so basically you dont have to go to church, pray, act and act charitable to your neighbor, call yourself a Christian and still go to heaven? Christ said many Christians would not make it to heaven because they will fail to live to the standard of God for Heaven - Matthew 7 ; 21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Read verses 22-29; - Matthew 18 ; 3, “And said, verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 22 ; 14, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” - Luke 13 ; 23, 24, “Then said one unto Him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And He said unto them, strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Contrary to the Protestant 'Justification by Faith Alone', St James tells us clearly that justification is not by faith only! 'Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only' (James 2:24).
so basically you dont have to go to church, pray, act and act charitable to your neighbor, call yourself a Christian and still go to heaven?
Believers who have trusted in Christ and believe HE paid the penalty for our sins, WILL produce good works. We are new creations, who have NEW hearts that LOVE and WANT to obey the Savior of our souls. God has prepared good works for us to walk in AFTER we have been saved thru Faith. (eph 2:8-10). We have been transformed from thorn bushes to fig trees. Fig trees produce figs, not thorns.
Christ said many Christians would not make it to heaven because they will fail to live to the standard of God for Heaven - Matthew 7 ; 21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Read verses 22-29;
John 6:40For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
John 6:28Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."
Only those who have BEEN Saved/converted/regenerated, can produce fruit acceptable to the Father. Again, the fruit is the result of conversion, not the cause of it.
Matthew 18 ; 3, “And said, verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 22 ; 14, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” - Luke 13 ; 23, 24, “Then said one unto Him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And He said unto them, strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
John 10:7Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
John 146 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Contrary to the Protestant 'Justification by Faith Alone', St James tells us clearly that justification is not by faith only! 'Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only' (James 2:24).
James is addressing those who CLAIM to have faith. When read in context the meaning is made more clear.
Bible teacher R. C. Sproul makes James chapter 2 clear:
James 2:14 Can faith save. This introduces the crucial issue of the relationship between faith and works. The question under scrutiny is, What kind of faith is saving faith? James's question is rhetorical; the obvious answer is that faith without works cannot save. Faith that yields no deeds is not saving faith. The New Testament does not teach justification by the profession of faith or the claim to faith; it teaches justification by the possession of true faith.
2:21 justified. James appeals to Abraham as his chief exhibit of one who is justified by his works. This involves no conflict with Paul who also appeals to Abraham as the chief exhibit of one justified by faith. Note that James appeals to Gen. 22, while Paul appeals to Gen. 15. In the sight of God Abraham is justified in Gen. 15, long before he offers Isaac on the altar. God knew Abraham's faith to be genuine. Abraham is justified to us, to human eyes, in Gen. 22 when he shows his faith through his obedience.
Jesus used the same verb in Luke 7:35 when he declared "wisdom is justified by all her children" (i.e., shown to be genuine wisdom by its results). Here, to "justify" does not mean to be reconciled to God but to demonstrate the truth of a prior claim. Just as true wisdom is demonstrated by its fruit, Abraham's claim to faith is justified by his outward obedience. Yet his works were not the meritorious cause of his salvation; they added no merit to the perfect and sufficient merit of Christ.
http://www.sohmer.net/GoR/05-salvation.php#james2