Taste and See By John Piper

How can Eternal Life Be A Free Gift and Yet "According to Works"?
meditation on Romans 2:6-8
God will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in
well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are factious and so not obey truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.

One of the questions raised about death is whether Christians face a divine judgment and, if so, why and what kind. It is a good question because, on the one hand, we believe that our acceptance with God is based on free grace purchased by the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ and that this acceptance is attained through faith and not through meritorious works. But, on the other hand, the New Testament frequently teaches that believers will be judged by God along with all men and that both our eternal life and our varied rewards will be "according to works."
For example, Romans 2:6-8 says,"God will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immorality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury." (RSV)
This passage teaches that eternal life will be "according to works." To those who seek glory by patience in well-doing, God will render eternal life. The same thing is taught clearly to believers in Galatians 6:8-9, "The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap [eternal life] if we do not grow weary."
So in both Romans 2 and Galatians 6, eternal life is rendered in accord with patience in well- doing.
But this does not mean that it will be earned by works instead of obtained by faith. In Romans 6:23 Paul says, "The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Eternal life is not earned. It is free. "By grace you were saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the free gift of God, not of works lest any many should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9. Faith receives eternal life freely as a gift. There is no way it can be earned as a wage through works.
But eternal life is rendered according to our works. This is made plain not only in Romans 2:6-8 and Gal. 6:8-9, but also in Cor. 6:9-11; Gal 5:6, 21; Eph 5:5; James 2:14-26; Hebrews 12:14; Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 10:25-28; and many other places that teach the necessity of obedience (which is the fruit of faith) in the inheritance of eternal life.
So we must learn to make the biblical distinction between earning eternal life on the basis of works (which the Bible does not teach!) and receiving eternal life according to works (which the Bible does teach!) Believers in Christ will stand before the judgment seat of God and will be accepted into eternal life on the basis of the shed blood of Jesus covering our sin (Eph 1:7) and the righteousness of God reckoned to our account through faith (Romans 3:2;4:5, Philippians 3:9). But our free acceptance by grace through faith will be according to works.
"According to works" means that God will take the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and the "good deeds" by which the light of our faith shines (Matthew 5:16) , and he will accept them as corroborating evidence of our faith.
He sentence of acquittal will not be because we are not guilty. It will be because Christ bore our gilt. The place of our works at the judgment is to serve as corroborating public evidence that we did indeed put our trust in Christ. "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren." (1John 3:14), "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments" (1 John 2:3). Therefore when we are acquitted and welcomed into the kingdom, it will not be earned by works but it will be according to works. There will be
an "accord" or an agreement between our salvation and our works. (See A Godward Life, Book One, reading #90.)
If these things are so, two practical effects emerge. One is a sense of peace with God that Christ has died for us and lives again to intercede for us with an all-sufficient sacrifice and a perfect obedience. "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). This is precious beyond words in the times of assailing doubt. The other effect is a sense of urgency and seriousness about the demand that we be real and not phony in our faith. If a changed life of love (the sum of good works) is the evidence of our faith, then oh, how vigilant and earnest and passionate we should be about the things of God and the fight of faith. Lord, let us deed 1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called."