Works are absolutely necessary to keep our salvation because this is obedience to God.
It's not our decision as to whether or not we should obey. We MUST obey.
God has always demanded obedience.
Here you go again teaching salvation by works, namely, salvation "maintained" by works - "type 2 works salvation." MUST obey or else? Once again, so how much obedience does it take? Believers are not 100% obedient 100% of the time. It's not that we MUST obey God in order to keep our salvation (obedience is not forced or legalistic for those who are born of God) but that we WILL obey God if we truly are saved. It's not about the perfection of our walk but the direction of our walk.
Exodus 20:6 God said to Moses:
6but showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
1 John 5:3
3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments;
If we love God, we are willing to keep His commandments...
If we cannot even state that we are to keep His commandments...do we love Him?
If we cannot even SAY IT...can we do it?
1 John 2:3 - By this we
know that we have come to know Him, (demonstrative evidence) if we "keep" (Greek word "tereo" - guard, observe, watch over) His commandments. 4 The one who
says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep (guard, observe, watch over) His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. This does not mean that we "perfectly" obey ALL of His commandments 100% of the time, as sinless perfectionists teach.
What is the difference between the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant?
Does God no longer require obedience?
Did He not write the LAW IN OUR HEART??
Jeremiah 31:33
God did not abolish His law...He just wrote it on our heart.
Jesus made the same statement:
Mathew 5:17
And then Jesus brought the law to the heart level:
Mathew 5:21-28
2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the
new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the
ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9
For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
The law on our heart and mind is the
love of the Spirit, not the law of the letter. This is why Paul tells us that the new covenant is a covenant of the Spirit, and not of the letter. The New Covenant is not simply the Mosaic Covenant re-packaged. It's not about the law is abolished. It's still there for those who seek justification by the law and such people will be condemned by the law. (Galatians 2:16; 3:10, 24-28) In Romans 7:6, we read -
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. *Also see Hebrews 8:8-13.
Jesus went so far as to say that if we sin, it would be better to cut our arm off than for it to make us sin....because He understood the gravity of ending up away from God after death and He wanted to teach us how to avoid this.
Apart from the blood of Christ, we would all be toast! Romans 3:23 - For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The word Trinity is not in the bible....but the concept IS.
Amen! Which was exactly my point.
Do we find in the bible the concept of not having to obey God or do works for Him?
If so, could you post the verses please?
The Bible does not talk about, "don't obey God, don't do works for Him." It also does not talk about, "salvation by works." Ephesians 2:10 - For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. We are saved
for good works, but
not by good works. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Now to your verses:
Romans 2:6-10
6who
WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:
7to those
who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8but to those who are selfishly ambitious
and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
9There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,
10but
glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
I haven't anything to add to the above...it supports my POV.
Please show me where it speaks to BELIEVERS and UNBELIEVERS.
I find that it's speaking about doing good deeds and evil deeds.
Please post the verse that speaks of BELIEVING....
This particular passage of Scripture does not spell out the words, BELIEVERS and UNBELIEVERS, but it DESCRIBES them.
Are BELIEVERS
described as "those who have done good and will receive eternal life" or "those who have done evil and will receive wrath and indignation?" Are UNBELIEVERS
described as those "who have done evil and will receive wrath and indignation" or "those who have done good and will receive eternal life?" After looking at the WHOLE of Scripture, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. I see that you posted John 3:18 below, which answers the question.
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Of course. We're born lost. IF we believe in Jesus, we will not be condemned. We must be born from above as He had just told Nicodemus.
Amen! We are all born lost, yet those who choose to believe in Him (Jesus) for salvation will not be condemned.
But what does this
believe mean:
See verse 21:
21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
To believe means to have faith in/trust in/confidence in Jesus for salvation. "Practices the truth/comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God" is descriptive of believers. You keep trying to "shoe horn" works "into" the definition of "believe" but the shoe does not fit.
Once again Jesus is speaking about DEEDS. The one that PRACTICES the truth comes to the light, so that his DEEDS may be manifested as having been works pleasing God.
The idea of salvation based on the merit of DEEDS sure seems to tickle your ears. You continue to quote all the same verses that other works-salvationists quote in an effort to try and prove that salvation is based on works, which is disturbing!
John 3:19 - And this is the
condemnation, that
the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone
practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. *DESCRIPTIVE of unbelievers. In CONTRAST with verse 21, which is *DESCRIPTIVE of believers. Evil is reflected in fleeing from the light and evil deeds are done in darkness, while those who practice the truth come to the Light and good deeds are wrought in God.
24“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.
Is it enough
to HEAR Jesus' word, or also TO DO IT?
James 1:22
22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
It's not only
who hears My word but also
believes Him who sent Me, who has
eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Merely hearing the word without doing is self deceptive, while hearing that results in doing results in being blessed in his doing. (vs. 25)
John 14:21 JESUS SAID:
21“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
DESCRIPTIVE of BELIEVERS. 
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