Faith and Works--Part 1

Psalm 130:3 (NIV)
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O LORD, who could stand?

There is NO WAY any of us can be good enough, do enough, to earn our way to heaven. As you can see, if you try to follow ALL of God's commands, you will inevitably fail. It's not just attending church and tithing and other things that show outwardly. It's also (and especially!) about the heart, our attitudes and motives.

Think you have finally conquered sin in your life? Then you are lying to yourself...
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

If you are relying on what you do--following ALL of God's commands--so that He will save you. Well...you are not going to make it. You can NEVER be good enough that way. What hope is there then? God gives us salvation not because of what WE do, but because of what HE has done. He will give us that salvation freely by His grace and mercy when we believe in Him and accept Jesus' payment on our behalf for our sins--by FAITH, not by works.

Romans 3:23-24
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Romans 5:1-2
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Galatians 2:21
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.

Galatians 5:4
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

2 Timothy 1:9
[God] who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace...

John 6:28-29
Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

Romans 4:2-5
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness

Romans 9:30-32 (NIV)
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.

Are those enough examples for you? It's clear through Scripture that it's not our actions that save us, but God's grace through our faith.