Judge Not, lest ye be judged!

Pope

I've been hearing things like, "judge not", "you don't have to do anything for salvation", etc., a lot, and I hope beyond hope that no one in my sphere of influence will fall for the lie that we shouldn't "do anything" in regard to salvation.

The people who spout the word "legalism" as an argument against works are simply looking for an excuse to do no works and are bringing condemnation down on their own head.

Acts 26:19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Faith without works is dead, as James tells us.

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Jesus said if we call Him Lord, or if we say we love Him, we should obey Him!

Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

When Jesus said, Judge not, in Matthew 7, He wasn't making a blanket statement, He was saying don't be a hyprocrite. Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

First, clean up yourself and your life, then talk to your brother about his.

Pope

If we say we know Jesus, but don't obey Him, we're a liar...

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Without obedience there is no salvation.

Salvation is not by works, it's by faith, and by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in that He gave Himself as the required sacrifice for our sins.

But, without works, there is no salvation. Works are because of salvation, in part by obedience to the gospel and obedience to Christ's teachings and instruction.

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Many are unable to distinguish and recognize the difference between self righteous works, and righteous works of faith. We aren't saved by OUR works but we also aren't saved unless our faith works. We are saved to work. If your faith doesn't cause you to work than your faith isn't real.

If works aren't important then why will we be judged by them?

Many people love to quote Ephesians 2:8-9, while neglecting or ignoring verse 10.

Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV — For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

v10 - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

If you can sin freely and feel good about it, you're NOT saved... Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards , and not sons.

My question to you is; If the Bible doesn't say something in one place, but another place speaks of the same topic and says something additional that's not in the first passage, what should we do with that additional information?

Do we discount the passage that has more information thereby "taking away" from it by quoting the passage that doesn't have that information and say the Bible "doesn't say" something because in the one place it doesn't say it?

Or, do we add to the passage that has less information with the passage that has more information and thereby "adding to" the information we have from the one to give us a more complete knowledge of what it means?

The answer, when asked in this way, is obvious isn't it?

See this page: The Bible doesn't say that!

More info here: How should a Christian live his or her life?