That was about a wicked nation that had rejected God. The work they needed was to repent.believe. Otherwise we are accountable for our sins.
Nations can be judged so that they are turned to hell, for anyone living therein. People are not judged in groups, but individually. The judgement by works is individuals of each nations.
It shows God has always judged out works, since He first judged Adam by his work of unrighteousness.
And evil is to reject the gift of Jesus. That is not about some less than perfect folks that already came to the light!
The less than perfect gospel is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The evil doers reject coming to the light.
The better than evil sinners are still not in the light fellowshipping with Jesus, where there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1)
Jesus rewards us according to woks, not saves us according to them.
True. Current salvation is not a reward for past works. Inheriting His kingdom by resurrection of the dead, is His reward for our past works serving God at the end.
It is great to be judged by Jesus, better than gold. We are a work in progress.
Progressive salvation while still doing dead works, is the imperfect gospel of man.
Growing in the grace of not sinning, while walking as He walked, is the pure salvation and justification of Jesus Christ.
Not a necessary means to salvation though.
No, it is a necessary means to justification. If being justified by works is not by means of works, then being saved by grace is not by means of grace.
Now, if you want to preach being saved by faith alone, before being justified by works, then I'd be glad to hear it.
Rewards depend on works, not salvation.
True. See above how the Bible teaches current salvation is not by reward, but inheriting eternal salvation by resurrection of the dead, is by reward of obeying Jesus in the end.
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Even if someone's works get totally burned up they are still saved.
For erroneous ministry yes, not for unrighteous works of the flesh. The unrighteous doing such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5) God judges every man's works and is not a respecter of persons by personal beliefs.
1 Cor 3 is in context of ministry. If we err in our teaching, then that will be burned as hay or stable, but we are still saved and justified by loving God and our neighbors in righteousness and true holiness.
He disciplines us in love like a parent.
True. And like some parents in this life, He separates Himself from the rebellious, and does not have fellowship with them, until they repent.
The scourging of Jesus with the saints, is to separate His Spirit from their hearts. The common scourging of all men for sinning, is morning after blues.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
No man is worthy of being forgiven and saved by Jesus due to past works, but the resurrection unto life is only for those worthy of walking with Jesus in white forever, because they walked as He walked in this life.
Salvation is not by reward for past works before Christ. The inheritance of His kingdom is by reward for past works with Christ unto death.
Useless is right. How would someone that is saved be useful if they hide their light under a bushel?
Faith without works is useless to be saved by. (James 2)
Those hiding their faith have useless faith to be saved by. It's dead, being alone.
Nevertheless His word and promise is true. His gift is without repentance.
His faith is the free gift to our hearts by hearing only.
His faith is useless to save us, if we leave it alone and don't do His word.
The gospel of being once for all saved and justified by faith alone, makes believing there is one God, the end goal.
Faith is the means of the end goal, which is to be judged righteous by works and be rewarded with eternal salvation by resurrection of the dead.
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Believing only is not the end goal. Doing the will of God by through to the end, is the end goal.
Grace is the means of believing, believing from the heart is the means of doing God's will. Doing God's will is the means of being reward with resurrection unto life.
The fact that love is greater than faith and hope does not mean that 'doing good' saves us or keeps us saved!
Try loving God without doing good.
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
The gospel of faith without works is the idolatrous gospel of believing we have love for God and man, without loving God and man.
Our faith alone becomes our idol for being saved and justified without works.
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
How does one defile their garments in the context of that verse?
By sinning with the flesh. The soul is defiled and dies to God.
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
The Bible makes no differences between believer or unbeliever, in judgement of works and the the soul dying to God by sinning.
The sinning soul dies separated from the Spirit of life, without respect of persons.
The gospel of not being judged and condemned with the world, while doing ungodly works of the world, is one of an unjust judge having respect of persons. Only an unjust judge condemns one and excuses another based solely upon 'family ties'.
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear
The context is false religion and people that claim a name of believer but do not actually believe.
Because they don't actually do the word. Believers by hearing, that do not the word, are called hearers only.
Their alternative Christian religion to the Bible, is being justified by faith of hearing only, not by doing the word.
In no possible way does that mean that people who DO believe and are saved got there or will stay there by works!
The Bible teaches that people who DO believe are only those that DO the word.
The rest are hearers only, that DO unrighteousness and shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which are doing such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The tree is known by the fruit, and so we are known by what we do. God judges our works accordingly, whether we are His sons doing His righteousness, or children of the devil doing his unrighteousness.
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever is not doing righteousness is not of God.
The Bible can't make itself clearing in these things. But if someone wants to strip and separate works from faith, then there's nothing God can do to warn them against the day, when we will all be judged by our works, not by our personal beliefs alone.
The gospel of being saved and justified by faith without works, that makes doing righteousness just a wanna be add on goal, only gives lip service to doing the word and will of God.
If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that is doing righteousness is born of him.
For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.