It's like the Chicken or the egg question. Are we saved by faith through grace or saved by grace through faith? Is grace the destination and faith the vehicle or visa-versa? (Calvinists need not answer.) Open question.
1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Charity, love in action, is greater than faith.
Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Paul said he could have all faith, so that he could remove mountains, but if he did not have charity, then he is nothing.
1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Paul said if they teach that God blesses people with money, and material things for their wants, withdraw yourselves from them, for God only blesses us with our needs, not our wants.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
The love of money is the root of all evil, for it neglects the poor and needy, which is what it is all about for love is the fulfilling of the law, and if they love money for their wants they have erred from the faith.
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.
James said without charity their faith is dead.
Jas 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Works of love by the Spirit, and it is not a part time deal, but all the time, for a little leaven leavens the whole bunch.
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Rev 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
These people neglected works of love, and Jesus told them to repent, and if not He would go against them.
1Jn 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
John said without charity the love of God does not dwell in them, so do not love in word, or tongue, but love in works.
For love does not count unless it is in works, charity, love in action.
If a person lacks love, works, then their faith is void, and does not count.
Because love is greater than faith, and is the greatest asset a Christian can possess.
1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity does not think an evil thought, and does not sin by the Spirit, and if we hold unto sin we do not love, for love rejoices in the truth, and does not rejoice in iniquity, and people sin because they enjoy the sin, for if they did not enjoy it they would not do it.
Which we know many lack love by saying they cannot abstain from sin, so they are enjoying sin, and thinking they are alright, and believing God blesses them with their wants, the prosperity Gospel.
Millions of them that think that their faith saves them, but lack in love, so their faith is void.
Because love is greater than faith.
Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Faith works by love, because love is greater then faith, and there is no faith that counts unless there is love.
Everything we do to be right with God stems from love, it does not stem from faith, for love is the root of our salvation in what we believe, and do.
It is love alone, not faith alone.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
We have to have faith to have grace apply in our life.
We have to have charity, love in action, to have faith apply in our life, to have grace apply in our life.
And some people do not know when Paul is speaking according to the flesh, and according to the Spirit.
It is obvious we have to have charity, love in action, works, for faith to be applied in our life, which a person is justified by works, and not faith alone, as James said, which Paul confirmed that by saying without charity they are nothing, and erred from the faith, which James confirmed that by saying without charity the love of God does not dwell in them.
So why do these people not understand Paul.
2Ti 3:4 lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
These people will not let go of the flesh, and allow the Spirit to lead them, because they want to enjoy sins, and then believe that they are alright with God despite holding unto sins.
So they will understand Paul according to the lifestyle they want, which is to enjoy the world as the world enjoys it, but think they are alright because all they have to do is have faith.
But they lack love.
We are not saved by works, but by faith, when we first confess Christ, for we are fleshy, and that is all we can do is have faith, for none of our works can give us a relationship with God apart from Christ, and when we first have faith, and confess Christ, we have not received the Spirit yet.
So Paul is speaking according to the flesh not saved by works.
But then Paul says without works, charity, love in action, they are nothing, and have erred from the faith.
Paul is speaking according to the Spirit.
But people that say they cannot abstain from sin, and believe the prosperity Gospel, still living like the world, do not want to hear that for they want to enjoy sin, so they only want to believe Paul saved by faith, not by works, and carry that throughout their whole time claiming Christ instead of moving on to get rid of sins, and hate sins, and believe Paul that they have to abstain from sins by the Spirit, and only go by their needs.
But the Bible says they are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, because they will not let go of the flesh.
It is not faith alone, because of that love thing, which must be done in action, works, keeps seeming to want to be at the forefront of what they are to believe, and do.
Charity is greater than faith, and faith works by love, and we are saved by grace through faith, so we have to have love to cause the chain of events to happen, love, faith, grace.