Good works and rewards in Heaven

While Scripture indicates that we will receive rewards for our actions, it is crucial to understand that these rewards are not based on earning our place before God. Good works become meritorious because they are done by God's grace and because He freely promises to reward them. According to the Catholic understanding, good works, made possible by grace and the working of the Holy Spirit, contribute to growth in grace and deepening communion with Christ. The intention behind affirming the meritorious character of good works is to emphasize individual responsibility for actions, not to contest their nature as gifts or to deny that justification always remains an unmerited gift of grace.