Some people see a conflict in the relative importance of faith vs good works. I personally think faith is embodied or manifest in good works, and there is no conflict. Faith is the activity of love, which is good works. As for faith requiring the recitation of creeds or the belief in a specific interpretation of history, I don't believe that.
"Some people see a conflict in the relative importance of faith vs good works. I personally think faith is embodied or manifest in good works, and there is no conflict. Faith is the activity of love, which is good works. As for faith requiring the recitation of creeds or the belief in a specific interpretation of history, I don't believe that."
Whatever...my point is that no REAL Christian would ever do what Hitler or Jim Jones did. Many Christians are imperfect and make mistakes, many are at different points in their walk with God, but they are not given over in their own minds to evil works. The evil they occaisionally fall into causes them great guilt and strife until they repent.
Real Christians tend to show a pattern of growth and the ability to learn from their mistakes over their entire lives. Fakes don't...hence the verse"by their fruit you know them"!