Do Good Deeds Before Belief Earn Rewards?

Q: If I lived a good life and told others about God's goodness but only truly gave my life to Him on my deathbed, would I receive any reward or crown for my earlier actions?

A: It seems to me that they would not be rewarded, or there would be very little reward for what they did before they were a believer. This is because what they did before they were a believer wasn't really done unto the Lord; it was done for some other purpose. What counts, what matters, is what we do for God's honor and glory, in obedience to His leading.

If there is a way that someone who is not a believer can nevertheless do good works unto God's glory, then yes, it would count. However, it's hard for me to conceive of how that could happen. This is made clear in the judgment seat of Christ passage in 2 Corinthians 5, as well as in 2 Corinthians 3. It's not just the work that's done that matters; the motive with which it's done is also important.

When God judges our life and our service to Him, He doesn't judge only what we do, but also why we do it. It's better for a person to do something good, even if they do it for a bad motive, than to do something bad. But ultimately, God considers both the action and the intention behind it.