I’m a miserable sinner who is a practicing Catholic with a fairly good understanding of the Catholic faith. Christ’s death and resurrection opened the gates of Paradise to every human being...potentially. So, now that the gates of Paradise are open, how does anyone get that hand-stamp to get admitted? Well, if faith in Jesus Christ gets you the hand stamp, then do all Christians who believe in Jesus get into Heaven, regardless of the sins they commit, even if they are not sorry for their sins? What about Jews who love God, but we’re taught that Jesus was a; fraud? Have they no hope for Heaven? It is very complicated. I believe that Catholicism teaches that Jesus opened the gates of Paradise; that God grants to everyone in the world the grace sufficient to be saved; that we as humans cannot know how faith and works act to enable us to accept the grace we need to accept to be saved.
It is hardly complicated. Salvation is promised to those who come to God with a repentant contrite heart to save them by faith in the risen Lord Jesus who died for them and rose again, which faith appropriates washing of sins and justification, being counted for righteousness.
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalms 34:18)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. (Acts 15:7-9)
But which is faith that effects characteristic obedience and overall Christian character, baptism normally being the first outward evidence, and includes repentance when convicted or not obeying God. And which fruit justifies one as being a believer, having a complete faith, one that effects works.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (Acts 10:47)
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:9-10)
And which faith the Lord rewards under grace, via its works, though God is the one who gave faith and works in the believer to do what he otherwise could not and would not do, and what the believer truly earns is damnation. To God be the glory.
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. (Hebrews 10:35)
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: (Matthew 25:33-35)
Man could not and would not believe on the Lord Jesus or follow Him unless God gave him life, and breath, and all good things he has, (Acts 17:25) and convicted him, (Jn. 16:8) drew him, (Jn. 6:44; 12:32) opened his heart, (Acts 16:14) and granted repentance (Acts 11:18) and gave faith, (Eph. 2:8,9) and then worked in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure the works He commands them to do. (Phil. 2:13; Eph. 2:10)
Thus man owes to God all things, while man is guilty and rightly damned for resisting God contrary to the level of grace given him, (Prov. 1:20-31; Lk. 10:13; 12:48; Rv. 20:11-15) so that man cannot not claim he actually deserves anything but varying degrees of damnation, but that under grace — which denotes unmerited favor — God has chosen to reward faith, (Heb. 10:35) in recognition of its effects.
Which means that God justifies man without the merit of any works, which is what Romans 4:1-7ff teaches, with “works of the law” including all systems of justification by merit of works, “for, if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.” (Galatians 3:21)
Thus the penitent publican and the contrite criminal, both of whom abased themselves as damned and destitute sinner and cast all their faith upon the mercy of God (which ultimately is Christ), were justified, and as such could go directly to be with the Lord at death, even before they did any manifest works of faith. But works justify one as being a believer, and fit to be rewarded under grace for such, (Mt. 25:30-40; Rv. 3:4) though only because God has decided to reward man for what God Himself is actually to be credited for.
As for the pious Jew, etc. "perhaps" some could perhaps be saved by looking forward to Christ if ignorant of the true Christ, just as some could have after the death of Christ but before they heard Peter in Acts 2, and being without a sacrifice, but not as trusting in their merits, or having rejected the gospel, yet such a Abrahamic Jew would be exceeding rare.