You say we must not move away from the faith whereby we are saved ... so were you saved by your works of love or by believing that Christ died for you?
I was saved by having faith in Christ without works.
I could of not had works of love to save me when I confessed Christ for I would fall short of that love not having received the Spirit until after I confessed Christ.
A lot people do not understand when Paul is speaking according to the flesh or the Spirit.
We are saved by faith alone, and not by works, when we first confess Christ for that is all we can do for we are in the flesh but God drew us to the Son because of our heart condition.
But when we receive the Spirit then we have to have works of love by the Spirit to have faith active in our lives.
Of course if we sin it can be forgiven but we must not allow ourselves to live in sin but living in sin can be forgiven too.
But when we leave this earth we better make sure that we want no sin in our lives and mean it.
If we live in sin we have no salvation.
2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
This says it all concerning a person that has faith and are saved but lost salvation but how did they lose salvation.
They escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Jesus and knew the way of righteousness so they were saved.
And it had been better if they had not know the way of righteousness than to depart from so they were saved but fell from the truth.
This cannot be denied.
So I want to know if they had faith and were saved how did they fall away if it is faith alone.
So obviously there is more to it than faith alone and that is having charity, love in action, works of love.
Co 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.
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.
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.
I was saved by having faith in Jesus and not by works.
But now that I am saved I have to allow the Spirit to lead me to do works of love to remain saved for love is greater than faith and faith works by love and love is the fulfilling of the law.
But many people that were saved neglected that love which the Bible testifies that it can happen if they do not do what is right and love properly.