Gal. 3: 7. John 8: 39. Gen. 26: 5. James 1: 22.
"Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." But, "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham." "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
Faith and works. James 2: 14-22.
"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?"
Luke 6: 46. Luke 11: 28. John 14: 15-21. Rev. 22: 14.
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" "But he said, Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." "If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Salvation is won by the works of a lifetime.
REPENT OR PERISH.
True repentance. Luke 18: 13. Ezek. 18: 30. Luke 13: 5. Matt. 3: 7, 8.
Belief in God is followed by an utterance which lies deep in the troubled heart of man: "God be merciful to me, a sinner!" The answer of the Almighty to the godly sorrow of His penitent children is: "Repent, and turn yourself from all your transgressions." "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Genuine repentance is such a sorrow for past sin as produces a reformation of life, and bears fruit in good works. It leads him that steals to steal no more; him that gets drunk to break from that habit; him that blasphemes to desist from that evil and learn to do well. All need to repent. Even the best men fall far short of their ideal. Repentance is therefore one of the conditions of salvation. It must precede the forgiveness of sins; and those who do not repent are not eligible for baptism.