I think a lot of confusion comes in because justification and salvation get used interchangeably.
Certainly but, at the end of the day the 24 million dollar question is what ? How does one get past St Heyzeus ... at the pearly gates.
Some folks talk as if there is no judgement .. claim that they have earned a "get out of Jail" card .. and good for them ... I hope all works out well. Sola Fide ..
My reckoning from the synoptic gospels- is that there will be a Judgement - Paul seems to think there will be a Judgement as well so I would argue the possibility that not even Paul would agree with "Sola Fide" however I would then argue against myself by citing James 2 .. where clearly there were a group of early Christians touting something very similar to "Sola Fide" .
James calls these folks foolish - hence why Martin Luther wanted James sticken from Canon.
The problem is that the Jesus of Matt/Mark - mirrors the Jesus that James is depicting in his argument against Sola Fide .. we also resolve some of the justification issues in James 2. .. and you should be patting me on the back at this point for getting justification into the equation :) ... and rhyming while doing it .. must be a sign .. of .. of "Inspiration" ... and I truly believe this.
Moving back to the original question - how does one make it through the gates.
Christianity is - after 2000 years - still divided over this question - the majority against Sola Fide - and for good reason. Even the Lutheran Church is questioning strict interpretation - as are others.
So then ... if one believes in judgement ... shall we look at some examples of what this might look like ?
How about we ask Jesus in stead of Martin .. or Paul for that matter .. someone who 1) never met Jesus 2) didn't even become a follow until years after the death of our Lord 3) was not part of the "Church of Jerusalem" .. led by James... .. the branch of Christianity that died out after the fall of the Temple and the Fiscus Judaicus - heavy tax on Jews .. after which Christianity started to distance itself from Judaism.
but I digress .. What did Jesus have to say on the issue.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left"
So then ..how can one argue that there is no Judgement ? But, that is what Sola Fide argues.
Even Paul Seems to believe in Judgement - Jews first - and then the Gentiles .. Jews judges by OT Law .. Gentiles by the law unto their Conscience .. by which they are then "JUDGED". :)
Romans 2
"All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares"
The question is then - if we do have to pass Judgement - and there is no free pass ...
what then is the criteria ?
Well if you read the rest of the Sheep and Goats parable from Matt 25 above ..
Jesus is Judging on the basis of works ..
read an interesting article on a Lutheran site .. official site kind of thing .. talking about this parable .. saying you can't really contest what is being said -- its a tough one .. there is a reason the majority of Christianity rejects Sola Fide.
but OK .. need more specific . what is the criteria .. is it just works is it both faith and works .. is it a "must have" kind of thing .. one or the other.
I want to know how the heck to get through the gates.. and it is not one of those Oh I will just cover all my bases type of thing .. sorry but this is both irrational and illogical.. in a thought stopping bad kind of cult way .. hmmmmm
But, Christianity is divided. One says this .. the other says that .. most say some kind of mixture .. I say none of the above - meaning that I don't think its one, or the other, or necessarily a mixture if that mixture requires both.
Jesus answers this question - in a much more detailed way than in the Sheep and Goats parable
"What then is the Criteria" ?
He answers it in his most famous sermon .. Matt 5-7. Not all of the Faith crowd make it according to Jesus “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"
Did you need a direction sign ? .. particular shade of green to push the pedal ? When I saw this I had only one question .. Don't you ?
What "Will of the Father" is Jesus referring to .. If this is the criteria .. I want to know .. we have Matt 25 .. sheep and goats .. where Jesus divides on the basis of works .. but what is this referring to ?
