Faith Without Works is Dead
Works don't save you.
"Those who receive salvation become God’s children (John
1:12–13)
Salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life (John
3:1–16)
Belief and trust in Jesus Christ are the only way to be saved (John
14:6)
Salvation includes gaining a relationship with God (John
17:1–5)
Receiving salvation means we must turn from our sins (Acts
2:37–38)
Salvation cannot be earned; it is a gift of God (Romans
6:23)
Receiving salvation is simple and personal (Romans
10:8–10)
Salvation is by God’s grace alone (Ephesians
2:1–9)
Salvation rescues us from Satan’s dominion (Colossians
1:13–14)
Our salvation was obtained by Jesus’ blood (1
Peter 1:18–19)" Tyndale House
Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.). Carol
Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
Response to comment [from a Catholic]: [Works] "[I] do them because Jesus said to..."
All you can do
is believe.
Believe in the original language means "to be
convinced".
See:
Works vs. Faith
What to "Do"
A Scriptural Response to: Biblical Evidence or Catholics St. Joseph
Communication
Response to comment [from a Christian]: "Tell me how Joseph Smith died."
Of stupidity.
Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb...
See:
Mormonism
Response to comment [from a Catholic]: "[J]udged according to his deeds that sentence is found in the Bible a lot."
Your "good works"
will not stand.
For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in
his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad [2
Cor. 5:10].
"This is the judgment seat, literally, the bēma. There is still a bēma
in Corinth, and when we were there on tour, we took pictures of the
ruins of it. This was the place where the judges of the city would meet
the citizens and would judge them for certain things—there was no
question of life or death. At the judgment seat of Christ only believers
will appear. It is not a judgment of the believer’s sins, which Christ
fully atoned for on the cross. The judgment is to see whether you are
going to receive a reward or not.
When Paul says, “We must all appear,” remember that he is writing to
believers. All we believers will be judged, that we may receive the
things done in the body. We will be judged on the way we lived the
Christian life, how we have lived in these bodies down here. When we go
into His presence, we will be finished with these old bodies. The
question He will ask is how we used these bodies. How did we live down
here?
Paul faces this question when he writes to the Philippians. He says in
Philippians 1:21,
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Then he talks of his
desire to go to be with Christ but also of his desire to live longer so
that he can minister to the Philippians. He wants to stay so that he can
preach the gospel of Christ a little longer. I had the same reaction the
first time I had surgery for cancer and there was not too much hope for
me.
You see, I felt like the little boy years ago in my southland. The
preacher asked one night, “How many want to go to heaven?” Everybody put
up his hand except that one boy. The preacher looked down at him and
said, “Don’t you want to go to heaven?” The boy answered, “Sure, I want
to go to heaven, but I thought you was gettin’ up a load for tonight.”
Like that boy, I didn’t want to go right away when I had the cancer.
Paul didn’t want to go. He said he wanted to stay in his body and preach
a little longer. He wanted Christ to be magnified in his body that he
might be accepted of Him and that he might receive a reward.
This is the way I feel. I want to stay in this body and do as much for
the Lord as I possibly can. Here is the first motivation for believers:
We are all going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and we
will answer to the Lord for our lives. We are going to give a report to
Him. Let me make it very clear that this is not the Great White Throne
Judgment of
Revelation 20:11–15
where only the unsaved will stand. If you are a believer, your name is
written in the Book of Life, and you have eternal life. However, you
will stand before the bēma, the judgment seat of Christ, to be judged
for rewards. You and I will stand before Him. This should motivate us to
serve Him acceptably. Then when we come into His presence, He will be
able to say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
...The fear of the Lord urges us to persuade men." McGee, J. V. (1997).
Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed.) (2
Co 5:10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Response to comment [from a Christian]: "Who told you all you can do is believe? James says faith without action is dead..."
After you believe (Acts
2:21,
Mark 1:15,
John 3:14–18,
John 3:3–8,
2 Tim. 3:15), you
can do a good work (Jn
15:4,5).
Salvation is not by works (Rom
11:6 ,
Eph 2:9,
2 Tim 1:9,
Titus 3:5). It is
of grace (Eph
2:5,
Eph 2:8,
2 Tim 1:9,
Titus 2:11).
"Paul
spoke about the root of faith (Eph
2:8). James spoke about the fruit of
faith (Jm
2:17-18)." ~ Adrian Rogers
See:
Works vs. Faith
What to "Do"
A Scriptural Response to: Biblical Evidence or Catholics St. Joseph
Communication
"We still have to obey Jesus!"
That's correct. We are free to obey (Ex
24:7,
Ac 6:7,
Ro 6:17,
2 Co 2:9).
"We still have to do that which we are commanded to do."
That's correct (Rom. 3:27).
"Where do you get that we do nothing?"
Where do you
get that I get that we are to do nothing?
Mk 16:15
Works do not save (Rom
11:6 ,
Eph 2:9,
2 Tim 1:9,
Titus 3:5).
Faith
Without Works is Dead