If you agree with that concept, then you agree that even Christians will be scrutized for heaven or for hell. The Bible makes it clear that Christians will also be scrutinized. Those found in Christ will be granted mercy and will not be subjected to God's judgment - a fiery wrath. Now, what will God use to "weed out" the good from the bad? Our actions. Nearly every book of the NT discusses that our eternal end will be dependent upon our response to God's good graces through our actions.
I wrote "Men are judged based on how they utilize the graces from God. No, they don't earn anything, because NO ONE can say "look what I done by myself".
You responded To me this still seems like a 180 degree contradictory statement. In the second sentence you say that men are judged for salvation on what they do. In the third sentence you say no one earns anything for salvation because of what he did. You can have one or the other, or neither, but you cannot have both. :)
I suppose I am not making myself clear. God gives us the gifts, whether spiritual (to fight sin or to be virtuous) or physical (to be strong or healty). Thus, at the end of the day, HOW can we come to God and say "I deserve this", because our gifts to serve him have been given to us by Him? However, it doesn't follow that because God has given us every good gift, that we are not involved in a free will response to His commands.
It is akin to receiving a vacuum for a present. Without it, I couldn't clean the floor. With it, I can choose to use it or not. I will not be able to go to God and say "Look, I cleaned the floor, I deserve something". We are only servants doing what we are expected to do - as Eph 2:10 states. Thus, the "why" I vacuum" is not to receive a reward, but as a loving response as part of the covenant with God. This is the response that the People of God, both OT and NT, are expected to provide to God.
God, being righteous, has promised a reward, eternal life, to those who obey Him. We have received the first fruits of this eternal life even now. We CAN love our enemies! Wow. Amazing. Eternal life has begun within us, because only by CHRIST can we love our enemies. This is proof of the beginning of our reward.
However, if we choose NOT to vacuum, despite the command, despite the ability given, God will judge accordingly. Thus, when God will scrutinize us, He will take into account how we obeyed Him - whether we used the gifts He has given us or not. At what point we give up our inheritance in this world, we cannot say.
And yet you just finished telling me that we do not merit entry into Heaven. Perhaps the entire concepts of "merit" or "earning" or "works" have theological meanings that appear no where in dictionaries. That must be the case since I have never been able to even follow this line of reasoning. :)
Sure there is. Look up "merit" in the Catholic Encyclopedia, and you will find two types of merit, a primary and secondary sense. It will explain the difference.
We humans need motivation and God uses different methods of accomplishing that. A large amount of that is contained in the encouragements and teachings we get in the Bible.
Which is exactly why we do not believe in Sola Scriptura. In two sentences, you have twice denied it.
True, false believers exist and will be turned away at the end. OTOH, true believers have already had their places made in Heaven by Christ Himself. (John 14:2-3)
Problem is that we don't know who the true believers are... I've known people who think they are true believers fall away and become atheists. Presumption is not something true believers have. We place our hope in Christ and pray for our PERSEVERANCE! Thus, if one presumes that they already have a place in heaven for themselves, they are not a true believer.
Regards
No, it was decided by God's actions. If our actions determine Heaven or hell, then you have to throw out a multitude of Biblical passages. Or, those passages can be pretzeled beyond all recognition.
Nearly every book of the NT discusses that our eternal end will be dependent upon our response to God's good graces through our actions.
But not dependent in the Apostolic sense. If someone does no works, then he is not saved into Heaven because he has not persevered. We disagree on who gets the pat on the back for our works. God or man. In addition, I "think" we disagree on whether there is one judgment or two. So, for you every works-based verse that mentions "judgment" is salvation vs. hell.
At the salvation judgment, I can just see God standing there and asking an Apostolic why He should let him into Heaven. Then, I presume, the Apostolic will try to list all the wonderful things he has done in his life and hope that it is enough to receive God's mercy and passage into Heaven. When it is my turn, I am simply going to point to my "Mouth", whose name is Jesus Christ. He will do all of my talking for me. BTW, that's always an option for you too, if you ever get stuck. :)
However, it doesn't follow that because God has given us every good gift, that we are not involved in a free will response to His commands.
The disagreement is over what "involved" means. To me it means that we are there to carry out God's works. I think the Apostolic would say that God gives us the tools to carry out our own works, and those who do that pleasingly enough (quality, quantity, or both) for God are the ones who get into Heaven. That is plainly an earned salvation. Let me ask this: if you do not believe in earned salvation through works, then how WOULD you describe a system that was indeed based on doing enough good deeds, and loving enough by some Godly measure, i.e. an earned salvation? I can't see any difference.
Loving itself is of course work in a real sense. If I do a job that I hate to feed my family I would think that I would get "love points" (for lack of a better term), and it would certainly be work to me. We cannot just say that acts of love are immune to being counted as work. Many times they are very hard, as the Bible tells us. How easy is it for us to love our friends, etc., we should love our enemies. I would assume your side would say that with everything else equal, the guy who does a better job at this will have the edge over the next guy for getting into Heaven. The first guy earned a higher "rating". How else could this work?
It is akin to receiving a vacuum for a present. Without it, I couldn't clean the floor. With it, I can choose to use it or not. I will not be able to go to God and say "Look, I cleaned the floor, I deserve something".
Why not? You say that you didn't do it to receive something, but out of pure love. That is fine. HOWEVER, are you not ALSO saying that this is EXACTLY what you will be judged on in order to get into Heaven? If so, then it comes out the same. Why should God let you into Heaven? Apostolics presumably are going to point to things like "vacuuming". :) We will not.
FK: "We humans need motivation and God uses different methods of accomplishing that. A large amount of that is contained in the encouragements and teachings we get in the Bible."
Which is exactly why we do not believe in Sola Scriptura. In two sentences, you have twice denied it.
Then it's a double negative and it all means that I supported Sola Scriptura once. :) I only meant that God reaches us through the Bible, and also in a more direct personal sense, through specific leading. God can also use specific people in certain circumstances for specific purposes, but none of this speaks to Sola Scriptura. I don't know what you're saying.
Problem is that we don't know who the true believers are...
You're right, but why is that a problem? All of us CAN know about ourselves, but no one else with absolute certainty. It is for THIS reason that we Reformers minister to the whole world instead of just a few on the list. This is God's plan.
I've known people who think they are true believers fall away and become atheists.
Yes, I'm sure we all have. So, we just keep right on ministering to them as God allows. No problem.
We place our hope in Christ and pray for our PERSEVERANCE! Thus, if one presumes that they already have a place in heaven for themselves, they are not a true believer.
Yes, we place our hope in Christ, and part of that hope is in that the words Christ spoke were true. If they were, then we are told that we may be sure of our salvation and have confidence in Him during our lives that He is good for His word. If He had spoken other words, then it may not have been part of God's plan that we could have assurance. But, fortunately for those who choose to take advantage of it, confidence and security are available to all believers.