[conservonator]

How do you read the passage out of Revelation that you just posted with out seeing the importance of the works those being judged did? How can you not see the role that obedience to the work of salvation that all believers are given by grace to do, played in the judgment of the goats? Let the scales fall! See with new eyes.

[Manfred the Wonder Dawg]

Show my, oh wise one, the Scripture that declares a man’s works count towards his conversion, being born again. The works of saints is for the giving of rewards in heaven, not as part of their being justified before the Judge of the universe. As Paul put it - man’s best works of righteousness are as dung.

From 1 Corinthians 3, note that he who does the good works (watering, planting) are nothing. It’s all from the One Who gives the increase:

“5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

[Dr. Eckleburg]

This is where the RCC makes its greatest error because it fails to understand exactly what justification means.

We are judged by the work of Christ on the cross, given to us by God alone.

Christ's work saves us. Christ's obedience saves us. Christ's sacrifice saves us.

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." -- Romans 5:19

When the Christian dies and is judged, God has promised us He will forgive our sins because Christ took upon Himself to pay for those sins, enabling us to stand acquitted and blameless before God's perfect justice.

For those not in Christ there is His wrath. For those in Christ, there is only mercy.

"Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible." -- Deut. 7:21

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"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness...

Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. " -- Romans 4:4-5,23-25