One problem in many theologies is believing faith alone is enough for GOD. Peter criticized them for not growing further in the knowledge of Jesus and Christian living.
Read 2 Peter 1:5-11. How many people have heard a sermon on this passage. It should be brought from the platform every week during this critical time in history where so many false doctrines have been taught and believed! Those who believe faith alone is enough for God are lukewarm and God will spew them out of His mouth. Also Matthew 7:21-23
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This will guarantee that JESUS KNOWS US.
There is a different way of looking at this. We are emotional creatures who are mucked up at birth because we cannot speak
to our Father or know Him. We are alone, isolated and have to fight for recognition and only know grabbing our stuff and keeping
it out of the hands of others.
Jesus came to declare we are His friends, children of His Father who will welcome us in, if we learn and walk in His ways.
It is an emotional home coming, the fulfilment of our hearts and the reality of the Kingdom. Its fruit is love, patience, peace,
truth, joy. It is so foundational it is called being born again, becoming children again and learning things from scratch.
Now put on the words "faith alone" here and it literally is absurd. A trick of the enemy, a lie that denies the transforming power
of a heart set free walking in the Holy Spirit, but is spoken by folk who want security in the promises but are not willing to pay
the price of the cross. Giving up ones life in this world for the life in the next is not quite what it appears.
Peter said to Jesus, we gave up everything for you. Jesus declared in Christ we get a whole new family, brothers, sisters,
parents, children. It is what happens when life becomes simple and loving not trying to prove anything but just follow our King.
God bless you