“FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD...” 

Yes, faith without works is dead, but you’re still saved by a saving faith alone.  Try to understand this:  “Faith alone saves, but a saving faith is never alone”.  In other words, the kind of faith that can save you will eventually result in works.  For example, sheep don’t go “baa, baa” to become sheep, they go “baa, baa” because they already are!  John put it this way:
     ...ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (I John 2:29)
Notice that it says “born of him” and not “born of good works”.
     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. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
You can’t earn “the gift of God”.  Imagine that it is Christmas morning and you have offered a gift to your son.  He tries to give you money for the gift.  How would you feel?  You might feel hurt and even insulted.  If he insisted on trying to pay you something for it, you probably wouldn’t give it to him.  Have you been doing this to God?  Is your pride getting in the way of your receiving the gift of eternal life on His terms?  Do you lack the saving faith that pleases God (cf. Hebrews 11:6) and makes your heart clean before Him?
...purifying their hearts by faith.  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (Acts 15:9-11)
BUT ALL MY GOOD WORKS MUST MEAN THAT I’M A CHRISTIAN!!
     Please be very careful here.  Take a close look at your good works.  Would you call preaching a false gospel that can damn someone to the lake of fire, a good work?  If I took you to the hospital when you were sick and gave you money when you were poor, but then told you a gospel that was going to cost you eternal life, could I still be called a true Christian?  Paul, a true Apostle, gave a very serious warning:
     But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we  have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  (Galatians 1:8)
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL THAT PAUL PREACHED, AND IS IT THE SAME AS THE L.D.S. GOSPEL??
 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,...By which also ye are saved,...For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:  And that he was seen of Ce’-phas,...(I Corinthians 15:1-5)
Please notice:  Christ didn’t sweat for our sins, and there are no laws in this Gospel (Good News).  The L.D.S. 3rd Article of Faith says however:
    We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
Clearly, this is a false gospel.  Woe unto those who preach it.  Paul really meant the warning of Galatians 1:8 (also see vs. 9).  Those who put laws into the Good News have just made it bad news.  Galatians 2:16 tells us:
      ...a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,...
BUT FAITH ALONE CAN’T BE ENOUGH!!  DOESN’T THE BIBLE SAY THE DEMONS BELIEVE, IN JAMES 2:19?
     The verse reads:  “Thou believest that there is one God:  thou doest well:  the devils also believe, and tremble”.  (Note:  you do well if you believe there is one God).  Actually, there are two kinds of belief or faith.  One can save you, and the other one cannot.  The kind the demons have is merely intellectual.  They know about God and the fate they will one day suffer (Matthew 8:28,29).  No demon can trust in Christ with his black heart for salvation, but men can!!
     That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (Roman 10:9,10)
Men can trust in Christ with their hearts and God will credit righteousness to their account.  Demons can't.  Even in the Old Testament days trusting in God was the key. Then God saw them as righteous.
    And he (that is Abraham) believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)
    ...but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)
    They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. (Psalm 125:1)
DO YOU MEAN THAT ALL I HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE, AND THEN I CAN MURDER SOMEONE AND STILL BE SAVED?
    In the first place, those who truly trust in Christ at some point in their lives are not too likely to go out and kill somebody.  But suppose they did.  Can God forgive murder? David committed premeditated murder and adultery.  He confessed it to Nathan, who said,
    The LORD also hath put away thy sin;..(2 Samuel 12:13).  Also not that the Apostle Paul said,...I persecuted this way unto the death,...(Acts22:4)
    If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

"MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" SALVATION PLAN
    Any salvation plan that promotes the idea that you can earn right standing with God through human effort is doomed to failure.  It is truly a "Mission Impossible".  Why is this so?  Isaiah put it this way:
    But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities,...have taken us away. (Is. 64:6)
The prophet Isaiah included himself in this verse!  Think for a minute.  How do you think the people at the Revelation 20:11-13 Judgment are going to feel?  How would you feel?  It will be a shocking and sobering time.  What an awesome fate!  Then comes the fire!  Yes, God loves us, but if we reject the love offering of His Son and try to earn forgiveness for the wrongs we've done, we must face His justice!  God is just (Isaiah 45:).  He cannot deny what He Himself is.
    God has a Way out for you.  Come through the Door.  (John 10:9).
    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  (John 14:6 - by  Him, not a church or works)!
    ...What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent.  (John 6:28,29)
Many Jews tried to earn right standing with God by keeping the commandments.  But to make it by the Law (see Leviticus 18:5) meant that you had to keep the whole Law!  You can't make it this way!
    For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10) ("...the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. - Galatians 3:24,25)
The world's greatest broadjumper and a 100 year old man who tried to jump across the Grand Canyon would have a common fate...Splatto!!  Likewise, those who try to earn salvation by law keeping will have a zero success rate! (cf. Romans 3:20).  D. & C. 1:32 is false scripture ("...he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;)"
    The L.D.S. Church may claim to have a higher law than the Law of Moses.  But this law would have to be as tough as, or tougher than the Mosaic Law because God doesn't lower His standards!  Be honest with yourself.  Are you really doing all you can?  If you have bad days then 2 Nephi 25:23 condemns you!  God certainly didn't inspire this either:
    "And when he has fasted enough, prayed enough, suffered enough, and when his heart is right, he may expect that forgiveness will come...." (Repentance Brings Forgiveness, L.D.S. Church booklet, 3rd paragraph from end).
But Jesus already suffered enough for me on the cross (Colossians 1:20) so that if  I'll put my faith in Him, that faith will be counted as righteousness (Romans 4:5).  Did Christ die in vain?
    I do not frustrate the grace of God:  for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21)
Will you miss eternal life, all those Jews did?
    But Isreal, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.  Wherefore?  Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.  For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; ...For I bear then record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.  For Christ, is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.  (Romans 9:31,32,10:2-4)
Don't repeat their mistake.  Trust in the living Jesus today!

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