Faith is evidenced by a change of heart. If your heart truly changes then it is evidenced by the fruits of good works.
First comes faith - then the heart change and then good works follow naturally, as well as devotion, love, and adoration of our Savior and His creation.
Doing good works for a salary, for your own benefit is not faith nor devotion. Buddists do all kinds of good works and so do Mormons. I am especially concerned with the “good works” of Mormons because they are done in hope of “earning” reward. Many of those saving works done within the Temple are simply self-serving.
Focus upon yourself and the good works you do and what you will earn is sinful. In contrast, faith in God, and the knowledge that you are redeemed, leads to becoming a slave in devotion to your Savior. The only thought is Him. You really have no care in what you may earn if anything. Being with Him is all you could ever want or need. Faith is knowing who He is, trusting in what He has done and resting in the knowledge that whatever He does is best and appropriate. It MAKES you so joyful, you can’t help from doing good.
Every one of your Bible passages back this up. Every single one.
it is the difference between True Christianity and all other faiths, and the best and sure sign that Christianity is the truth faith of a loving and powerful God.
All other faiths require earning at least a shot at salvation, something you won't know until it is too late since you never will know the “score”. You just go through the check list and hope for the best.
Cults are particular bad about this, including (and especially) the “christian” ones. They push works to sustain the organization with emphasis on recruitment and money generation.
Like I have said before we work because of God's favor not to earn it. Paul made that very clear.
Really? Let me just pick a couple.
Titus 1:16
“16 They profess that they know God; but in works THEY DENY HIM, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate”.
Revelations 20:12
“12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works”.
Now, were they judged by their faith, or by their works? Do you feel the judgment is just to determine who believed in Christ? If belief is all that's needed, then why the judgment of works, why the need for repentance? If faith were all that was needed, why preach repentance at all?
Of course there are several others, but do you really believe these back your argument?