Lord Jesus, how can this problem be solved, why oh why, is this problem unsolvable unless if rapture?
This side of eternity it will not be solved.
It will be solved when Jesus judges the world.
The works that we do for Christ will be judged and workes that we preach as such to build upon the foundation of our cornerstone being Jesus will be judged as well.
Our hearts and motives will be judged.
If our hearts and motives are to lead others to become more like Jesus, yet are wrong they will be burned up.
If the purpose is to tie a millstone around their necks or gain from it they are sheep in wolves clothing and will be told to depart from him.
For many years I shrunk back from giving my views because to be honest I was so frightened from leading someone astray.
For most of my Christian life I can say that I never ever said to anyone who came to me for advice (even in my messy crap bin of my spiritual life) who were struggling and thinking their works were not enough and feared losing salvation did I tell them that works saved them.
Yet I was the same for me, but I was also struggling with the fact that I still sinned.
So a double edged sword, work harder and sin less.
If I didn't then obviously I did not have genuine faith.
What really helped me was when I read
John 16:7-11
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
What is the sin that seperated us from Jesus?
The sin of unbelief in him.
What is the work of God?
To believe in Jesus.
That's why he sent the Holy Spirit.
For God so loved the world.
Jesus said that God loves us as much as he loves him.
And Paul tells us
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So for me I came to the conclusion.
It's my faith that saves me in the risen Lord Jesus, not working more or sinning less.
As a result I seek to sin less and do the works prepared for me to walk in before I was born.
If such things could save me then I do not need Jesus and he would not have had to die to reconcile me God, and the following is irrelevant
Romans 5:1-2
Faith Triumphs in Trouble
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Sorry bro and others who take time to read this long post.
Maybe I have digressed.
The point I am trying to make is that actually it's our faith in Jesus that saves nothing more or nothing less.
With the Holy Spirit in us we will always seek more, to be like him, to use us to discipleship others to be like.
It's not just a cold walk but one that's based on relationship.
That's why we confess when we get it wrong to continue the relationship, from our side. Jesus intercedes for us when we get it wrong.
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