one [ make that millions upon millions] could read what you have written and quite honestly [as much as a lost soul can muster] decide that, based on what Waggles wrote on TalkJesus, it's OK, it's actually perfectly acceptable for me to continue with the religious faith I am presently a disciple of because, as long as I have a good heart, I'll be 'saved'.
He does cross a line there. There seems to be 3 thoughts in Christianity. No good deeds at all required, faith only. Some good deeds required along with your faith. Nothing but good deeds, even if you have no faith.
Only one of these is true.
People will be judged by their works not by their religion.
A half truth. People will be judged by their works, true.
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.
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.
Both.. good AND bad.
Matt 16:27;
"For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.
Rom 2:5; But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are
storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
Rom 2:6; who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS 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.
Admittedly none of these verses say anything about your faith. However, there are other verses that do.
Jas 2:19; You believe that God is one. You do well;
the demons also believe, and shudder.
John 14:6; Jesus *said to him,
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Jesus is the way. The ONLY way. There is no other way at all. If I give you directions to my house, or if you look it up on Google maps, there is a "way" to get to my house.
Now, I suppose you could say "I don't want to go that way, I want to go my own way". .. and you can do that, but good luck getting to my house.
Acts 4:12; "And
there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
I can do good works all day long, but without Jesus it means nothing. But no one is sinless without Jesus.
Rom 3:23; for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
John 8:24; "
Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
John 10:9;
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Some people take verse like this...
Rom 3:20; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
.. and they take it to mean, "don't do any good deeds". But that's not what it's saying. It's saying good works alone won't justify you "in His sight".
Rom 3:27; Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
.. faith is required! Works alone don't save you.
Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and
not by faith alone.
