Is faith a true judge of worthiness?

Question

For the sake of argument, assume the basic tenets of Christianity are true. If you can't, please don't answer.

Why do you believe God chose faith as the way to separate the saved from the unsaved? Why not something like morality or altruism?

Do you believe an immoral person, raised in a strict Christian home where skepticism was punished, is more deserving of Heaven than a moral person raised in a land which the concept of Christianity had not yet visited? If yes, please explain.

And please, none of that "God works in mysterious ways" stuff. I'm asking what you suppose, not what you know.

Answer 1

I believe your conundrum could better be worded as, "will God consider us righteous on the basis of our faith alone, or does our morality, and works of charity have merit as well?"

"What good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can that faith save him? Suppose a brother is without clothes and food. If someone says to him, 'Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is that? So faith without works is dead.
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." James 2:14-18.

The bible teaches us that salvation is by faith. But real faith is accompanied morality, and altruism. So it is not an "either - or" situation, but a "both - and" proposition.

Answer 2

Well, I don't know what a true theologian would say but my opinion is that a moral person (or any person for that matter) raised in a land which the concept of Christianity had not yet visited would not be held responsible for what they didn't know. I believe you can know God without the Bible or the concept of Christianity but how can you know of a savior? As for the immoral person who has faith, well the bible says faith without works is dead. Basically, there will be at least some attempt to live like Christ if you are truly saved and have faith.

Answer 3

The immoral person is not saved. It does not matter how he was raised. The person who is moral and has faith is the one who is going to heaven. This is because belief in God will lead you to do the right things. The Bible says If you do it unto one of these therefore have you done it to me. Jesus said this in reference to helping the poor and taking care of the sick and hungry. This is the reason faith is necessary, I'm not sure about a land where Christianity has not come yet but if God knows this place and He does then He will have made sure that they have the faith they need. This is the part where you would hear that God works in mysterious ways, because it is true.

Answer 4

Will concentrate on just one aspect to your Q in a nutshell.

Having faith is an exercise of free will, which we all have. After the so-called Fall of Man, we now have a choice: the faith in the Creator or in that of the fallen archangel (being that I hate using the Satan and Lucifer monikers, will just use FA).

Following FA will give us base and almost instant gratification for the most part set up to go against the will of God. Now, to get back into the sphere of goodness, it's most difficult because of the temptations of sin. Our free will must be strong enough to withstand those temps that could lead us into FA's world. This is where faith comes in.

We have no proof of the exclusive righteousness of the Bible or even the existence of the man Jesus. But if he existed, he spoke words that appeal to all mankind. Words that play into our spiritual side to want to grow. So we must have faith, untouchable and unseen. To believe that, that guy Jesus lived.

Now I'm not a born-again Christian nor do I proselytize my way out, wacky beliefs, but I have faith that I didn't answer your question...sorry.

Answer 5

no. faith can be had in many ways and not strictly limited to religion. it's all a matter of what one finds more convenient, believable or just a good sense of timing. whether or not one who is raised this way or that way is irrelevant. faith is universal but as far as using it as a measuring stick for worthiness is totally unacceptable. people are taught that faith is THEE way to heaven. going in this principle, white supremists have more faith than your average christian. their beliefs are rock solid and never wavering. do they have a better reason to get into heaven than their chrisitan counter parts? they are immoral yes but their faith is unquestionable. For the argument that you can't be saved unless you let god into your heart? that's sheer lunacy. suppose there are moral, honest upstanding individuals on the earth where christianity has not reached them yet. are they doomed to eternal life in hell simply bcuz missionaries weren't quick enough in getting to them to tell them all the good stuff about god? according to some the answer is yes. but personally I feel it irrelevant in the matter since if you believe what the bible says then all people are children of god. these "heathons" who were unaware of him for whatever reason still abided by his "rules" for the most part. simply bcuz their knowledge of god is nonexistent, does that make them less worthy applicants to get accepted into the university of Heaven???? the bible is construed in a fashion where several interpretations can be had from its story's. those can believe one way while others will believe it another way. otherwise, why then all the different sects of christianity. they're all the same essentially but they just have little variances between them. so, for the most part you'll get answers from both sides of the coin. some will say the immoral, god fearing one will get in while the uneducated heathons will not and vice versa. all a matter of interpretation and their general belief of what the boook says.

Answer 6

see, the thing here is this...."we were all born human"
it does not matter if you are christian or not, you have good judgement, bad judgement, faith and doubt, oops! did I say that awful word. yes, I did. doubt is a very human trait, and no one on this earth has ever lived "completely" without it. doubt has touched everyone at one time or another. how can we be judged by this when it is very human and we were instinctly born with doubt? (born to question) naw, it is norman, natural, and in very many cases, healthy. If your god does not realize this, the one that you believe has made you, well frankly, I just don't get it. doubt is not a sin, I am more inclined to thinking that "following something blindly, just because" and not really following your heart or what you really know to be true in your soul, might be the worst sin of all, the sin against self. would a loving god want you to follow something that may not feel right, and would he throw you in a pit just for questioning or "wondering?" come on

Answer 7

I think faith shows that someone really believes in what they were talking about. If someone who just happens to be a pretty smart performed good deeds and was a good person just to cover his bases in case God actually exists but doesn't really believe for sure, then they wouldn't receive the blessing of eternal life. GOd wants to know that you REALLY love Him and aren't just going through the motions.
As far as the strict household, what matters is the person's heart. Parents can be as strict as they want to, but if the child never accepts God for himself, he won't receive God's salvation.

Answer 8

Faith is not a judge of anything.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
(Hebrews 11)

The judging comes from the word left with us, not faith.

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Answer 9

A person committed to living a moral life would seem a far better applicant for admission to heavenly bliss than one who merely chose to "follow orders" and believe in a set of principles that are, in many cases, immoral.

Answer 10

One cannot please God without faith. All works that are good in man's eyes are nothing but filthy rags to God.

A person with true faith will not be immoral. In fact they will no longer sin. That is how you can know you are saved. If you are sinning your faith is not sufficient.

In Christ,
Bob