Everyone knows good deeds please God. However, if we ignore the good deed that God Himself has done for us, any good deed we do, however good, will be detestable to God. They may give us a sense of security and hope but it is all false and only leads to the destruction of the soul.

Cain and Abel were two brothers who lived on the face of the earth about 6000 years ago. Cain brought the best of his produce, the fruit of the soil to worship God. But Abel brought fat offerings from the firstborn of his flock of sheep. God accepted Abel's offering but did not respect Cain's. Though both brought their best and worshiped God in sincerity, God rejected one but accepted the other. Let us analyze why:

Cain and Abel were the first two sons of the first man and woman--Adam and Eve. When Adam and Eve sinned, they covered themselves with the leaves of a tree. But in God's sight, leaves were not good enough. He slaughtered an animal and covered their shame with its skin. This speaks of how we try to cover up our sin by doing some good deed here and there. But God says shedding of blood is necessary to forgive sins (Leviticus 17:11). Why? When they covered themselves with leaves, they did not feel sorry for their sin. But when God slaughtered an innocent animal that had a mouth to scream, to cover up their sin, they were filled with sorrow and regret. Only then did they realize the gravity of sin (law breaking), which is death.

Adam and Eve would have definitely told Cain and Abel why they were wearing animal's skin on their bodies.

God made this provision for man because He loved him and did not want him to die in His justice. Also because it DID result in sorrow and repentance (change of mind) in man. What is more, to bring about this sorrowfulness, God required that the man who is offering the sacrifice, lay his hand on the head of the innocent animal and then kill it, to indicate that it was his sins that cost the animal it's life (Leviticus 4:15,24,29,33).

Therefore we can see why Cain's offering was rejected, not only because it did not evoke any feelings of regret and guilt but more so because it was not the prescribed medicine for sin. You may be worshiping very sincerely but that may not be right (i.e. according to the truth). So Cain did not get cured--he did not admit he was a sinner. The fruit of the soil could have been offered to the Creator even being innocent of any sin. But Abel brought a sacrifice of atonement, the blood of which was shed in order to remit sin, thereby owning himself a sinner, averting God's wrath, and imploring his favor in a mediator.

From the beginning such substitutionary sacrifices were being offered and God was forgiving sinners. But as years went by, these sacrifices became common and lost their value. Even though people were offering thousands of bulls and goats they were not having a repentant heart, their consciences being seared as with a hot iron. People started to despise the altar of God. They did not realize that God did not desire the sacrifices of bulls and goats but desired a contrite heart and a broken spirit (Psalms 51:16,17). Then God put an end to these sacrifices. When the fullness of time came, God sent His own Son Yeshua in the form of sinless man to die for all of us, knowing that if a man who is like us were sacrificed, it would result in repentance. And to keep our memories fresh of the sacrifice, God engineered the Communion. The Communion is where we eat the pieces of the broken bread and drink wine on a regular basis, symbolizing the slaughter, eating and drinking of Christ's flesh and blood.

Therefore, the only good deed that God requires of us now is just believe in Yeshua (John 6:29)! He bore our sins and laid down His life for us. There is no greater love than that. Now all we have to do is believe that our penalty has been paid, and then we can have a brand new start with a new life. We will be born-again. Every other good deed done instead of believing in Jesus is a slap in the face of God, a rejection of God's provision--a rejection of God Himself! Jesus is the way the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6) because all have sinned. The way to heaven is through the virtue of humility! It takes humility to believe you have to do nothing but believe like a child in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ for you. Though God regards the virtue of goodness, He will not make a way where we boast about our own good deeds. The ticket to heaven is a free gift, which we have to receive in humility!

The moment we believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we will be born anew by the Spirit to live eternally. But we are on probation/trial here on earth, still living in this fleshly tent. As sons of God we should love Him by obeying Him, starting with Baptism, to enter and remain in the kingdom of heaven. Now Baptism is not one of those dead works as it gives the believer an opportunity to testify to the unbelievers. Yeshua said: "If you have done it unto the least of these brothers of Mine, you have done it unto Me." The room for goodness is therefore after humility. The greatest good being, sharing His love with others. He died for all. Tell others about it!

Whoever then calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). But how can you call unless you believe? Won't you do that one good deed of believing in Jesus, which opens wide the gates of heaven for you?