Yes, we do not work to earn salvation, being born again.
We do not gain salvation, being born again, by keeping the works of the law. We are not rewarded salvation, being born again in exchange for doing a certain amount of good works.
However we must obey the Gospel, in order to be born again.
You continue to contradict yourself.
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:16-17
But they have not all obeyed the gospel
again
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:8
on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Romans 10:16, we read: But they have not all
obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has
believed our report?" We can clearly see that we
obey the gospel by choosing to believe the gospel (Romans 1:16).
*Refusing to obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8)
is refusing to believe the gospel.
The gospel is a message of grace to be received through faith. The gospel is not a set of rituals to perform, a code of laws to be obeyed or a check list of good works to accomplish as a prerequisite for salvation.
The gospel simply sets forth Christ crucified, buried and risen (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and is the
power of God unto salvation for everyone who
BELIEVES.. (Romans 1:16). So we
obey the gospel by choosing to believe/trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the all sufficient means of our salvation.
*We are
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).
This is the law of faith.
That you have turned into "your version" of the law of works - "faith plus obedience/works righteousness."
James explains -
by works faith was made complete [perfect]
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
James 2:21-22
Was not Abraham our father
justified by works when he offered Isaac
The "works" James is describing is the work or action of
obedience.
In James 2:21, *notice closely that James
does not say that Abraham's work of offering up Isaac resulted in God's accounting Abraham as righteous. The accounting of Abraham's faith as righteousness was made in Genesis 15:6,
many years before his work of offering up Isaac recorded in Genesis 22. The work of Abraham did not have some kind of intrinsic merit to save him, but it
showed/evidenced the genuineness of his faith. This is the sense in which Abraham was "justified by works." He was
"shown to be righteous."
In James 2:22, faith made perfect or complete by works means
bring to maturity, carry to the end, to complete like love in 1 John 4:18. It does not mean that Abraham was finally saved based on merits of his works after he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. When Abraham performed the good work in Genesis 22; he
fulfilled the expectations created by the pronouncement of his faith in Genesis 15:6. *You need to properly harmonize scripture with scripture.
You need to remember that James is discussing the
proof/evidence of faith (
says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works - James 2:14-18),
not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God (Romans 4:2-3).
Not the works of the law
Not good works
Not works that earn a wage
The work here that James is referring to is the work of obedience.
Works = The effort obedience requires.
Distinction without a difference. When it comes to the moral aspect of the law, you cannot dissect good works/works of obedience from the law (Matthew 22:37-40), so the not saved by "these" works (works of the law/good works) but saved by "those" works (works of obedience) argument is bogus.
James says that faith without this corresponding action of obedience, is dormant; inactive.
Faith that produces no works at all demonstrates that it's dead. That kind of faith cannot save, because it is an
empty profession of faith and not genuine faith (James 2:14). Not hard to understand. Just hard for you to ACCEPT.
Just like a body without the spirit is dead, so faith without this obedience is dead, and is unable to produce the intended divine result. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James 2:26
The comparison of the human spirit and faith converges around their modes of operation. The spirit (Greek pneuma) may also be translated "breath." As a breathless body emits no indication of life, so fruitless faith exhibits no indication of life. The source of the life in faith is not works; rather, life in faith is the source of works. We are made alive together with Christ by grace through faith, not works (Ephesians 2:5-9). You need to stop putting the cart before the horse and teaching salvation by works.
So the component of the Gospel that activates the faith we receive by hearing it, is for us to obey the Gospel.
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:8
on those who
do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
Once again, we
obey the gospel by choosing to believe the gospel (Romans 1:16; 10:16). *Not to be confused with multiple acts of obedience/works which "follow" obeying the gospel by choosing to believe the gospel.