The dreaded "works" doctrine.

[complete]

Greetings,

may i add a little?

regarding faith and obedience,


here i see "faith without works is dead" but i do also wish to question that 'ultimatum'.

Remember Jonah? From what i remember, he was OK with the LORD being the LORD and he (Jonah) believed or 'faithed' that the LORD wanted him (Jonah) to go to Nineveh and tell them the message of repentance (?) BUT, he (Jonah) didn't, In other words, he disobeyed or was disobedient.
Was the LORD happy about that? Was there a consequence for Jonah?
What we do see however, is the faithfulness of the LORD. Simply because Jonah was going the opposite direction, did not sway the LORD.

A couple of little bites to consider.


Bless you ....><>

Hello @Br. Bear,

I am going to a funeral today at 2.0, and one of the readings is from Psalm 121, written by King Hezekiah, the son of Ahab. God had healed him and granted him 15 more years of life, and he in gratitude promised to write these songs (Isaiah 38:20), called 'songs of degrees; because God signalled the fact that He would do this for Hezekiah, by causing the shadow of the sun on Ahab's sundial to go backwards by 10 degrees (Isaiah 38:8). Hezekiah wrote 10 psalms, David 4 and Solomon 1, covered by this title, all marking the promise and fulfillment of God's word to Hezekiah.

God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and swift to bless (Psalm 145:8). He loves us with an everlasting love, and with loving kindness has He drawn us to Him. He requires simply that we believe Him, and trust Him to fulfill His promises to us in Christ Jesus. That is the obedience He requires of us, isn't it? The fruit of that faith obedience is manifested in our lives by the operation of the Spirit of God. It is all His work. Praise His Holy Name!

Psa 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills. From whence cometh my help?
Psa 121:2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Psa 121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Psa 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Psa 121:5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
Psa 121:6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
Psa 121:7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
Psa 121:8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

There should be a question mark after the word, 'help'? For this was spoken in response to the claim by the Syrian enemies of Israel, that the God of Israel was a God of the hills and not of the valleys, Hezekiah knew assuredly where his help came from, and that it was His God who made not only the hills, but the heaven and the earth of which they formed a mere part. Praise God! Oh, that we knew the greatness of the power of God that He has to us-ward who believe: then all our questioning would recede and we would patiently wait for His perfect will to be fully done in us, and through us, to the praise of the glory of His grace: and all our 'threads' would be filled with praise and thanksgiving.

Thank you, Br. Bear,
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Br. Bear]

Give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His merciful lovingkindness endures forever!
found in quite a few verses in the Scripture

Greetings Chris,

out of interest [with a wee bit of encouragement thrown in] have you ever looked at the word חֶסֶד hesed also written chesed ?
a fairly detailed study can be found here:

Lovingkindness-Definition of Hesed | Precept Austin

www.preceptaustin.org

and if you are interested, i can point you to some short videos of Michael Card talking to a few 'student' about it, which is quite enlightening.

it's a covenant thing
Let us praise the LORD


Bless you ....><>

 

[Downunder]

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
30 because we are members of his body.
31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Here are commandments to us to love and to be faithful - for marriage is a mutual obligation contract between two partners.
And adultery (other gods, unfaithfulness, covetousness) is grounds for divorce.

 

[complete]

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
30 because we are members of his body.
31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Here are commandments to us to love and to be faithful - for marriage is a mutual obligation contract between two partners.
And adultery (other gods, unfaithfulness, covetousness) is grounds for divorce.

Hello @Downunder,

Yes, with every doctrine there is an accompanying practice. Like two feet walking, doctrine and practice must be in operation together otherwise we will not be able to stand upright, or walk in a straight line.

Praise God!

In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[complete]

Give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His merciful lovingkindness endures forever!
found in quite a few verses in the Scripture

Greetings Chris,

out of interest [with a wee bit of encouragement thrown in] have you ever looked at the word חֶסֶד hesed also written chesed ?
a fairly detailed study can be found here:

Lovingkindness-Definition of Hesed | Precept Austin

www.preceptaustin.org

and if you are interested, i can point you to some short videos of Michael Card talking to a few 'student' about it, which is quite enlightening.

it's a covenant thing
Let us praise the LORD


Bless you ....><>

Hello Br. Bear,

Thank you, Yes, please point me to those short videos. I will also, God willing, make a study of the word you suggest, and look at the link you have provided.

Within the love of Christ our Saviour,
Our risen and glorified
Saviour, Lord and Head.
Chris

 

[Brightfame52]

Eph 2:8; For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Eph 2:9; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Eph 2:10; For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

This is the core verse of Calvinism. It's not a bad verse. I actually agree 100% with what is said here. But even so, it is one of the most misunderstood and even misquoted verses in the Bible.
It's a shame that a core doctrine is built on a single verse.

I agree we can't do enough good works to get saved. There is nothing I can do to pay for my sins except to die. The wages of sin is death. I sinned so I have to die.
But Jesus took our place. He died for us. He paid the price for our sins. This is the core of the gospel.
If it wasn't for Jesus, all the good works in the world wouldn't help me.

But there is a slight transition in this passage. I don't get saved by works, but yet after I'm saved, we were created "for good works" which God prepared for us to do.
Well many churches believe good works is wrong. Some believe it to the point so far that if I do any good thing, I'm going to hell. (Talk about getting your doctrine twisted up)

Most people quote this verse with the word "alone" in it. I have 18 Bible and none of them have the word "alone" in them in this verse.
But you often hear we are saved by "grace alone" or by "faith alone". This verse doesn't say alone anywhere. It says not by works.
There are many other things involved in the Christian walk that aren't works. Obedience to God/Jesus/the commandments isn't a good work. But it's still one of the other things that's required.
So even if I never did a good work, it wouldn't be "faith alone".

James seems to oppose this. But is this really the case? Let us take a look.

Jas 2:14; What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
Jas 2:20; But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James says works are required. But Paul says we aren't saved by works... so now what? Lets put them both in the same room and let them fight it out and see who wins.
But maybe this isn't the case. If I was going to add the word "alone" to Ephesians 2:9; as many people do. I would add it in a different spot.

Eph 2:9 not as a result of works alone, so that no one may boast.

I deliberately misquoted this verse to prove a point. First that adding a word changes everything, but second works aren't required to initially get saved. But they are required after you are saved.
How can I say that? So many churches teach just the opposite. Yes, I know what some churches teach. But what does the Bible teach?

Hebrews 11 is called the "faith" chapter of the Bible. 1Corinthians 13 is called the "love" chapter of the Bible. Matthew 25 should be called the "works" chapter.

Matt 25:31; "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
Matt 25:32; "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
Matt 25:33; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
Matt 25:34; "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Matt 25:35; 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
Matt 25:36; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'
Matt 25:37; "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
Matt 25:38; 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
Matt 25:39; 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
Matt 25:40; "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'
Matt 25:41; "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
Matt 25:42; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
Matt 25:43; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'
Matt 25:44; "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'
Matt 25:45; "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
Matt 25:46; "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Two groups of people. One group did no good works, the other group did. Which group is righteous, and which group goes away to eternal punishment?

Matt 25:14; "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.
Matt 25:15; "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.
Matt 25:16; "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.
Matt 25:17; "In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.
Matt 25:18; "But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
Matt 25:19; "Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them.
Matt 25:20; "The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.'
Matt 25:21; "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
Matt 25:22; "Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.'
Matt 25:23; "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
Matt 25:24; "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.
Matt 25:25; 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'
Matt 25:26; "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.
Matt 25:27; 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
Matt 25:28; 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'
Matt 25:29; "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
Matt 25:30; "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Three servants in the Master's house here. Two of them did things with with what the Master (Jesus) gave to them. They invested what He gave them, increased it,
and He says well done... good and faithful.
The third one, he didn't do anything with what Jesus gave him. He buried it in the ground. He didn't work to increase it in anyway.
Jesus calls Him "wicked and lazy". Jesus says throw him out.

So what is the difference between a good and faithful servant, and a wicked and lazy servant?

... to be continued ...

So you believe even though one doesnt do works to get saved, they do good works to stay saved ? Is that what you are saying ?

 

[Dave M]

works are proof that you are saved IMO

 

[Br. Bear]

works are proof that you are saved IMO

Yes, because, if you were like me, you never did them before Jesus was declared Lord of your life.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

all praise honour and glory be unto Him

Have i ever messed up? YES
Has the Lord ever failed me? NO
Do i deserve His love? NO


But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:24

Hallelujah and amen


Bless you Dave ....><>

 

[B-A-C]

works are proof that you are saved IMO

The problem with this, is that many unsaved people/non-believers do good works. Does that mean they are saved?
Athiests, Muslims, and Hindu's do good works. Are they saved? Is this "proof" they are saved?

Some "Christians" never do any good works, are they saved?

Mat 25:30; "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mat 25:46; "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Luke 13:9; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

 

[B-A-C]

It's important to note how the Bible says we will be judged.

Rev 20:12; And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
Rev 20:13; And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.

Rev 2:22; 'Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.

John 5:28; "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
John 5:29; and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

2Cor 5:10; For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

If you keep doing evil deeds (practicing sin) it won't matter if you believe in Jesus or not.

Matt 7:21; "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Matt 7:22; "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Matt 7:23; "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Why did He tell them to depart? They were practicing lawlessness (sin). Yet they believed in Jesus.

I have yet to find a verse that says we will be judged by what we believe. However even more verses than these say we will be judged by what we do.

Jas 1:22; But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

The word "delusion" comes from the word "delude". There is a great delusion on many "Christians" who are merely hearers and not doers.

 

[complete]

The problem with this, is that many unsaved people/non-believers do good works. Does that mean they are saved?
Athiests, Muslims, and Hindu's do good works. Are they saved? Is this "proof" they are saved?

Some "Christians" never do any good works, are they saved?

Mat 25:30; "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mat 25:46; "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Luke 13:9; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Hello @B-A-C.

No, Good works in themselves are not proof of salvation, I agree, yet, with respect, B-A-C, please look at the verses you have chosen as proof texts: for do you believe that they adequately portray the standing which the believer has before God, in Christ? For from that position, which is one of 'sonship', for example; he would never be called 'a worthless slave', or suffer 'eternal punishment', or be said to be, 'cut down' like a tree. Also the verse from James needs to be viewed within it's context for it to be fully understood, doesn't it? For it does not have reference to good works as such, but the works which emanate from faith.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris[/QUOTE]

 

[B-A-C]

No, Good works in themselves are not proof of salvation, I agree, yet, with respect, B-A-C, please look at the verses you have chosen as proof texts: for do you believe that they adequately portray the standing which the believer has before God, in Christ? For from that position, which is one of 'sonship', for example; he would never be called 'a worthless slave', or suffer 'eternal punishment', or be said to be, 'cut down' like a tree. Also the verse from James needs to be viewed within it's context for it to be fully understood, doesn't it? For it does not have reference to good works as such, but the works which emanate from faith.

However would a tree being watered and fertilized in "the master's garden" not be under the care of the groundskeeper?
Why would He come "expecting to find fruit" (for 3 years) if He knew if was incapable of bearing fruit?
This isn't a wild tree out in the forest, this is a tree in a vineyard. It belongs to someone, it is cared for by someone.

Would a servant be in charge of the master possessions and given a talent just like the other two "good and faithful" servants?
The ONLY difference between this servant and the other two, was what they did with their talents. They were all in the masters household (employment).

The passages make it clear they are talking about "slaves/servants" of Jesus. Not unbelievers.

 

[B-A-C]

Matt 24:48; ''But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'
Matt 24:49; and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;
Matt 24:50; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,
Matt 24:51; and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matt 13:41; "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,
Matt 13:42; and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Rom 11:19; You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
Rom 11:20; Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
Rom 11:21; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

 

[Downunder]

Good works are not only soup kitchens and lending to your neighbour but also spiritual > the love of God > thankfulness and faithfulness > a desire to honour the Lord and the Gospel > understanding the plight and bondage of worldly people > dealing with such in a spirit of gentleness and offering an answer to our hope > offering to pray for needs > sharing a testimony or two > living in peace with others > keeping our joy in the Lord > witnessing to people.
BUT
the love of God, faithfulness and thankfulness can and do dissipate, fade away, dim ... saints can and do become unfruitful ... Spirit-filled Christians fall away and go into churches that do not have the Holy Spirit and do not have signs and miracles in the lives of their believers.
A disciple only has to be 1 or 2 degrees off the perpendicular but over time the distance between true north and where they are at becomes a significant distance off course.
God is faithful and desires none to perish, but humans on the other hand can lose their way and certainly as warned can depart from the faith.
I have known Spirit-filled Christians who have quenched the Spirit and ceased praying. They have trashed their testimonies and are unfruitful for any good spiritual works or for serving the gospel.

 

[Downunder]

Matthew 22:9 Go therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast.
22:10 And those bondmen went out into the highways, and gathered all that they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was filled with guests.
22:11 But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding-garment:
22:12 and saith to him, Friend, how camest thou in hither having no wedding-garment? And HE was speechless.
22:13 Then the king said to the ministers, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.
22:14 For many are called, but few chosen.

 

[Dave M]

The problem with this, is that many unsaved people/non-believers do good works. Does that mean they are saved?
Athiests, Muslims, and Hindu's do good works. Are they saved? Is this "proof" they are saved?

Some "Christians" never do any good works, are they saved?

Mat 25:30; "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mat 25:46; "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Luke 13:9; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

I get what your saying and agree,,, yet it is still proof, maybe a better way to say it is evidence in a much larger picture, lots of evidence add up to more proof. A changed heart is proof, a new spirit is proof, a new life style is proof, producing fruit in our life is proof. It seems a man is not justified by faith or works alone but when they are united.

so when a Athiests, Muslims, and Hindu's do good works we both know they dont have any faith, so no there is no proof.

So I guess the bottom line is proof usually requires more then one peace of evidence

 

[B-A-C]

do you believe that they adequately portray the standing which the believer has before God, in Christ? For from that position, which is one of 'sonship', for example; he would never be called 'a worthless slave', or suffer 'eternal punishment', or be said to be, 'cut down' like a tree.

I believe that is their actions (deeds) that determine whether they remain a son or not. It is up to the tree whether it bears fruit or not.

Also the verse from James needs to be viewed within it's context for it to be fully understood, doesn't it? For it does not have reference to good works as such, but the works which emanate from faith.

Jas 2:21; Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Jas 2:25; Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

If Abraham would not have taken Isaac to be sacrificed, would he still be in God's good standing?
If Rahab would not have hid the spies, would she still be in God's good standing?

We can take this further and look at Hebrews 11 (the faith chapter)

Here are a few examples..

Heb 11:7; By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Heb 11:17; By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:24; By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:29; By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
Heb 11:31; By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Faith itself is a work, that requires us to do something. Even Jesus called faith a work.

John 6:29; Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."

but the works which emanate from faith.

Exactly, but this still requires you to do something.

 

[B-A-C]

Jas 1:2; Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
Jas 1:3; knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Heb 11:17; By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

1Pet 1:6; In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
1Pet 1:7; so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

The proof is in the pudding as they say. It's fine to say you believe in Jesus... but that alone doesn't save you.

Jas 2:19; You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
Jas 2:20; But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Now of course there are poor people who can't give. There are crippled people who can't help other people. There are sick people, etc... everyone can't do everything for everyone.
But for those of us who can....

Mat 25:44; "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'
Mat 25:45; "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
Mat 25:46; "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

It doesn't matter if they say they believe in Jesus or not... the proof is in the pudding.
These people also call Jesus "Lord" in verse 44.

 

[Downunder]

That is the problem with Christianity - you cannot just say that you love people and God.
One is actually expected to demonstrate this by good works - both spiritual and natural.
An elderly lady who could not reach the top shelf in a local supermarket was helped by a sister in our church. When she heard that this lady had fallen and broken her hip at the time she offered to pray over her
there and then in the supermarket for the Lord to bless her. Yes and she did pray laying hands on her.

 

[Hekuran]

In almost every case, when the New Testament speaks of 'works' negatively, it has in mind either circumcision or Jewish food laws. Bearing this in mind can help you avoid getting in a mess about works/grace.