When Jesus Shuts The door

[Seeker Of Jesus]

I just heard a very powerful message from David Wilkerson. The sermon was titled " When Jesus Shuts The door"

http://youtu.be/r9JywTliIVA

As I'm sure anyone would ask. How does a person know when Jesus has shut the door?

 

[B-A-C]

I have heard similar sermons from other pastors.

It seems the primary text for this sermon is taken from Luke 13:23-30; In particular verse 25.
This could also be taken from Matt 25:1-12; In particular verse 10.

Luke 13:24; "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
Luke 13:25; "Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.'
Luke 13:26; "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets';
Luke 13:27; and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.'

Matt 25:10; "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.
Matt 25:11; "Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.'
Matt 25:12; "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'

In both passages above, these were people who thought they knew Jesus.
In John 10:1-9; Jesus says He is the door.
In Jas 5:9; It says the judge is standing at the door.

This is sometimes preached along with verses from Romans 1.
Rom 1:24; Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
Rom 1:26; For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,
Rom 1:28; And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

It seems there are some people who do not want to repent, eventually God will give them over to their sin.

2 Jn 1:8; Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.
2 Jn 1:9; Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
2 Jn 1:10; If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;
2 Jn 1:11; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

We ourselves are supposed to shut the door on certain people and certain teachings. It seems there is such a thing as going too far.

How do we know when we've gone too far?

1 Tim 4:1; But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
1 Tim 4:2; by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
1 Tim 4:3; men who don't want to get married and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.

I know some men who claim to be Christians, who are living with women and have been for some time. Yet they do not marry them for different reasons.
There are certain sins, that after we do them for a long enough time, our conscience becomes seared over against them and we no longer we see them as sin.
I feel there are some people like this right here on TJ. They talk about living a certain way but they don't really see anything wrong with it.
They've lived this way for so long that it no longer is sin in their eyes. God has grace and mercy, he has forgiveness, (when there is repentance) but
there is such a thing as going too far. God will eventually shut the door and give you over to the sin you don't want to give up.

Jude 1:3; Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Jude 1:4; For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into a license to sin and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Matt 7:21; "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Matt 7:22; "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Matt 7:23; "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Not everyone who thinks they have Jesus abiding in them really does.
1 Jn 3:24; 2 Jn 1:9;

What is worse is that there are some churches preaching that these things are OK in God's eyes.

2 Tim 4:2; preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
2 Tim 4:3; For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
2 Tim 4:4; and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

I think it's much easier to go "too far" than many of us realize. I don't think Gods grace is something to play around with.

2 Pet 2:9; then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,
2 Pet 2:10; and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties,

Heb 12:16; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
Heb 12:17; For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Sometimes the door is shut.

 

[RJ]

I just heard a very powerful message from David Wilkerson. The sermon was titled " When Jesus Shuts The door"

http://youtu.be/r9JywTliIVA

As I'm sure anyone would ask. How does a person know when Jesus has shut the door?

The instant you die as a nonbeliever.
Otherwise we all should know and preach, that as long as you are alive in the world, Jesus never shuts the door.

 

[Travis]

As I'm sure anyone would ask. How does a person know when Jesus has shut the door?

When a person dies, the door is shut.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
​

Or, when Jesus returns the second time to rule on earth as King, then the door is shut as well.

For true reprobates, the door is already shut as they still walk this earth. I don't decide who is reprobate or not, that's the Lord's judgement. But I know this, reprobates don't think about or care about these kind of things. They don't seriously ask the question of whether they can be saved or not. They don't care, because their hearts have been completely turned over.

Jeremiah 32
38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.
​

If a person is a part of the everlasting covenant, then Jesus has put the fear of the Lord in their hearts to keep them from turning away from him. We should all have the fear of the Lord in our hearts. If you aren't scared by the idea of what would happen to you if you completely abandoned the truth and ran off into lasciviousness, then you don't have the fear of the Lord in your heart, and you should seriously consider whether or not you are truly converted (I'm not talking to anyone specific, just in general).

Travis

 

[Travis]

Luke 13
23 And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' 26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' 27 But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!' 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.​

It seems that the immediate context of this is the judgement, or the end of the age. The door is shut when Jesus comes back and separates the sheep from the goats. If one is still breathing air on this earth, they are not reprobate, and Jesus has not returned yet, I don't see any reason to believe that the door has been shut on them yet. From a human perspective, there is still hope for them.

Likewise:

Matthew 25
1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.​

Once again, the door is shut when Jesus returns. Jesus warns us at the end of that parable, Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. The day nor the hour of what? Christ's return, thats what. The door will be shut at Christ's return.

Hebrews 3
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.​

Today is the day of salvation. If you hear his voice today, do not harden your hearts, but believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. One cannot believe in the Lord without repenting. One must always forsake what they had been clinging to in order to fully embrace the Lord. One cannot turn to God and cling to their idols at the same time. It's always one or the other. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou wilt be saved. All who reside in unbelief will have the door shut on them and will exist in eternity separated from God.

Grace to you,

Travis

 

[RJ]

When a person dies, the door is shut.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
​

Or, when Jesus returns the second time to rule on earth as King, then the door is shut as well.

For true reprobates, the door is already shut as they still walk this earth. I don't decide who is reprobate or not, that's the Lord's judgement. But I know this, reprobates don't think about or care about these kind of things. They don't seriously ask the question of whether they can be saved or not. They don't care, because their hearts have been completely turned over.

Jeremiah 32
38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.
​

If a person is a part of the everlasting covenant, then Jesus has put the fear of the Lord in their hearts to keep them from turning away from him. We should all have the fear of the Lord in our hearts. If you aren't scared by the idea of what would happen to you if you completely abandoned the truth and ran off into lasciviousness, then you don't have the fear of the Lord in your heart, and you should seriously consider whether or not you are truly converted (I'm not talking to anyone specific, just in general).

Travis

I like what you say but I personally would add that your "completely abandon" is a sign of no convertion and my idea of fear is to love, endear, respect and completely put my faith in Jesus rather than to fear as to be scared or afraid. My peace in him helps me understand what he meant when he said: " and the truth will set you free".

 

[NoHype]

I just heard a very powerful message from David Wilkerson. The sermon was titled " When Jesus Shuts The door"

http://youtu.be/r9JywTliIVA

As I'm sure anyone would ask. How does a person know when Jesus has shut the door?

The time when our Lord Jesus shuts the door to those who outside ask Him to open to them like the five foolish virgins of Matthew 25, is at His appearing, His second coming.

Our Lord's parable about the ten virgins there reveals only the five wise virgins has a spare vessel of the Oil to go with the Oil already in their lamps.

When the midnight hour struck with the bridegroom coming, the five foolish virgins want to borrow Oil from the five wise virgins, but are instead told to go to market and 'buy'. By this our Lord Jesus gave us a huge hint why He closed the door on them.

The Oil in the lamps represent The Holy Spirit. And not just having The Holy Spirit, but having 'understanding' by The Holy Spirit, for that was one of the main reasons why our Lord Jesus said He would give His saints The Holy Spirit, to show us all things. So in essence, it means being prepared for His coming under the guidance and learning by The Holy Spirit of promise. It's about listening to Him with The Holy Spirit teaching us while our Lord Jesus is not yet here with us, instead of heeding and listening to this world.

So... to think one can go to the "market" and buy... that Oil, means what?

It means thinking to get that Oil by other... means instead of through Christ Jesus. It means listening to those who don't have the Oil, because it's something that cannot be bought or sold, but it is given freely by Christ to those who believe on The Father through Him and His Blood shed upon the cross. This reveals the five foolish virgins treated Christ's Salvation as some kind of flesh object with going to market and trying to buy it. And metaphorically, the false prophets in Christ's Church do try to 'sell' it, for pay in wheat and barely (Ezek.13), promising the wicked Salvation and letting them go on with their wicked ways.

 

[Seeker Of Jesus]

Nin ype, I don't think I'm in agreement with your interpretation of the foolish virgins parable because it was the wise virgins who told them to go to the market and buy some oil, if buying meant to try to get the Holy Spirit some other way than from God then why would the wise virgins being "wise" give such an advice?

What can be said about Esau? The door seemed to have been closed for him, or the isrealites, they walked 40 years but after that God got fed up with them and "closed the door" for them. These are examples of God closing "the door" to people "in time" (as David Wilkerson put it) and not in eternity.

 

[NoHype]

Nin ype, I don't think I'm in agreement with your interpretation of the foolish virgins parable because it was the wise virgins who told them to go to the market and buy some oil, if buying meant to try to get the Holy Spirit some other way than from God then why would the wise virgins being "wise" give such an advice?

What can be said about Esau? The door seemed to have been closed for him, or the isrealites, they walked 40 years but after that God got fed up with them and "closed the door" for them. These are examples of God closing "the door" to people "in time" (as David Wilkerson put it) and not in eternity.

The five wise virgins couldn't give of their Oil to the five foolish if they had wanted to, since that Oil is only given to each by Christ Jesus Himself. Telling the foolish ones to go 'buy' is exactly the advice they deserved because of their being 'foolish'. So we could develop that 'foolish' idea Jesus gave further as to how He applied it there too in according to blinded Israel who had hardened hearts and closed ears.

But about Israel, like Apostle Paul said in Romans 11, God did not cast away His people which He foreknew. Thus your idea only covered one part, i.e., the blinded and rebellious ones of Israel, and not the faithful ones of Israel throughout OT history.

 

[B-A-C]

Heb 9:27; And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
Heb 9:28; so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

It seems some believe we can pray others (even non-believers) into heaven after they have died. However the Bible doesn't teach this. Once you're dead, it's game over.

 

[Brighthouse]

Since i am a simple man brother seeker,i will be brief. You know when Jesus shuts the door, when you are standing with him on the other side!

 

[RJ]

Seeker,

I know you struggle, you have too many posts that indicate you feel lost. I offer this:

1. As long as you are alive, Jesus never shuts the door. When you die as a believer, Jesus will not shut the door either. Will Jesus shut the door is not the question, do you beleive is the question!
2. Revelation 3:20 Google "I stand at the door and knock" and look at all the pictures depicting this verse. What you see is that all most all shows no door handle on his side of the door, meaning you have to believe and you have to open the door.
3. We are human and all have a level of doubt, some more , some less.Stop looking to others for assurance and stop with any self pitty but look into yourself: Romans 10:13, Deuteronomy 3:16
4. If you believe you are save and God says he will never leave you.
5. So, if you believe, where can you go to fall away from a God like this where he will shut the door?
6. It is by faith that you are save, it by Bible knowledge and faith that you have your oen assurance, no one else can do that for you.
7. Jesus said you will have your trials and tribulations, we all do.....their is nothing in the Bible that says, that once saved will God ever shut the door on you....live it!

 

[B-A-C]

Heb 10:26; For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

It is possible to go on sinning willfully after receiving the truth of Christ.

Heb 10:29; How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
Heb 10:30; For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE."
Heb 10:31; It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

It is possible to trample Jesus under foot and insult the Spirit of grace after you have been sanctified.
The Bible says it is possible to fall away.

1 Tim 4:1; But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

Even after you've been a partaker of the Holy Spirit it's possible to fall away.

Heb 6:4; For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Heb 6:5; and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Heb 6:6; and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

It is impossible to renew them again to repentance, at that point the door is shut.
It is possible to believe for a while and then fall way.

Luke 8:13; "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

2 Pet 2:20; For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.
2 Pet 2:21; For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.
2 Pet 2:22; It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire."

It is possible, to escape the sin of the world and then become entangled in it again. It is possible once you know the truth about Jesus to to turn away and return to a sinful life.
Even after it has been granted from the father to come to Jesus, some people will leave Him.

John 6:65; And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."
John 6:66; As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.
John 6:67; So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?"

It is possible to be blotted out of the book.

Exod 32:32; "But now, if You will, forgive their sin--and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!"
Exod 32:33; The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.
Deut 29:20; "The LORD shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.

It is possible for God to strike down some people (even those who are in the church).

Acts 5:4; "While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
Acts 5:5; And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.
Acts 5:6; The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

Acts 5:9; Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well."
Acts 5:10; And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

It is possible to exchange the truth of God for a lie. It is possible to no acknowledge God.

Rom 1:25; For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Rom 1:28; And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

When God gives you over to your sin, the door is shut. These aren't people who don't know better.

Rom 1:32; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

It is possible to say you know Him and walk in darkness.

1 Jn 1:6; If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;

The truth is... we are not saved by faith alone.

Jas 2:20; But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Jas 2:21; Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
Jas 2:22; You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
Jas 2:23; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.
Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Jas 2:25; In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
Jas 2:26; For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

There are some here on TJ who say repentance itself is a "good work" to be avoided. Yet the Bible says...

Acts 26:20; but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.

 

[RJ]

Since i am a simple man brother seeker,i will be brief. You know when Jesus shuts the door, when you are standing with him on the other side!

Seeker,

• Brighthouse's simple message is the truth.
• Don't pay attention to others who would drag you down by trying to convince you that you can "Fall Away" to the point that Jesus would close the door on you. It is not true and is also a ploy used by Satin himself. Satin can't stop your salvation but he can encourage you to question it. He wants to convince you that your salvation didn't take effect or is not secure because he has left from inside you which of course, he said he would never do!
• Stand firm on the day that you first beleive and know your saved.
• Ephesians 2:8, You are saved by grace.
• Grace is a gift from God.
• There is nothing in scripture that says God will take his gift back! Think about it, our God is omnipotent. What type of God is is all powerful and perfect, gives you a gift and then turns around and takes his gift back....I tell you what kind, a false God.
• Ours is the true one and only God and he does not go back on his word.
• The key here is if you have taken the gift. If you believe, then the matter is closed, your salvation is secure into eternity.

 

[Brighthouse]

in fact as RJ said " for the gifts of God AND!!!! the calling of God are irrevocable!!( rom 11:29-36!!!) example of this? yep please look at 2 Kings 20:1-11

 

[B-A-C]

in fact as RJ said " for the gifts of God AND!!!! the calling of God are irrevocable!!( rom 11:29-36!!!)

Neither the calling nor the gifts are salvation.

Matt 22:14; "For many are called, but few are chosen."

Just because you have spiritual gifts, doesn't mean you are saved.

Matt 7:22; "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

Heb 6:4; For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Heb 6:5; and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Heb 6:6; and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

Was Judas called? Did he have the power to cast out demons?

 

[RJ]

Seeker,
Don't fall for something untrue.
These scriptures say it all:

• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Romans 11:29

Let's see:

1. You are saved by Grace
2. Grace is God's gift.
3. God's gift is irrevocable
4. End of the story period!...Unless, of course, maybe you haven't recieved his free gift yet. Can't revoke something you never recieved.
5. Seeker, have you recieved his gift yet?

 

[B-A-C]

In order for a doctrine to be true, it cannot disagree with other verses.
Some people take part of the verses of the Bible and leave out the other half because they don't fit into their theology.
The problem is they've heard it over and over again so many times they've been brainwashed, and don't realize it.

Eph 2:8; For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Eph 2:9; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Eph 2:10; For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

No one will be saved by works alone. But we are created to do works and walk in them.

Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Jas 2:20; But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

If your theology doesn't include these last two verses, it's a false doctrine. While we definitely need grace and faith, we are not saved by them alone.

Matt 19:16; And someone came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?"
Matt 19:17; And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments.

 

[RJ]

Seeker,
Stand firm in the truth!
You were told:
No one will be saved by works alone. But we are created to do works and walk in them.
Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Jas 2:20; But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Here is the truth:
This is true but the problem is that some are confused into thinking it is their works that they must do. James is not saying the works of a man but the works of Jesus through the man:
John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing

• Bearing fruit is the same as bearing good works.
• If you are "Born Again" or as Jesus emphasises, " Born of the Spirit", means Jesus lives in you now. And, the proof of you being saved by Grace alone, is that you are now bearing Jesus's fruit through you. With out him in you, you can bear no fruit on your on....that is what Jn 15:5 says!