Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
The practice of penance stems from a concept which teaches its subscribers that God's favor can be won through a series of good works, long prayers, pilgrimages, or self abnegation. This practice had become rampant during the dark ages, during which both saints and sinners sought in vain to appease a god of their own devising, for according to the passage above, The God of heaven has required no such works as a means of finding favor with Him. Our favor with God rests squarely upon what Jesus Christ has done in our behalf, and therefore, no amount of good works or lengthy prayers will ever recommend us to Him.
But over the centuries the practice of penance has undergone a sort of metamorphosis, in which good works are being substituted for obedience to the plain requirements of God. The practice in our day received a boost recently by the world's most prominent religious leader, after it was stated that, if those who lead alternative lifestyles love The Lord, and do good "Who am I to judge". After this statement was made, the issue of marriage between same genders grew exponentially, and confirmations and decisions to alter God's sacred institution spread like wildfire across both spectrums of the political and religious realms respectively. So what is now taking place is that a whole lot of "Good works" are being performed in order to try to strike a balance between iniquity and charity.
When ever we assay to please God, it must be on His own terms, and not on ours, because disobedience and rebellion to His sacred institutions can never be cancelled by any amount of charitable deeds or repetitious prayers. God especially warns us not to tamper or trifle with His laws, and then come before Him with a veneer of righteousness, for this constitutes the worst kind of hypocrisy, and should be avoided like the plague, by anyone seeking to find favor with God. This caution is written with such clarity that no sincere person need be misled by the various sophistries which are now being touted by those in high and low places. Let's read:
Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men"..... "and many other such like things ye do.
If we indeed desire to please God, He has laid out in clear language what needs to be done, for the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives is first and paramount, which will then lead us to honor Him by keeping all of His commandments. Any religious practice that falls short of the above scriptural specifications, amounts to a form of modern penance, and is scheduled to meet with signal disappointment when Christ returns to claim His own. Let us then never try to find favor with God by performing good works, whilst deliberately trampling on His requirements, for the scripture teaches us of the sacred laws of cause and effect, by which God is not mocked, for He almost always allows our actions and decisions to run their natural course.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this sacred truth, and it is the will of God that our service and praise come from hearts that have been touched by His grace. Let's read:
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
May god add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!