Note 55 at Mt 7:21: Jesus made it very clear in these statements that the doers of God's will, not just the professors, enter into the kingdom of heaven. This same principle is stated in many other scriptures, and all of Jas 2 is devoted to this subject.

However, there is an apparently opposite teaching in the Word that is just as well documented (Ge 15:6; De 9:4-6; Mt 9:11-13; Joh 8:4-11; Ro 3:22-24, 4:4-5, 16, 5:2, 8, 17, 9:10-12, 10:3-13, 11:6; 1Co 15:10; Ga 3:1-3, 7, 9-12, 21-26; Eph 1:5-12, 2:8-9; and Tit 3:4-7) that states we are justified by faith in what Jesus has done and not according to our goodness. None of us are good enough (Ro 3:23). God's standard is perfection (Jas 2:10). Therefore, we need a Savior (Ro 8:3-4 and Tit 3:4-7).

Both of these doctrines are true, and, instead of contradicting, they complement each other. We are saved by grace through faith alone (Eph 2:8-9 and Tit 3:4-7), but saving faith is never alone (Jas 2:26). Just as gold can be distinguished from other look-alike metals by examining its physical properties, so true faith can be distinguished from mere profession by examining fruit (Mt 7:16-20).

It is very dangerous to make a final judgment of people's spiritual conditions (Mt 7:1), because we look on the outside, while God looks on the heart (1Sa 16:7). But for the purpose of discerning so that we might be used, we can use people's actions as an indication of their spiritual conditions (see note 46 at Mt 7:1).