Bible Study Grace

[Jethro Bodine]

How many works do we have to show? How many works will it take to satisfy God?

Titus 3:5~~ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us

Remember, the point is, works are the required evidence of the faith that justifies. It's not an argument against the Titus 3:5 NASB verse you quote that somehow works have merit towards justification.

But anyway, the famous question of how many works are required to justify (show) one as having the righteousness of Christ in a born again experience. Peter explains that an increasing measure of obedience is what makes your calling and election sure (evident and shown to be true).

"8 For if these qualities (of the Spirit--see context) are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten * his purification from his former sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never * * stumble;
11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you."
(2 Peter 1:8-11 NASB)

So, obviously, the answer is not zero works, as some seem to be arguing for in their 'how many works does it take' argument. And it isn't a set amount of this or that. It is an increasing obedience of the new nature within a person that makes ones' calling and election

So to think one can confess Christ and never grow up in Christ, or think they don't have to grow up in Christ, is to have fallen from the faith that justifies all by itself. Peter is saying that in verse 9 when he says the person who is not increasing in the fruit of the Spirit has forgotten the forgiveness of sin he has received. IOW, he no longer has faith in the promise of God's forgiveness in Christ. The Word no longer abides in that person. But John explains how it is the continuing believing in God that avails eternal life and the kingdom to come:

24"...he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." (John 5:24 NASB)

40 "...everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:40 NASB)

A continuing believing that will be seen in a corresponding increase in the qualities of the Spirit, not a cessation of them, or a lack of them altogether, as is argued in various grace doctrines.

 

[dianegcook]

Amen Jethro
I just don't get it.
None of us are saying that works saves ya, but as you say it is evidence of our faith through obedience to the Spirit.
Heb.5:9
And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation, unto all them that obey Him.
The Spirit that dwells in you, will not want you to steal, murder, covet, bear false witness, it would want you to love your neighbors, thus, the law written in our hearts through the spirit.
Of course we all fall short sometimes, repent and ask for forgiveness, and try not to repeat it.

They even say themselves, it doesn't give you the license to sin. Sin is breaking the law, commandments.
So why, the strong argument?
I believe we all are agreeing on it, because works, being alone can't save ya, and faith without works is dead, being alone.

 

[gr8grace3]

Remember, the point is, works are the required evidence of the faith that justifies.

. Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Grace is all that God is free to do for mankind without compromising His divine essence. Grace means favor,kindness and mercy. Grace is free,unmerited love and favor from God alone,not from our human works or because we are attractive to God. Grace is that in God which acts freely to save and bless mankind because all the demands of holiness have been satisfied in Christ.

John 6:29~~New American Standard Bible
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."

 

[gr8grace3]

Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. Acts 16:31.....free grace.

Our works are what brings blessing,reward and even discipline in our experiential sanctification in this life. And in the eternal state. Our works do not matter when it comes to the Free gift of eternal life. They have everything to do with how this temporal life goes and our reign in the eternal state.

2 Tim 2:12~~New American Standard Bible
If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;.....IF we endure we shall reign with Him. Some believers(Non-workers) may not reign with Him. But they will live with Him .John 10:28

They may suffer loss because they have no divine good production. But they will NOT lose their free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

1 Cor 3:15~~New American Standard Bible
If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Our works are for our blessings and rewards and most of all, to Glorify Him. Our works are not for our free gift of eternal life.

 

[gr8grace3]

Another very important and mandatory principle in doing Good works is doing them through the Spirit. If we do not do these works through the Spirit, they are called human good or evil.

Heb 5:14~~New American Standard Bible
But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good(divine good through the Spirit) and evil(human good through our flesh).

If we are filled with the Spirit and walking in the Spirit, our good works are through the Spirit, not of ourselves. And one principle of walking in the Spirit is KNOWING what the Father did for us. John 5:24. The Holy Spirit would never point us to do Good works because He believes the Father really didn't give us eternal life. Those works would be from the flesh and considered human good or evil. And will be burned up.
John 5:24~~New American Standard Bible
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

The Holy Spirit believes that the Father gave us eternal life. If we are doing good works to maintain or obtain our eternal life, we are not walking in the Spirit..Gal 3:2-3

 

[Jethro Bodine]

. Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Grace is all that God is free to do for mankind without compromising His divine essence. Grace means favor,kindness and mercy. Grace is free,unmerited love and favor from God alone,not from our human works or because we are attractive to God. Grace is that in God which acts freely to save and bless mankind because all the demands of holiness have been satisfied in Christ.

John 6:29~~New American Standard Bible
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."

The argument against the requirement for works to accompany salvation is the equivalent of arguing that getting wet does not have to accompany going swimming.

7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though * we are speaking in this way.
(Hebrews 6:7-9 NASB)

Soil that bears only thorns and thistles in response to the gospel will, in the end, be burned, not blessed as some OSAS doctrine teaches. That's what the passage plainly says. But for the believing Hebrews who are persevering in faith, love, and patience the author is says they have things that accompany salvation and ensure a better outcome. Fruitful land is not the land that gets cursed in the end. Unfruitful land is.

It's impossible to get out of this passage that being unfruitful and NOT persevering in faith and patience and love means your ground will not end up being burned. Impossible.

 

[gr8grace3]

Heb 6:7-9 NASB~~7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

The Ground is believers(Heb 6:3-5) and the rain is bible doctrine or His word. The things that should accompany eternal life and salvation are DIVINE good production. Works and deeds that are done through the Spirit.

Heb 6:6 Some of the Hebrews were going back to the Levitical priesthood and pursuing the "shadows" rather than the reality of Christ. This would be the thorns and the thistles of vs 8. These works would be seen as human good(evil) in the eyes of the Lord. They may not look "bad" or "evil" to us. But the Spirit would never prompt them to go back to the Levitical priesthood if the were walking and filled with the Spirit.Gal 3:2-3

The writer of Hebrews now points out that there are things that "accompany" salvation. Not "earn" salvation. Heb 6:6 has people who were trying to "earn"(human good) salvation and Heb 6:7 has people that had things that "accompany"(divine good) salvation.

Heb 6:1-9 is describing some people who have fallen away from the reality of Christ and His grace. They now have human works that are trying to "earn" salvation and no longer have divine good, through the Spirit, that "accompany" salvation.

1 Cor 3:15~~New American Standard Bible
If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Our works do not matter when it comes to the Free gift of eternal life.

Works matter toward salvation when they signify unbelief. It is then that your works condemn you.

Our works are not for our free gift of eternal life.

If your lack of works are the result of unbelief you do not have the gift of eternal life because belief in Christ is what qualifies a person to get eternal life.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

1 Cor 3:15~~New American Standard Bible
If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

In context, the work that may or may not burn up is the Corinthians:

"...you (Corinthians) are God's field, God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:9 NASB)
"Are you (Corinthians) not my work in the Lord?" (1 Corinthians 9:1 NASB)

If those we labor to establish in God's field and building survive the coming Judgment and are not found to be perishable, we will receive a reward. If they burn up we ourselves who believe will still be saved, of course. The person or persons whom you labored for in the field and building of God, but who turned out to be false and made of perishable material, not imperishable, on the Day of Judgement, they are the ones that get burned up, not the worker who believes and is saved. This is hardly a passage that proves you can live like the devil, having no righteous work and no sanctifying work of the Spirit in you, and still be saved.

Jesus speaks of this Day when everything false is burned out of the Kingdom of God:

40 "So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.
41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,
42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(Matthew 13:40-42 NASB)

.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

If we are doing good works to maintain or obtain our eternal life, we are not walking in the Spirit..Gal 3:2-3

We know that. Nobody's making that argument. What is being said is good works and walking in the Spirit (in increasing measure) follows the faith that justifies because that is what the faith that justifies looks like.

Faith changes a person. It sets off a lifetime of sanctification--a being set apart in behavior to the ways of God. That behavior doesn't earn us the justification that caused it. It validates the faith that caused it as being able to justify a person apart from their works. No validating works/walking by the Spirit shows that the person does not have the faith that justifies all by itself.

 

[JLB]

How many works do we have to show? How many works will it take to satisfy God?

Titus 3:5~~ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us

Eph 2:10~~ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
To say that believers WILL change (behavior/works) means that good works must accompany faith in Christ. And, if good works must accompany faith in Christ, than good works would be required for someone to go to heaven.

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; Matthew 25:41

What was the reason Jesus gave for sending those on His left hand, into the everlasting fires of hell?


JLB

 

[JLB]

“Whosoever believes in me will not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jn 3:15

If you believe that Jesus is Lord, then you will obey the Gospel.

No obey = no believe.

Believe for a while = saved for a while.

12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?
17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:12-19

Unbelief = disobedience

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:17

Those who do not obey the Gospel, are not promised eternal life.


JLB

 

[Jethro Bodine]

The Ground is believers(Heb 6:3-5) and the rain is bible doctrine or His word. The things that should accompany eternal life and salvation are DIVINE good production.

Exactly! SHOULD accompany salvation. That is exactly what we are saying.

They should accompany salvation because that is what the Spirit of God does in the person who has believed unto eternal life. He begins a life long setting apart of the believer to the ways of God. The absence of that process is the absence of the Spirit who does it.

The writer of Hebrews now points out that there are things that "accompany" salvation. Not "earn" salvation.

Yes!
It's amazing that you think we're saying something different than this. Good works are what accompany salvation, not the absence of them. Believers are changed people. Anybody who remains in their sins unchanged either never believed, and, therefore, was never changed, or, as Peter says, stopped believing, and as a result ended the sanctifying process began in them:

9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten * his purification from his former sins. (2 Peter 1:9 NASB)

 

[gr8grace3]

9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten * his purification from his former sins. (2 Peter 1:9 NASB)
And what will it be like for those believers who lack these qualities?

Will they be ineffective or unfruitful in the true knowledge? Or are they off to the Lake of Fire?
2 Pet 1:8~~New American Standard Bible
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We can point to 2 "layers" in 2 Pet 1:9.
1. Believers who are not rebounding(1 John 1:9)
2. Believers who have forgotten that Jesus Christ alone saved them. And now say that if works are not present they never really believed in the first place or lost their salvation because they stopped believing. They have forgotten their Position in Christ. They, in fact, have stopped believing.


Both of these types of believers are producing dead "good"works. One is not rebounding and being filled with the Spirit. And the other is walking in the flesh, thinking they are walking in the Spirit. And have forgotten that the fruit is HIS work through us. Not our work for Him.

Both of these types of believers are still going to church,doing their potlucks,teaching Sunday school and being good Christians. But they are "working' from their flesh.Never~~~the~~~~less John 10:28 still stands for them.

 

[reba]

Jas_2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Seems to me they are salt and pepper.. they go together... and balance the scale...
Set in one spot and do nothing but have faith..
the pay check will show up right? ,but your are not to do the work of getting it to the bank, have faith it will be there.. and dont even think about the work of lifting a spoon to your mouth.. The work of bathing? Nope God will send the rain to wash you...
let your faith feed your kids, put a roof over their heads and clothes on their backs... you need not do any works

On the other hand if all you do is work never have any time to pray , hug or play .. or do chores together with those kids what will they learn? just works and that is not good .. balance ...
Grace and works just plain ol go hand and hand.. being lop sided to much in either direction is not good.... The book of James is as much Scripture as any other.. and clearly shows the wisdom balance...


Jas 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Jas 2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
Jas 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Jas 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Jas 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Jas 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jas 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Jas 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Jas 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jas 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

 

[gr8grace3]

In context, the work that may or may not burn up is the Corinthians:

"...you (Corinthians) are God's field, God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:9 NASB)
"Are you (Corinthians) not my work in the Lord?" (1 Corinthians 9:1 NASB)

This is why grace is so important for the believer to understand. Our lack of understanding of Grace will eventually lead us to heresy and blasphemous teachings. This is what God says he will do to anyone who destroys the Corinthians.

1 Cor 3:16-17~~16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy(intense divine discipline for the believer) him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.


3:17~~Paul knows for a fact there are false teachers who are making it a practice to lead some Corinthians astray into some system of pseudo-spirituality through human good activities.

1 Cor 3:4~~New American Standard Bible
For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men?

 

[gr8grace3]

Jas_2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

A large portion of Christianity doesn't understand that James is talking about practical salvation in our experience on this earth. He is talking to eternally secure believers about having an active faith that is demonstrated to to the world.

Faith alone brings eternal salvation~~"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5)

It is a gift~~Rom 6:23~~New American Standard Bible
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And James knows the gift of eternal life is irrevocable~~"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (James 1:17-18).

So what is James trying to "save" an eternally secure believer from?

1. From a ruined life of sin~~."Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls [i.e. deliver your lives]" (James 1:21).

2. An unfavorable judgment at the judgment seat of Christ.~~"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment" (James 2:12-13).

An active, working faith will save us in our practical salvation in dealing with sin in this life and an active faith will save us from shame at the judgement seat of Christ. And it will demonstrate to the world, His Glory through us.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Jas_2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

A large portion of Christianity doesn't understand that James is talking about practical salvation in our experience on this earth. He is talking to eternally secure believers about having an active faith that is demonstrated to to the world.

We know he's talking about salvation itself because Paul echos his teaching in Galatians:

"6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision (works of the law) means anything (toward justification--see context), but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6 NASB parenthesis mine)

The point being, what justifies is not works of the law (epitomized in circumcision), but faith. What kind of faith? The faith that loves, not the 'faith' that doesn't love, just as James says. Faith that does not love neither secures the righteousness of Christ, nor does it show us to have the righteousness of Christ. It loses on both counts and is a faith that can not solicit salvation.

When we teach others that the faith that DOESN'T work also justifies we are tearing down the building of God by leading people away from the true grace of God (to do good works), just as the Judaizers led people away from the grace of God by teaching that works of the law are what makes a person righteous. Neither extreme leads to justification/ salvation. (Reba's balance).

Faith alone brings eternal salvation~~"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5)

There is not a single person in this thread that says any different. The problem is failing to understand that believing leaves a visible footprint that MUST be left behind because of the nature of what it means to 'have faith'. Just because faith MUST--by virtue of what faith is--leave visible footprints behind does not have to mean that the works made visible by that believing secured the justification that produced those works. For some reason there are people who seem entirely unable to understand that.

So what is James trying to "save" an eternally secure believer from?
[...]
2. An unfavorable judgment at the judgment seat of Christ.~~"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment" (James 2:12-13).

An active, working faith will save us in our practical salvation in dealing with sin in this life and an active faith will save us from shame at the judgement seat of Christ. And it will demonstrate to the world, His Glory through us.

Let's see....is Jesus warning the unmerciful hypocrite about a less than stellar entry into the kingdom, as you argue, or of being assigned a place with the condemned in the torments of hell?

48 "But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'
49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;
50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,
51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(Matthew 24:48-51 NASB)

 

[gr8grace3]

KJV Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

This "love" is virtue love and only a person who is in Christ can have this love. In fact, only the believer who is walking and filled with the Spirit can work in this kind of love.

Virtue love is expressed through something that is IN us. And it is not our flesh. So an unbeliever cannot have this type of love to obtain salvation. It is love that comes through the Spirit that is in us. Our personal love for God the Father will be expressed through the Spirit in our impersonal and unconditional love for mankind. An unbeliever cannot have this kind of "faith working through love" to obtain His salvation. And the Holy Spirit in us would never prompt us or convince us that the Father just might not of really given us eternal life and we need to work for it.John 5:24. Our personal love for the Father is in direct correlation to the fact that He DID give us eternal life when we do not deserve it. GRACE.

This kind of virtue love is expressed to us through our eternal security in Christ.

God loves us because of who He is and His integrity,not because of who we are or on our merit.
1 John 4:10~~New American Standard Bible
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 3:1~~New American Standard Bible
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Rom 8:37-39~~37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

KJV Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

This "love" is virtue love and only a person who is in Christ can have this love. In fact, only the believer who is walking and filled with the Spirit can work in this kind of love.

Virtue love is expressed through something that is IN us. And it is not our flesh. So an unbeliever cannot have this type of love to obtain salvation. It is love that comes through the Spirit that is in us. Our personal love for God the Father will be expressed through the Spirit in our impersonal and unconditional love for mankind. An unbeliever cannot have this kind of "faith working through love" to obtain His salvation. And the Holy Spirit in us would never prompt us or convince us that the Father just might not of really given us eternal life and we need to work for it.John 5:24. Our personal love for the Father is in direct correlation to the fact that He DID give us eternal life when we do not deserve it. GRACE.

This kind of virtue love is expressed to us through our eternal security in Christ.

God loves us because of who He is and His integrity,not because of who we are or on our merit.
1 John 4:10~~New American Standard Bible
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 3:1~~New American Standard Bible
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Rom 8:37-39~~37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I can't take the time to explain right now, but you're simply not understanding the argument. I can tell by how you're responding.