 2:1-4). Paul warns the self-righteous person that he is as guilty as the person whom he condemns because the longer he persists in his self-righteousness, the more guilt God will add to his record until the day His wrath is poured out on the unbeliever (Rom. 2:5; cf. Rev. 20:11-15). On that day God’s judgment of the unbeliever will be perceived as “righteous” because He will “render to each one according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:6). 

Those who patiently continue doing good would receive eternal life (Rom. 2:7). It must be noted, however, that Paul later shows that no human being on earth will do that (Rom. 3:10-12, 23), and therefore, would need to be justified by God through faith alone in Christ alone (Rom. 3:22-5:9a). Why? Because Jesus Christ is the only Doer of the Law (Matt. 5:17, 48; Rom. 8:3-4). Jesus never broke the law and He never will. So guess what happens when you put your faith in Christ who kept all of the Law?  You are made “perfect forever” through His sufficient sacrifice on the Cross (Heb. 10:10, 14). There will be no charges or condemnation against the Christian to determine his or her destiny in eternity (John 5:24; Rom. 8:31-34) because God has already declared him righteous (Rom. 3:22-4:5). 

So in that context of Romans 2:5-11, the meaning of verse 7 is that “if he continues in doing good, and no one does, he would receive eternal life.” On the other hand, “those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:8-11). The emphasis of this paragraph (Rom. 2:5-11) is stated at the beginning and the end, namely, that God will judge everyone equally and without partiality. 

If anyone continues to seek good (and no one does – Rom. 3:10-12), he will receive eternal life. If anyone continues in disobedience (and all will – Rom. 3:23), he will fall under God’s wrath. So each one will receive what he deserves. Hence, the self-righteous moralist must repent or change his mind and understand that God will judge him or her righteously according to what they have truly done or not done. Not what they hoped or intended to do. But according to what they actually did or did not do. Therefore, the self-righteous moralist is just as deserving of condemnation as the worst sinner because he or she falls short of the glory of God. The solution to this problem is to trust in Jesus Christ Who alone was a Doer of the Law and could pay the full penalty for our sin (John 19:30; Rom. 4:5; 5:8; I Cor. 15:3-6). 

Failure to understand these verses in their rightful context leads to misinterpretation such as all true believers will persevere in good works. Or those who profess faith in Christ but fail to persevere in good works were never genuinely saved. That is not what the text says in this context.