On Faith Alone and Evidences of Faith

I just want to make a clarification about what we talked about today at CG and hopefully it would provide a clearer and more wholesome picture.

15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

- Matthew 7:15-20 (ESV)

Today, looking at James 2, we saw the difference between a real saving faith, which is evidenced by a changed life and good deeds, compared with a false faith that professes belief, but is not marked by any visible change. The exhortation then was for us to examine ourselves, to see whether we indeed truly believe and have had an encounter with God, by evaluating our lives with respect to the Bible and seeing if there has been any discernible change in our lives.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.

- 2 Corinthians 13:5-6

However we must be careful, that in examining ourselves we do not then become self-absorbed in our failings and performance. We must always realize and hold to that the Love of God for His children is unconditional i.e. not based upon our performance. (Read Deuteronomy 7 for God's reason in loving Israel) Our confidence in our salvation is found in Christ and Christ alone, by His finished work of the Cross.

When reading Matthew 7, we must realize that Jesus is teaching that the good tree naturally produces good fruit and not that by producing good fruit does a bad tree become a good tree (hopefully this is understandable haha). We (the bad trees) are first changed by the power of the Holy Spirit through faith and grace to become good trees and from then on it is natural for good fruit to spring forth.

Hopefully this will bring some small clarification for you all. If there are any comments or questions, do not hesitate to use the comments section below. :)