Oh man! That is such a riot! You in one breath state that I don't take the Bible for what it states, and then in light of passages such as Mark 16:16 totally disregard a BLATANT commandment! Need I remind you that not all who cry "Lord, Lord" will be saved? Only those that DO what God wants. If anything is ridiculous, it's the notion that faith "only" saves. That doctrine essentially teaches that as long as a person has faith in Jesus Christ, they can practice the following, and still make it to heaven:
Lie
Covet
Fornicate
Blaspheme
Not repent
Murder
Steal
Adulterate
And no, it's not symantics, it's relevent to our salvation. Look at Matt. 25:41-46... they were condemned to hell because their faith did not include action (works). It's not symantical. Faith "only" is a dangerous, dangerous doctrine because it leaves out other crucial aspects that we must do for salvation such as repentence. Again, faith "only" claims that a person needs "only" to believe in Jesus, and that's all they need. They don't have to repent of their sinful ways. They can continue living a life of sin (disobedience to God) and still make it to heaven as long as they have faith. Now that's an absurd doctrine, but that's what faith "only" teaches. If you throw in ANY other condition for salvation, such as repentance, then faith "only" is defeated, for they are two seperate things.
Revelation 2:5 (NKJ) 5) Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from it's place - unless you repent.
Acts 8:36-39 (NKJ) 36) Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" 37) Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." and he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." 38) So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39) Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
John 6: 28-29 (NKJ) 28) Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29) Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."