I am in total agreement with you. With our salvation through Christ we should be driven to do good works. But keep in mind that to God our good works are as filthy rags. He sees into our hearts controlled by our evil nature and knows why we do these "good works". It isn't a pure heart. Be that as it may we should strive to do good.
I thank God for Christ's dying for us. His resurrection proves who He was and that His sacrifice was not in vein. An old preacher friend told me he always preached Jesus risen and that led to his sacrifice but if he preached Jesus crucified he might not get to the resurrection and its meaning.
Yes works are like filthy rags. Yes we seek to be like Jesus.
Praise him.
He does see our hearts and our works.
Works will be tested and some will not be filthy rags and some will but we will be saved on account of Jesus.
One thing I would encourage us to remember is that not all works are filthy rags.
In fact to me (open to discussion here)
He is in fact pleased with us.
He said of Jesus "This is my son with whom I am well pleased"
We are his children with whom he is well pleased with.
From my experience when I done what is right he says to me "Well done now let's keep walking together"
When I have done wrong and fess up he is also pleased.
Cause he can work in us.
We need to remember he loves us as much as he loves Jesus.
Jesus said it himself.
So what I'm trying to say here is that it's not wrong to come before God and thank him that today we walked like he had asked us to, whatever ever it may be.
When we thank him then he says "You are my child with we whom I am well pleased"
Hope I make sure sense