I've been thinking about this for while now and especially in light of the recent child sexual abuse and rape that has become so exposed lately. What I think, that you expressed about good works being an evidence of genuine faith in Christ, is that those who have committed such horrific sins are plainly NOT truly living the Christian life of a Holy Spirit indwelt believer.
There is just no way that I can imagine any genuine believer can continue in such horrid and desperately wicked actions. Now I fully realize that we all have failures at times, but any Spirit-filled Christian will not be able to continue in that sin. We are changed in our natures by the new birth and we are chastised as children of God because he loves us and wants us to live holy lives. There will be a deep conviction of sin and a deep discomfort of not facing up to it, confessing and repenting of our sins before our loving Heavenly Father.
Jesus said by their fruits you shall know them. These people who not only continued in gross sin but delighted in it and joined with others in their sins show to me that they are NOT true Christians. I don't care how long they have been in ministry nor how much they have "sacrificed" for God, they will be the ones that Jesus tells to get behind him because he never knew them. They were NEVER his.
There is just no way that I can imagine any genuine believer can continue in such horrid and desperately wicked actions. Now I fully realize that we all have failures at times, but any Spirit-filled Christian will not be able to continue in that sin. We are changed in our natures by the new birth and we are chastised as children of God because he loves us and wants us to live holy lives. There will be a deep conviction of sin and a deep discomfort of not facing up to it, confessing and repenting of our sins before our loving Heavenly Father.
Jesus said by their fruits you shall know them. These people who not only continued in gross sin but delighted in it and joined with others in their sins show to me that they are NOT true Christians. I don't care how long they have been in ministry nor how much they have "sacrificed" for God, they will be the ones that Jesus tells to get behind him because he never knew them. They were NEVER his.
AMEN to every word.
While we always hold out hope that a sinner will be brought to the recognition of the depths of their sins and will be made to truly sorrow for their transgressions against a perfect God and repent and obey and believe and evidence the new birth by good fruit instead of evil fruit, the overriding reality is that there are two and only two types of people in this world - the acquitted and the condemned; the redeemed and the reprobate; the sheep and the wolves.
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain." -- Ezekiel 22:25-27"There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Rome is no place for children.
No wonder the Catholic church does not take Scripture as the final authority. It condemns most of Catholic church practice for centuries.
Hebrews 10:25-31 26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.