EXODUS [N. 9979]

9979. The Lord alone possesses merit original: "meritum"; the theological idea that an action deserves a spiritual reward or standing before God., because He alone, by His own power, conquered and mastered the hells In this context, "hells" refers to the collective spiritual forces of evil and selfishness that influence humanity.. Consequently, the Lord alone is the source of all merit and righteousness original: "iustitia"; refers to the divine order and the restoration of balance between good and evil..

9980. Furthermore, left to himself, a human being is nothing but evil; therefore, to do good from one's own self is actually to do it from a source of evil.

9981. The Lord Himself teaches in the Gospel of Luke that good must not be done for the sake of a reward:

If you love those who love you, what thanks do you have? If you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you have? For even sinners do the same. Rather, love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; then your reward shall be great, and you shall be sons of the Most High (Luke 6:32–35).

The Lord also teaches in the Gospel of John that a person cannot do anything truly good from themselves, but only from the Lord:

A man can receive nothing unless it is given to him from heaven (John 3:27).
Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

9982. Believing that they will be rewarded if they do what is good is not harmful to those in a state of innocence A state of spiritual openness and trust, typically associated with children or those who are simple-hearted in their faith., such as little children or the simple-minded. However, it becomes harmful if a person continues to hold this belief firmly as they grow up and mature. A person is initially drawn toward what is good by looking for a reward, and is held back from evil by the fear of punishment. But as someone grows into the genuine good of love and faith, they stop focusing on the "merit" or personal credit of the good deeds they perform.

9983. To do good that is truly good, one must act from a love of what is good—acting for the sake of the good itself. Those who live in this love find the idea of "merit" or self-credit repulsive, for they simply love the act of doing good and find satisfaction in it. Conversely, they feel saddened if others believe they are acting out of self-interest. This is very similar to how people act in the world: those who do favors for friends out of true friendship, for a brother out of brotherhood, for a spouse and children for their own sake, or for their country out of patriotism. Those who think rightly will insist that they are not acting for their own benefit, but for the benefit of those they love.