For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) 

In philosophy class today, we were talking about evil, concupiscence, heaven, and doing good works.

Our teacher asked us, “Is going through trials and challenges a requirement for us to go to heaven, and that the man who has suffered much deserves the invitation to heaven more than the one who has live a good and easy life?” I smiled, shaking my head a little and whispered to myself in my seat, “what is that line again?..by faith…so that no one can boast..?” but I cannot recall the whole passage. I still find it quite amazing that the Bible is filled with an abundance of passages which are difficult to dispute, and can be held as tools in challenging and stirring the intrigued mind in relation to the most fundamental questions in philosophy.