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> Below are two sets of scriptures. One taken from John and the other from
> Matthew. How do they compare to each other. One speaks of believing, and
> the other speaks of doing, each one promising eternal life if you follow
> them, and eternal hell if you do not. Is simpley believing not enough? Or
> are we only insured eternity with god if we do the works? Why do these
> two scriptures seem to contradict each other.
>
> John 3:5-19
> 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water
> and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
> 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
> Spirit is spirit.
> 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, "You must be born again.'
> 8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not
> know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born
> of the Spirit."
> 9 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"
> 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do
> not understand these things?
> 11 "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of
> what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.
> 12 "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you
> believe if I tell you heavenly things?
> 13 "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the
> Son of Man.
> 14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son
> of Man be lifted up;
> 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
> 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
> whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
> 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but
> that the world might be saved through Him.
> 18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been
> judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
> begotten Son of God.
>
> Matthew 25:31-46
> 31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the
> angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32
> "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will
> separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the
> sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His
> right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to
> those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father,
> inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
> world. 35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat;
> I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a
> stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me;
> I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to
> Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we
> see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something
> to drink? 38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite
> You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'When did we see You sick,
> or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "The King will answer and
> say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it
> to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you
> did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on His left,
> 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has
> been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was
> hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you
> gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not
> invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in
> prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves
> also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty,
> or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take
> care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to
> you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of
> these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into
> eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."