“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” 1Timothy 4:7-10
There is this myth which floats around Christian circles, that Christianity is exclusively faith-based. There is no such thing as works, and anyone who does "Good Works" is just a pharisaical fool.
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what goodb is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” James 2:14-26
I'm not sure where folks missed the memo, but the issue is salvation is "not of works, lest anyone should boast." The rest of our Christian life is all about works. We are called to do good to others, to pray, to draw nigh to God; the list is almost endless. No, none of these things actually earns our salvation. No amount of effort could ever atone for our disparity and sinfulness before God. Jesus' blood alone can save us from our sins. But to somehow think that because God has made a way of escape for us, and that we've been freed from the curse of sin, we can sit back and rest, is just as damnable a heresy as it is to think that by our good works we could earn God's forgiveness.
We have to toil and strive. If we truly love God, and recognize his gift to us, we will do no less than spend our very last breath for his service, and to do his will. When we find in our heart laziness, coldness, and apathy, there you can find a heart that has forgotten what God's sacrifice truly was, or a heart that was never truly awakened by the Spirit of the Living God.