This is what I am talking about. Too often I see Christians believing that faith is enough. Even a street beggar I used to see knew more. He held a large sign on a stick which read, "REPENT! The End Is Near. John 3:16." He understood that we had to do works, i.e. repent, to add to our faith in order to be saved. He understood that we needed to become holy as possible.
I don't think you understand what constitutes being holy even though the Bible teaches us. God is holy. He wants followers who are holy.
It takes both faith and works to be holy.
We should be baptized.
Acts 22:16 ESV
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.
We should be God-fearing peoples.
Psalm 96:9 ESV
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!
We should repent for our sins
Acts 2:38 ESV
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Repent and do good works, i.e. bear fruit. Good tree (faith) produces good fruit (works).
Matthew 3:8 ESV
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
We should sing praises and give thanks to our Lord
Psalm 30:4 ESV
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.
The Holy Spirit helps achieve the impossible
Romans 8:26 ESV
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
Matthew 19:26 ESV
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
What Does the Bible Say About Being Holy?
Jesus discusses these believers, i.e. demons, who try to get into heaven via their faith and works. It includes the verses I hear often to back up their "faith."
Matthew 7:21-27 ESV
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ...
One of the most difficult works
Matthew 6:14-15 ESV
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Give in secret and not to show others that you are charitable
Matthew 6:1-6 ESV
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ...
We have to be better than the Pharisees
Matthew 5:17-20 ESV
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Being holy is hard
Matthew 7:13-14 ESV
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Doing good works and not just working for self-gains and riches
Matthew 6:19-20 ESV
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Works is doing
Matthew 16:27 ESV
For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
What Does the Bible Say About Getting Into Heaven?
The most difficult verses are in the Bible. These contains Jesus teachings. I didn't really read Matthew until I was Christian for several years. It was very difficult in reading it.
Here's what I learned in addition to having faith in Jesus, John 3:16. Do I talk about my faith with others like I talk about my hobbies, my wife, my children and how good a cook and wife she is or how proud I am of my kids' accomplishments? I made a list of whom I can discuss of my faith, i.e. family, friends and co-workers. Even relative strangers on a forum such as this. Do I put into practice the Lord's Supper? Sure, I receive communion, but do I invite those who share my faith or are thinking about it to my own supper? These are some ideas my church gave to me. Other churches have their own works such as clean up day, fund raising events, cure malaria day and so on. We have a help serve the poor representative who comes and recruits volunteers for their service meals. All of it is part of our faith.
I think you say the right verses of Paul, but you want to lives those verses, too. The Holy Spirit is in Romans and will be the one who intercedes for us to achieve.