They are EVIDENCE of salvation.
“Faith without works is dead.”
If you are a Christian but have no good works and are ignoring God’s law you need to repent.
God is not the author of confusion. That is Satan’s job and he has been busy working as Biden’s speech writer lately.
So I don’t know why we Christians feel the need to tread water like this instead of making hay while the sun shines.
Faith is the pass/fail. Without it, you are not getting past the guy with the clipboard - regardless how many works you slip him.
Yet works definitely matter. And factor into your later rewards. It’s not strictly a pass/fail system. If you think we all get the same after-life package deal: a cloud, a harp and bright white robes... then you have not read or have not understood.
Again, God is quite logical. It does not seem possible to me that a person could read the whole of His word and not understand both that faith saves and that works matter.
By design, we have wildly varying abilities and dangerously common temptations. We shouldn’t curtail works to conform and shouldn’t demand others conform to any definitions of required works.
There is no better works than to aid the Father toward a bigger harvest - it is our eternal purpose during this shortest part of our existence. Planting of seeds and nurturing the growth of faith.
Make the most of what He has given you. And you will be justly rewarded.
Don’t be that guy with 1 hidden talent.
At first I read that as “Works and Condiments”.
Jesus made clear that repentance is an essential element of belief. And if you have truly repented this will be demonstrated in your behavior. That was James entire point. Of course, regeneration by the grace of God is first necessary for any of this to commence.
Here is wisdom