Faith without works?

Question

then it says all the good works you have done is like fithly rags to the lord. this has always confused me. and I never really know what to do.

Faith wont save me and good works wont save me, so what will? I have a lot of faith, and I try very hard to do whats right and I dont do it just to get into heaven, I do what my heart tells me to do. But since my fiancee died and a pastor told me he was in Hell because he didnt live according to the bible, I have always wondered. He was a good man and he was saved, but we did drink sometimes, and we had sex out of marriage. and I cant seem to accept that the lord would put him in Hell for that, it seems way to extreme, and I find my faith and trust in God disapearing because if it. it just seems way to cruel. I love the Lord with all my heart, but can not accept that he would put somebody in Hell for such little things. Can you help me understand this?

Answer 1

Faith without works is dead in the sight of men.
Faith alone is sufficient for God. You can see that they both say the same things, but for different reasons.
If you doubt the mercy of the Lord, you might as well keep thinking bad things. Jesus understands. Glorify the Lord by keeping his memory pure. That is what God really wants from you.

Answer 2

Faith WILL save you. Your pastor had no right to tell you your fiance is in hell. Only God knows his heart. If he was saved, as your say, then he's with the Lord. A lot of Christians mess up, and some of them mess up so badly that the Lord takes them home early. Instead of letting this hurt your faith, you can choose to use it to increase your faith in God. God does not consider sex outside of marriage or getting drunk "a little thing". These are sins and you need to repent about them to be right with God. Just agree with God that you have sinned and ask Him to forgive you . Recommit your life to the Lord. He's waiting with open arms. Find a good church and start attending. Read your Bible. Pray. God loves you. He chastens those He loves. I know. I hope this helps. I'll pray for you. Better days are coming.

Answer 3

As I understand the Bible, the verse about "filthy rags" is regarding all the good works done by unbelievers -- yeah, they were still good works, but they don't get ya in the gates.
Sorry to hear about both your fiance and your less-than-sensitive pastor. I don't think it is the pastor's place to give that kind of absolutes in a situation like that -- he could point out things that make you think a little bit, but right now you need comfort for yourself and family. I am a Christian, and I drink. Technically (Clintonially -- ha ha) speaking, my wife and I had sex outside of marriage, but we are still going to heaven simply because we believe that Jesus Christ came to earth as a man to live, die, and ultimately pay for our sins. If your fiance believed this when he died, I have absolutely no reason to think we won't be seeing him in Heaven.
As far as faith and good works being connected (and this is just me speaking here), I have found in my life that the more I try to exhibit my faith, the more good works follow. It's a matter of if you have faith, true faith and not just say you do, good works will follow naturally to you. Judging by what I read above, you seem to be on the right track. Don't lose faith, don't fall away, and compare everything you read here (even this) with your Bible. Hang in there!

Answer 4

You go to Heaven because you get your Spirit Recreated (Saved, Born-Again) BEFOR you Leave the Earth for good (what most call Death).

Your Fiancee is in Heaven. You said that they got Saved.
Period.

Sinning After you are Saved dosen't Knock you out of Heaven. Just makes possible, more Curses to Affect your Life.

I would Rather get Blessed than Cursed.

When you Hear the Word of GOD Concerning Salvation, Faith (a Real Spiritual Substance) comes into your Spirit---if you say YES to Jesus, then the Holy Spirit Takes that Faith and RECREATES you with it.

Faith is the Substance of Things Hoped For.
The Universe is made out of Faith.
You are made out of Faith.
Atoms and Molecules are Made out of Faith.

After you are Born-Again, your Spirit is Recreated and the Seed of Faith is put into your Spirit. You can Generate (grow) your Own Faith by Hearing the Word of GOD after that.
Faith is like Gas in the Tank of a Car.
You ain't going nowhere on an Empty Tank.

Did you know you can Move a Mountain using Faith?
If you command that mountain to move, and you got all of your Ducks in a Row, then the Faith that makes up that Mountain will Obey your Command (if GOD o.k.'s it too!--Faith works by Love(GOD)) and Move--the Dirt and Rocks etc. have to go along for the Ride.

Faith Operates on a Higher Law than the Physical Realm does!!!

Answer 5

The Bible is clear that we are not to ask if somebody goes to heaven or hell. You did break a commandment. In today's world we take for granted that we will be forgiven for "little things." Nobody can judge. Now, just keep doing devotions, or whatever you do to worship our Lord and never give up and slack off. Pray every time that you are reminded that you are/have sinned a certain sin. Nobody but you and our Lord will be able to give you the answers you seek. However, hopefully these verses will comfort you: "No not one" (there is no not one on this earth who can help you except through our Lord.) "Wait on the Lord be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart. Wait I say wait on the Lord." We want to feel the spirit in us and sometimes push things when it is not our time. We must wait on the Lord. God be with you.

Answer 6

I don't know your pastor but I question whether or not he truly understands the Bible. If you are saved, you are saved. We will all sin, being saved means we are saved from the consequences of that sin. Now, if you claim to be saved, and keep committing the same sin, in other words you make no effort to live a righteous life, then I would question whether or not you are saved. The point is that salvation is a FREE gift, we merely need accept it. The quote is faith and deeds, and James is pointing out that it's one thing to say you believe, it's another to live that belief. Example: A tightrope walker was entertaining a crowd by crossing a great chasm on a tightrope. He then demonstrated his skill by riding a bicycle, and then a unicycle across the chasm. He took it further by placing approximately 200 lbs. of bricks in a wheelbarrell and pushing it across. He then asked the crowd if they were convinced he could accomplish this feat again. All agreed he certainly could. He then approached one man about 200 lbs. and said "Sir, you agree that I indeed can perform this feat again?" The man said sure. The tightrope walker looked at him and said "Then I want you to replace the bricks and sit yourself in the wheelbarrell." You see, the man claimed to have faith, was he willing to add the deed of demonstrating that faith?

Answer 7

It is men like your pastor who have made it easy for me to leave the church behind and pursue my own truth. I do not believe your fiance is burning in hell just because some fire and brimstone preacher says so. God knows we are not perfect and if we had to live by all the tenets of the scriptures, nobody would 'be saved'. The statement is from James - Faith without Works id dead; also a mantra of Alcoholics Anonymous. It means that faith alone is not enough, I have to act as if I believe. Carried out, it also means that yesterday's good deeds don't carry over - I have to persevere.
Don't let some self-serving guilt inducing mortal man destroy your faith in the Almighty. Remember, 1/2 of all the ministers graduated in the bottom half of their class. and yours forgot the part about 'Judge not, lest ye be judged.'

Answer 8

Jesus died for our sins,and he does not like sin,when we accept Jesus as our lord and savior all our sins are forgiven past present and future we have a chance to repent at all times the only thing that will keep him out of heaven is not accepting him in you your heart,let me clarify when we do accept him he takes us as we are to make us better,we can not live any way we want to, and do not let anyone tell you he is hell god is the only one that can make that decision,yes we will fall short but god is always there to pick us back up,sop this is between him and god

Answer 9

The good news is that your pastor doesn't get to decide who does and does not go to Heaven. That is for God, alone, to decide. Don't lose hope. I'm sure your fiance was a good man; God knows that, and I firmly believe that God plays fair. He wouldn't give us the merciful message of the New Testament if He intended to discard anyone who didn't do exactly what Pastor So-and-so said was necessary for salvation.

Remember that nobody can earn salvation. None of us, no matter how pious and compassionate and generous we are in this life, will ever *deserve* to be in Heaven. Fortunately, Christ took care of that for us. What matters is that we have faith in God and that we *live* that faith by doing good works.

Answer 10

First of all man cannot judge and say where a soul goes after they have died only God knows that. Faith is the only thing that will save , yet if you are saved then your works will bear witness of that fact. God does not send you to hell for the sins you commit but rather for whats condition your heart is in. The heart that has been regenerated (born again) and seperated (sanctified) will refrain from committing sin. The new creature will do only that which pleases God. My prayer is that your fiance had everything in order when He died, my prayer for you is that you continue to walk closer to God and do his will and not yours. We will pray for you, God loves you.

Answer 11

Cindy- We are, in fact saved by faith and not works as Ephesians 2: 8-10 states. We are called to goods works which God estalished for us to walk in before the foundation of the world. The epistle of James chapter 2 and begginning at verse 14
What does it profit a man if he says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him ? This is your question as well. Remember what we saw in Ehpesians? Works- good deeds- have NOTHING to do with where we spend eternity.
This chapter in James shows us as we continue reading that faith without works is dead, just like a body without spirit. We are not justified by these works. James is talking about faith AT work. The things we choose to do out of love for God.
An analogy- we are born into our family are remain a part of that family because we were born to it. Likewise, when we accept Christ, we are born into God's family. We remain in God's family because of that spiritual birth. And just like being a member of that earthly family causes one to live a life that is pleasing to our family, so, too, we want to live a life that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father. One that represents the household of faith well. And we do not do this perfectly, which is why Christ died for us. A fact which that pastor should well know. He will answer for much. I am sure.
Your fiance' is, no doubt, in Heaven. God knows his heart- and yours
God bless and keep you
and thank you for reminding me why I spend time here
Cyndi