[Gamecock]

2. The only way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is through DOING the will of God.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21 ESV

“An expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”“What is written in the law?” He asked him. “How do you read it?”He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.“You’ve answered correctly,” He told him. “Do this and you will live.”- Luke 10: 25-28 HCSB
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And when you realize you can’t fulfill it perfectly:

John 6:29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

[Arkansas Toothpick]

I was just about to post a comment to that effect. Jesus answer to the expert in the law and the rich younger ruler, both, is that we CANNOT love the Lord our God with all of our heart, all of our soul, with all our strength, and with all of our minds nor can we love our neighbors as ourselves. NO ONE can attain a perfect record of law keeping. Paul makes this very clear in Romans, and this is why, praise God, Jesus is our only hope.

I do agree that faith without works is dead, indeed, but salvation doesn’t come by works lest any man should boast.

[Arlis]

Yes.

And even if one COULD fulfull the Law (only He could & did), Jesus adds this giant-killer in Luke 17:10 - (NASB)
10 “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”

The deeper one goes in Christ, the better one knows Him, the more one knows his own blackness and depravity of heart. Only those who know Him little are proud and boastful, and think they are good servants.

How amazing is it that the apostle John - who knew the Lord Jesus probably better than any other man - at the END of his life, even after seeing the transfigured Jesus, saw Him fully glorified (Rev. 1:17) FELL AS A DEAD MAN?

Where does that leave you and me?

[metmom]

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Romans 4:5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

By the works of the Law is no flesh justified.

Seems this guy wants to put us back under the bondage of works.