I fear that Dispensational theology has been in part to blame. The only sermons on the judgment of Christians seem to place Christians in some other galaxy where their works pass through a fire in order to determine what rewards they will get, and that's it. I believe most evanjellycals intuitively know that works must accompany salvation, but they simply do not even seem realize the weight of the problem.
The New Testament speaks of works being the basis of judgment as to determine whether one goes to heaven or hell so often, that I am amazed we miss it. Let me offer a couple of teachings by Christ. In Matthew 25, Jesus uses a parable that speaks of separating the sheep from the goats. The basis of their separation is works. Notice what He says, "And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" Jesus refers to their actions as being the basis of their judgment.
Another text that is often overlooked is John chapter 5:25-29:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment."
Jesus actually says those who have done good will rise to life. Therefore works will be the basis on which a man rises to life or death. Does this mean what Rome or Utah or the miriads of other works oriented religions teach? I say no.
Notice even in John 5 Jesus speaks of His voice as raising the dead. He speaks of men having eternal life now in the present. This eternal life is the underlying cause of men "doing good". Jesus is speaking of kinds of men. These passages are able to be interpreted as being "descriptive" and not "prescriptive". Let me offer an example where Jesus teaches this belief.
In Matthew chapter 7 we are told that good trees bear good fruit. Please notice that the fruit only gives information as to the nature of the tree. The tree itself is good, therefore it produces good fruit. Bad trees do the opposite. Therefore on the day of judgment, the fruit will proclaim to all what the tree truly is...good or bad.
Therefore the works a Christian does does not save him, but declares to all that he is saved and will be judged as one of the righteous. So when the RC apologist reads a text like Romans 2 he must be asked, "Is Paul speaking 'prescriptively' or 'descriptively'?" If we do not allow an overriding authority to tell us the meaning of the Bible, but instead allow the Scripture tell us its meaning, we will find that works oriented passages and faith alone passages can be harmonized as Reformed Protestant teaching has demonstrated for centuries.
In conclusion, only those who are in Christ, know Christ, known by Christ, walk in the light as He is in the light, possess eternal life, coming ones, drinking ones, believing ones, sanctified ones, holy ones, those who walk by faith, justified, and obedient to the gospel and ect. will rise to life.
The opposite is also true in 1 Corinthians, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
With the proper interpretation of Scripture, we find that salvation, including our works, is all of God's Grace. For apart from Christ, we can do nothing and would still be by nature, children of wrath.
Soli Deo Gloria
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