While the word "Hate" is strong, I find that the liberalization of Churches and of the interpretation of the Bible is killing Christianity, thus I am not fond of it. I love people, all people. I want them to come to Christ and if they are in Christ I do not want them to be lead astray.
The video below is form an excerpt of a sermon by - Pastor Mark Driscoll of the Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. I can't even begin to say how much I agree with this video. If only those who were damaged by Religiosity could have found a Church that teaches Jesus, who talk about Jesus and follow the Bible and not their made up version of what they want people to follow.
It is about Jesus and what HE did on the cross. Just like in the past when the Church kept the Bible from the common person, didn't want them reading it, so they could control the masses, today the truth is still being covered up. The Bible is there for us all to read, for us all to absorb, learn and meditate in. I ask you all to search, I mean seriously seek Gods word, pray and let that Truth poor over you and follow the narrow path it leads you on. The Bible will never steer you wrong, but be aware of those with something to lose, for they WILL steer you wrong.
Showing posts with label Theology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theology. Show all posts
Monday, January 17, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
What I have learned from listeners...
What I have learned from some of my listeners of my Podcast who write in with questions is that they do believe in God, they believe Jesus is our Lord and Savior but when it comes to believing completely in the Bible, it then gets blurry. The secular movement to discredit the Bible as some old book with some good ideas but mostly outdated archaic gibberish has taken a foothold in many Christians.
Hollywood and the secular movement have really taken an aggressive stance and have attacked the intellect of the Christian. The Atheistic views of people like Bill Maher, Penn Jillette and others have a very large stage and they like to paint Christians as much less intelligent for believing what we do. They chose parts of the Bible and attempt to ridicule them out of context to make Christians look foolish or hateful. To the unknowing or immature Christian this can be devastating to their faith.
Secular Humanist or Atheist easily break apart a Christian who believes but has no idea why. They chip away at the Christian who does not know the facts of our faith and the evidence there is supporting what we believe. Many Christians just do not know about the very large amount of data there is supporting the inerrancy of the bible. The sad part is most of the information they get about the Bible (from a Historical standpoint) is from the History channel or from others attacking the Bible.
There is a very large void in Biblical knowledge in America, but even having knowledge of the stories of the Bible and not believing they are real is just not enough and it misses the point. This is where learning about not only the stories and lessons in the Bible but how those stories and lessons came to be. This, I think falls mostly on the Church, but ultimately it is our individual responsibility as Christians to study and seek knowledge of our faith daily.
This is where I truly believe the issue is, not knowing enough to overcome the mental block and ignorance of the Bible. Yes, it is true information and facts can only take us so far in faith, because you ultimately DO have to have faith. I think for some faith is only taking them so far because they are scared to ask the questions they need answered because that might make them a bad Christian. This is where my journey started. Questions…
I have been a Christian as long as I can remember, but I never really grew in my faith until I researched, studied and found the answers to the questions that are the concrete foundation of our Christian faith and the facts to back it up, we need to grow and defend our faith that is under attack right now in America. Let there be no mistake, Christianity and Christian values are very much under attack not only in America, but all around the world. Arm yourself with faith, love, knowledge and most of all Jesus.
Thanks for checking in >>John
Hollywood and the secular movement have really taken an aggressive stance and have attacked the intellect of the Christian. The Atheistic views of people like Bill Maher, Penn Jillette and others have a very large stage and they like to paint Christians as much less intelligent for believing what we do. They chose parts of the Bible and attempt to ridicule them out of context to make Christians look foolish or hateful. To the unknowing or immature Christian this can be devastating to their faith.
Secular Humanist or Atheist easily break apart a Christian who believes but has no idea why. They chip away at the Christian who does not know the facts of our faith and the evidence there is supporting what we believe. Many Christians just do not know about the very large amount of data there is supporting the inerrancy of the bible. The sad part is most of the information they get about the Bible (from a Historical standpoint) is from the History channel or from others attacking the Bible.
There is a very large void in Biblical knowledge in America, but even having knowledge of the stories of the Bible and not believing they are real is just not enough and it misses the point. This is where learning about not only the stories and lessons in the Bible but how those stories and lessons came to be. This, I think falls mostly on the Church, but ultimately it is our individual responsibility as Christians to study and seek knowledge of our faith daily.
This is where I truly believe the issue is, not knowing enough to overcome the mental block and ignorance of the Bible. Yes, it is true information and facts can only take us so far in faith, because you ultimately DO have to have faith. I think for some faith is only taking them so far because they are scared to ask the questions they need answered because that might make them a bad Christian. This is where my journey started. Questions…
I have been a Christian as long as I can remember, but I never really grew in my faith until I researched, studied and found the answers to the questions that are the concrete foundation of our Christian faith and the facts to back it up, we need to grow and defend our faith that is under attack right now in America. Let there be no mistake, Christianity and Christian values are very much under attack not only in America, but all around the world. Arm yourself with faith, love, knowledge and most of all Jesus.
Thanks for checking in >>John
Monday, December 20, 2010
Quick facts about the Bible Part 1
I hear from many non believers that the Bible is just a guide. That is has been re-written many times and changed so much that it does not resemble the original text. Due to this misinformation they don't place much importance in the Bible. This way of thinking could not be more incorrect and it actually makes me very sad that something so important was not given just the basic research you would do buying a car or cell phone.
Now I’m not going to go into great detail here, but I want to list some basic facts about the Bible. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but just a small amount of information for you to digest. In the future I will post more on this topic; it is just too large to take on in one post. Feel free to chime in comments area.
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work," (2 Tim. 3:16)
The Bible consists of 66 books: 39 in the OT and 27 in the NT. The Bible took about 1600 years to write. It was written in 3 languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, & Greek) by about 40 authors and is internally consistent throughout.
There are presently 5,686 Greek manuscripts in existence today for the New Testament. If we were to compare the number of New Testament manuscripts to other ancient writings, we find that the New Testament manuscripts far outweigh the others in quantity.
Statistically, the New Testament is almost 100 percent textually pure, meaning what it says is consistent to the original manuscripts. Most of the variations in the almost 6000 Greek manuscripts are spelling errors and very minor word alterations.
We as Christians should have no problem being VERY sure that the translations are accurate and trustworthy in regards to what the Bible originally said. We have large amounts of proof available and if we fail to learn what this proof is, we have not done our due diligence. Let us be able to answer skeptic’s questions intelligently and with confidence.If we are not sure about our Bible, how can we be sure of our salvation?
Reality is not changed by what anyone believes. Jesus is our Lord and Savior whether we believe it or not. What -IS- changed by what we believe is our eternal life and where we will spend it.Don’t let secular society, Hollywood or anyone else tell you you’re stupid for what you believe. Equip yourselves with the knowledge to give an answer for why you believe as we are commanded.
"But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence," (1 Peter 3:15).
A good start is here:http://carm.org/ - credit goes to them for the Bible facts….
Now I’m not going to go into great detail here, but I want to list some basic facts about the Bible. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but just a small amount of information for you to digest. In the future I will post more on this topic; it is just too large to take on in one post. Feel free to chime in comments area.
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work," (2 Tim. 3:16)
The Bible consists of 66 books: 39 in the OT and 27 in the NT. The Bible took about 1600 years to write. It was written in 3 languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, & Greek) by about 40 authors and is internally consistent throughout.
There are presently 5,686 Greek manuscripts in existence today for the New Testament. If we were to compare the number of New Testament manuscripts to other ancient writings, we find that the New Testament manuscripts far outweigh the others in quantity.
Statistically, the New Testament is almost 100 percent textually pure, meaning what it says is consistent to the original manuscripts. Most of the variations in the almost 6000 Greek manuscripts are spelling errors and very minor word alterations.
We as Christians should have no problem being VERY sure that the translations are accurate and trustworthy in regards to what the Bible originally said. We have large amounts of proof available and if we fail to learn what this proof is, we have not done our due diligence. Let us be able to answer skeptic’s questions intelligently and with confidence.If we are not sure about our Bible, how can we be sure of our salvation?
Reality is not changed by what anyone believes. Jesus is our Lord and Savior whether we believe it or not. What -IS- changed by what we believe is our eternal life and where we will spend it.Don’t let secular society, Hollywood or anyone else tell you you’re stupid for what you believe. Equip yourselves with the knowledge to give an answer for why you believe as we are commanded.
"But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence," (1 Peter 3:15).
A good start is here:http://carm.org/ - credit goes to them for the Bible facts….
Monday, December 22, 2008
Let's not trust in our standards. They’re way too low.
Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV)
As I am dealing with the technical difficulties in fishing my Bible study Podcast on 1 Peter, I wanted to share one of my favorite passages from the Bible. Take some time out today and truly reflect upon what Jesus is saying here.
If we simplify our lives and humble ourselves, we can make meaningful steps forward in our walk with God. Let’s not trust in our own standards, we see how those are working out in this world. Let us trust in Jesus, and let his standards be ours.
God Bless and thanks for checking in. Oh, and I WILL have the 1st Podcast up soon!
As I am dealing with the technical difficulties in fishing my Bible study Podcast on 1 Peter, I wanted to share one of my favorite passages from the Bible. Take some time out today and truly reflect upon what Jesus is saying here.
If we simplify our lives and humble ourselves, we can make meaningful steps forward in our walk with God. Let’s not trust in our own standards, we see how those are working out in this world. Let us trust in Jesus, and let his standards be ours.
God Bless and thanks for checking in. Oh, and I WILL have the 1st Podcast up soon!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Terms for ALL of us to know...
Hello everyone, I wanted to go over some very important terms with you. I am hoping to start a consistent format to this blog soon. Working full time and having 3 kids I sometime find it hard to even think! Ha-ha…
Gospel - the “Good News”; this is how Paul refers to the message of forgiveness and eternal life.
Faith – “..faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1). The belief or trust in God; faith is the means by which we as sinful people can experience and enjoy the blessings of salvation. (Mark 11:22) Christianity is the only faith-based(not works based)worldview.
Sin - “missing the Mark” or “disobedience to God’s law”. It describes people’s tendency to rebel against God. Basically anything we do or any attitude that opposes the character and will of God. Sin is how we separate ourselves from God. Romans 3:20
Salvation - a gift from God that cannot be earned. It is given freely by God. (1 Thessalonians 1:10, Jonah 2:9).
Grace - Is God's undeserved favor. The New Testament is first and foremost a written testimony of God's grace -- it is by grace we have been saved. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Isaiah 53:3-4) To suggest that God's grace is conditional, or that grace alone is not sufficient, is to insult God.
Justification –Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24) - Justification is by grace through faith alone. Through Justification we are saved from the penalty of sin.
Sanctification- begins at conversion and continues throughout the earthly life of the believer. It is the process whereby the believer, empowered by the Holy Spirit, becomes increasingly more Christ-like in character. Through Sanctification we are saved from the power of sin. (Romans 5:20-21, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
Glorification- Glorification will happen when the sanctification process is fully complete -- our bodies will be changed, the old sin nature will be eliminated, and we will see the risen Christ in all his glory. (1 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Corinthians 15:52-53).
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Remember, works plays absolutely no role in justification. This is one element that distinguishes the Christian faith from all other worldviews. Works are the fruit of Justification not the source of it. Living in Sanctification by definition, we will produce good works by working to live out a Christ-life life.
Thanks for checking in and God Bless.
Gospel - the “Good News”; this is how Paul refers to the message of forgiveness and eternal life.
Faith – “..faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1). The belief or trust in God; faith is the means by which we as sinful people can experience and enjoy the blessings of salvation. (Mark 11:22) Christianity is the only faith-based(not works based)worldview.
Sin - “missing the Mark” or “disobedience to God’s law”. It describes people’s tendency to rebel against God. Basically anything we do or any attitude that opposes the character and will of God. Sin is how we separate ourselves from God. Romans 3:20
Salvation - a gift from God that cannot be earned. It is given freely by God. (1 Thessalonians 1:10, Jonah 2:9).
Grace - Is God's undeserved favor. The New Testament is first and foremost a written testimony of God's grace -- it is by grace we have been saved. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Isaiah 53:3-4) To suggest that God's grace is conditional, or that grace alone is not sufficient, is to insult God.
Justification –Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24) - Justification is by grace through faith alone. Through Justification we are saved from the penalty of sin.
Sanctification- begins at conversion and continues throughout the earthly life of the believer. It is the process whereby the believer, empowered by the Holy Spirit, becomes increasingly more Christ-like in character. Through Sanctification we are saved from the power of sin. (Romans 5:20-21, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
Glorification- Glorification will happen when the sanctification process is fully complete -- our bodies will be changed, the old sin nature will be eliminated, and we will see the risen Christ in all his glory. (1 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Corinthians 15:52-53).
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Remember, works plays absolutely no role in justification. This is one element that distinguishes the Christian faith from all other worldviews. Works are the fruit of Justification not the source of it. Living in Sanctification by definition, we will produce good works by working to live out a Christ-life life.
Thanks for checking in and God Bless.
Friday, December 5, 2008
The truth is hard to swallow
Below is a prayer Pastor Joe Wright gave when asked to open the new session of the Kansas House of Representatives on January 23, 1996. I find it a very insightful prayer, a kind of prayer that will bother those who do not want to admit to being a sinner. It will bother those who believe this countries moral compass is already pointing true north something I think even the most lukewarm Humanist would agree is not the case. It will bother those who deny Christianity, the validity of the Bible and Gods grace to justify their wrong doing.
The Secularist main stream and the Liberal media have cloaked a veil over our eyes to make people think anything is permissible as long as you feel it is okay. Day by day our children are being poisoned by moral neglect and an indifference to common decency. Some want to deny their accountability to God over their morality, belief and acceptance of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I think this line of thinking is akin to a teenager denying their parents authority over them, the old “You are not the boss of me!” argument. My children at one point truly believed that if they covered their eyes I could not see them because they could not see me. No matter how much they believed that I could not see them, it never changed the reality. So too is it with God. The truth is hard to swallow
==========
THE PRAYER
The response was immediate - with a number of legislators walking out during the prayer. In six short weeks Central Christian Church logged more than 5,000 phone calls, with only 47 of those calls responding negatively.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired Pastor Joe Wright's prayer on the radio and received a larger response to this program than any other program Paul Harvey has ever aired.
In addition, Central Christian Church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa, and Korea.
The prayer is reprinted below:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and seek your direction and guidance.
We know your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that's exactly what we've done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our fore-fathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us O God and know our hearts today; try us and see if there is some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by you, to govern this great state.
Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of your will.
I ask it in the name of your son, the living savior, Jesus Christ.Amen.
***text taken from http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/k/kansasprayer.htm
==========
Wright later explained, "I thought I might get a call from an angry congressman or two, but I was talking to God, not them. The whole point was to say that we all have sins that we need to repent – all of us . . . The problem, I guess, is that you're not supposed to get too specific when you're talking about sin."
The Secularist main stream and the Liberal media have cloaked a veil over our eyes to make people think anything is permissible as long as you feel it is okay. Day by day our children are being poisoned by moral neglect and an indifference to common decency. Some want to deny their accountability to God over their morality, belief and acceptance of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I think this line of thinking is akin to a teenager denying their parents authority over them, the old “You are not the boss of me!” argument. My children at one point truly believed that if they covered their eyes I could not see them because they could not see me. No matter how much they believed that I could not see them, it never changed the reality. So too is it with God. The truth is hard to swallow
==========
THE PRAYER
The response was immediate - with a number of legislators walking out during the prayer. In six short weeks Central Christian Church logged more than 5,000 phone calls, with only 47 of those calls responding negatively.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired Pastor Joe Wright's prayer on the radio and received a larger response to this program than any other program Paul Harvey has ever aired.
In addition, Central Christian Church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa, and Korea.
The prayer is reprinted below:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and seek your direction and guidance.
We know your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that's exactly what we've done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our fore-fathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us O God and know our hearts today; try us and see if there is some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by you, to govern this great state.
Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of your will.
I ask it in the name of your son, the living savior, Jesus Christ.Amen.
***text taken from http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/k/kansasprayer.htm
==========
Wright later explained, "I thought I might get a call from an angry congressman or two, but I was talking to God, not them. The whole point was to say that we all have sins that we need to repent – all of us . . . The problem, I guess, is that you're not supposed to get too specific when you're talking about sin."
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Faith and Works
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NIV.)
Hello everyone, I wanted to make a quick statement about faith and works. This topic has been well covered amongst Christian scholars and people much smarter than I. So, I will bring nothing new to the overall “Faith and Works” discussion in whole. I would however, like to explain it in the simplest terms for those who might not understand or really have no clue what this whole faith and works stuff is. Some might argue that this subject goes much, much deeper than my superficial explanation and to them I say “Mark 10:15, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."……Keep it simple, trust Jesus.
Protestants believe that by faith alone, in Christ alone, we are reconciled to God based upon the work of Christ on the cross on our behalf. If you truly have faith, you should have a faith that bears good fruit (works). Failure to grow, develop, and bear the fruits (works) of your faith would show that free gift of God in Christ has never been received. So people obtain justification though their faith, but if their faith is real, good fruit (works) will flow.
Works after faith is key; works is a result of justification by faith and not a integral process of justification. Neither being a good person without accepting Christ as your Lord and savior nor claiming to have faith with out living as a Christian will get you into Heaven. Simple stuff. I hope this helps.
Some reading below….
Ephesians 2 (New International Version)
4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Romans 3:21-28 (New International Version)
Righteousness Through Faith
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
John 3:16-18 (New International Version)
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Galatians 2:16 (New International Version)
16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
James 2:17-24 (New International Version)
17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
Hello everyone, I wanted to make a quick statement about faith and works. This topic has been well covered amongst Christian scholars and people much smarter than I. So, I will bring nothing new to the overall “Faith and Works” discussion in whole. I would however, like to explain it in the simplest terms for those who might not understand or really have no clue what this whole faith and works stuff is. Some might argue that this subject goes much, much deeper than my superficial explanation and to them I say “Mark 10:15, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."……Keep it simple, trust Jesus.
Protestants believe that by faith alone, in Christ alone, we are reconciled to God based upon the work of Christ on the cross on our behalf. If you truly have faith, you should have a faith that bears good fruit (works). Failure to grow, develop, and bear the fruits (works) of your faith would show that free gift of God in Christ has never been received. So people obtain justification though their faith, but if their faith is real, good fruit (works) will flow.
Works after faith is key; works is a result of justification by faith and not a integral process of justification. Neither being a good person without accepting Christ as your Lord and savior nor claiming to have faith with out living as a Christian will get you into Heaven. Simple stuff. I hope this helps.
Some reading below….
Ephesians 2 (New International Version)
4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Romans 3:21-28 (New International Version)
Righteousness Through Faith
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
John 3:16-18 (New International Version)
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Galatians 2:16 (New International Version)
16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
James 2:17-24 (New International Version)
17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
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