Okay so I had a thought. Throughout the Bible the Bible says that we're saved by faith. Yet in some parts of the Bible it says that we are not saved by faith alone. In John 6:39-6:40 Jesus says:
"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
And also in John 10:28-29:
"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
And also in John 3:16:
"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."
Ephesians 2:8-9:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.
These verses prove that we are saved by faith and that those who believe in Jesus WILL be saved. But, there are also other verses in the Bible that Jesus said that trouble me and seem to disprove that we are saved by faith like:
Matthew 7:21:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
Matthew 25:31-46 (Too long to put in here)
Matthew 19:17:
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments."
Matthew 6:15:
"But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Matthew 19:17 seems to say that we must keep the commandments to be saved and then he lists what commandments he's talking about in the next two verses.
Matthew 7:21 seems to say that only those who do the will of the Father will be saved. Which confuses many people until the will of the Father is explained in John 6:39-40. The will of the father is that everyone who believes in Jesus will have eternal life and never be lost. Jesus will not lose a single one of these people so the "Many" people who are not saved in Matthew 7:21 are those who don't believe in Jesus right?
Matthew 6:15 seems to add the additional requirement of forgiving others to salvation. Making Jesus's words in John 6:39-40 basically a lie because Jesus said that all believers would be saved and would be eternally secure.
Matthew 25:31-46 seems to say that works are required for salvation. Yet this is contrary to Pauls words in Ephesians 2:9 when he says "Not by works lest any man should boast". Also in James 2:20 James says "Faith without works is dead" which seems to back up Jesus's words in Matthew 25:31-46. That a true faith would have works and therefore those who are not saved in those verses did not have a true faith. So that could be the answer to my problem on these verses but, what about the others?
You are misunderstanding true saving faith as something that can be distinct from works, which it cannot be (even Luther said they go together like light and heat), and what you choose to do is ordered by what you really believe, at least at that moment, and to the degree that you do believe. To believe in health food is to spurn junk food. If you believed clicking on the Reply link would get you a virus you would not do it, but if you believed it would result in a 1,000 gift you likely would.
Saving faith is not mere intellectual assent, nor simply belief in the promise of the Christ to give eternal life to those who believe, abstract from the one who gave it, but faith in a person called the Lord Jesus, and thus salvific faith will result in changes in heart and life which correspond to the will of the one you believe, relative to the light and grace given you.
This salvific faith is from the heart, a penitent, contrite heart, thus it can be called repentant faith. And "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." (Psalms 34:18)
Thus while it is the faith that is behind works which purifies the heart (Acts 15:7-9) in the washing of regeneration of God's mercy (Titus 3:5) and and appropriates justification (Romans 4:5,6) yet since works testify to faith, (1 Thessalonians 1:4-10; 1 Hebrews 6:9,10; James 2:18) then eternal life can be promised to those who belief.
In Mark 2, the Lord asked,
Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) (Mark 2:9-10)
The Lord could say either since one effected the other. Likewise, the gift of salvation was promised to those in Acts 2:38 if they would repent and believe on the same was essentially promised to those in Acts 10:43 (not by works..by the "washing of regeneration": Titus 3:5)
Yet Cornelius was not yet saved before Peter preached to them and they believed. And what they believed was,
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)
That was it, no baptism as yet, and indeed they did believe, with God giving
"them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. (Acts 15:8-9)
However, there is no contradiction with Acts 2:38, and no need to attribute a unique condition of heart to Cornelius and company if we understand what Peter said in Acts 2:28 and 10:43 as both being a call to faith, this being what purifies the heart. Since real faith effects confession, then if one confesses the Lord Jesus from the heart then it means one believes, and the promise is made to those who believe as well as to those who works of faith. For since faith saves but is manifested by works of faith, then those who do the latter must have the former, and thus the promise is made "whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins" as well as,
"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Romans 10:9-11)
It is only such faith that will confess the Lord Jesus, which baptism formally does, that is salvific, But since it is actually the faith behind the work that justifies - that appropriates the purifying their hearts, the "washing of regeneration" - then the promise can be made, "
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." (Acts 10:43) And which was realized.
Such souls are washed, sanctified, and
"justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11) And thus on Christ's account such are
"accepted in the Beloved" and made to "
sit together with Him" in Heaven, (Eph. 1:6; 2:6) which will be realized when they die in overcoming, saving faith, (Rv. 3:21) or at His return. (1Ths. 4:17)
However, it cannot be the confession that merits justification, since it is faith which is counted for righteousness, (Rm. 4:5) nor does the change that regeneration effects makes them good enough to be with God (unless simply being forgiven is enough and thus maintaining a sinless state would do it), as in Roman Catholicism in which one is formally justified by his own actual holiness by baptism, and purification/perfection of character is required to enter Heaven (usually thru Purgatory). Which even Paul confessed he lacked, and though he expressed that to be presently absent from the body was to be present with the Lord, (2 Corinthians 5:8; Phil 1:21-22) yet he strove to be in this life as much as a resurrected believer will be, which event he looked forward to as being what would finally deal with his "vile body," (Phil 3:8-21)
In reiteration and in addition, as far as what appropriates justification, one is only saved by grace thru faith, which purifies the heart (Acts 15:9) and is counted for righteousness (Romans 4:5) and renders one accepted in the Beloved (on His account) and positionally seated together which their Lord in Heaven, (Ephesians 1:6; 2:6) from where they await the Lord's return and His changing of our "vile body," that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body." (Philippians 3:21)
However, this saving justifying faith, is a faith which effects obedience by the Spirit in word and in deed, in heart and in life, whereby "the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, (Romans 8:4) insofar as we do. And which obedience includes Godly sorrow, penitent confession of sin that the believer is convicted of.
The appeal to the believer is to produce fruit consistent with faith, as a consequence of being accepted in the Beloved (on His account), to be practically (in heart and deed) as they are positionally in Christ, to be as much conformed to the Lord Jesus in this life as we can be, and will be in the resurrection. (Philippians 3:7-21)
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)
But which progressive practical sanctification is not the cause of the sinner's justification and acceptance in Christ, but testifies to such being a believer, evidencing "things which accompany salvation," (Hebrews 6:9) and fit to be rewarded. (Revelation 3:4) For this faith, as manifested in said obedience, God will recompense (Hebrews 10:35) under grace, even though it is God who motivates and enables all obedience, (Philippians 1:12,13) while the only thing we can and must take credit for it our disobedience.
In contrast to this salvation by effectual faith, evidencing meritorious works but which are not the cause of justification (though works of faith by the Spirit justify one as being a believer, since they go together like light and heat), is salvation by grace thru works, as in Roman Catholicism, in which by grace one is actually made good enough to be with God via the act of baptism, even without the required personal wholehearted repentant faith. (Acts 8:38; 8:36,37)
However, since the carnal nature remains and few successfully attain to complete victory over any attachment to sin and perfection of character, then most baptized souls are sent to Roman Catholic (EOs trend to reject Rome's) Purgatory to endure purifying punishments to atone for sins they sufficiently failed to provide for while on earth, and become good enough to enter glory.
There is some wiggle room as regards the conditions of purgatory as well as whether it is a place or a condition, and in what sense "time" can be ascribed to it, since they are not dogmatic, but while salvation by grace thru faith as in sola fide means it is effectual faith being imputed for righteousness that justifies, salvation by grace thru works means that by grace one is actually made good enough to be with God, which premise either requires perfection of character in this life (and which merely being made clean in baptism would actually not effect) or postmortem purifying torments.
However, wherever Scripture clearly speaks of the next conscious reality for believers then it is with the Lord, (Lk. 23:43 [cf. 2Cor. 12:4; Rv. 2:7]; Phil 1:23; 2Cor. 5:8 [“we”]; 1Cor. 15:51ff'; 1Thess. 4:17) Note in the latter case all believers were assured that if the Lord returned, which they expected in their lifetime, so would they “ever be with the Lord,” though they were still undergoing growth in grace, as was Paul. (Phil. 3:10f)
And the next transformative experience that is manifestly taught is that of being like Christ in the resurrection. (1Jn. 3:2; Rm. 8:23; 1Co 15:53,54; 2Co. 2-4) At which time is the judgment seat of Christ, which is the only suffering mentioned after this life for the believer, which does not begin at death, but awaits the Lord's return, (1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Revelation 11:18; Matthew 25:31-46; 1 Peter 1:7; 5:4) and is the suffering of the loss of rewards (and the Lord's grievous displeasure) due to the manner of material one built the church with, which one is saved despite the loss of such, not because of. (1 Corinthians 3:8ff)
