The believer's rightness before God is not based on his/her own merit, that rightness is based on Christ's merit and that merit is accessed through faith that God bestows as a gift. After that the good works we do in faith are creditable, but not as righteousness for salvation but as doing our Father's will. Apart from Christ we can do no works pleasing to God.
Thanks the tutorial. I guess I still don’t see how those passages answer my question. (Which probably says more about my inferior reasoning process than anything)
Doesn’t that parable seem to be saying that works are important and that lack of works might condemn you? I suppose one might say that works are the fruits of faith but deeds shape the heart more than vice versa.
Guess scripture isn’t always so obvious:)