By the works of the law shall no man be justified. Anything that man is required to do to get eternal life is a work of the law. If it is required for man to believe in Jesus it would be a work. God's grace requires nothing for man to do. John 12:47 - And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world (of the elect), but to save the world (of the elect). All scripture must harmonize or you do not understand the doctrine of Jesus. The natural man, until he has been regenerated, cannot believe in a spiritual God, or his spiritual laws. So, believing can not come before justification.
The natural man is lost and needs to be delivered eternally. The only way the natural man can be delivered eternally is for God to regenerate him (Eph 2:5). The regenerated child of God is lost (separated from fellowship with God) when he sins against God's commandments by yielding to his fleshly desires, until he repents and regains a right standing with God. This is why, when you see scriptures that use the words, repent, confess, accept, believe etc. it is always referring to the disobedient child of God. The natural man has no guilt to confess, or repent of breaking a spiritual law that he cannot discern. That is why those regenerated Jews were PRICKED in their hearts and the Jews that stoned Steven were CUT to the heart. Salvation according to Greek is "a deliverance". Most of the salvation scriptures are pertaining to a deliverance we experience here on earth.
All of these many denominations who are preaching a false doctrine that is not the doctrine that Jesus taught are still regenerated children of God, they are just disobedient children of God, in need of repentance.
Here is John 3:16 AMPC notice how strong the words believes in becomes.
And Eph 2:5 explains exactly why it is the work of God. God regenerated them and put his Spirit within them before they could believe in spiritual things, such as, the gospel.
Our faith is believing that the faith of Jesus is what justified us. We did not have access to a faith until after we were regenerated and given the Holy Spirit. Faith is "a fruit" of the Spirit. No Spirit, no faith.
If you hold to the fact that "your belief in the gospel" is the cause of your eternal salvation, then it is a work, a requirement for man to conform to in order to get eternal life. Eternal salvation is given by the grace of God, without the help of man.
You are completely ignoring 1 Cor 2:14. The natural man, void of the Spirit, cannot discern spiritual things. He first has to have the Holy Spirit before he can understand spiritual things, The transformation of the natural man happens in this order: 1. regeneration 2. indwelling of the Holy Spirit 3. faith 4. hear and understand-believe 5. increase faith
Romans 10: Saved, according to Greek is "delivered - literally or figuratively". The people that Paul was talking about were regenerated children of God, who had "a ZEAL of God" but not of knowledge and were going about to establish their own righteousness (by their works) and had not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. This verse explains the condition of most of the people on this forum. There is a deliverance, here on earth, when we come unto a knowledge of the truth. When we are first regenerated, we are babes in Christ until we grow in knowledge.
They were newly regenerated children of God and were babes in Christ, in need of a greater faith in growing in the knowledge of God. The natural man cannot discern the spiritual gospel, even if he hears it, it is foolishness unto him. The natural does not think he needs to be saved from breaking a spiritual law that he cannot discern.
They were Holy men of God, with the Holy Spirit "UPON" them, and did not understand Jesus's doctrine.
