I appreciate you perspective. In my opinion, Paul's wrestling with formerly Jewish Christians about the nature of the Gospel has given those who prefer a totally passive religion a foundation. People equate Paul's council to Jewish Christians about the fact that their Law is not going to connect them the the saving grace of Jesus. We have made all definitions of faith as passive. Sit and believe. There is no repentance because you are already "saved" by our faith claim. There is no need for baptism as it is just a Jewish tradition that was discarded by faith alone. Being born again is just an ambiguous term for attending church regularly.
This passive faith enables a retreat from participation in the work of God in the world. Our job is just to believe. God's job is to do what we want. We pray for others, but not with others. We pray for the healing of others, but provide no healing. We pray for the poor, but prove them no money. We pray for the widows and orphans in hopes of whoever is caring for them will do a good job. We praise the power of God but depend on our political party more. We become highly selective in filtering our bibles. Jesus commands for obedience we convert to just believe. Jesus says if you persevere to the end of your life, you will be saved. We say you get instantaneous salvation when you buy into a pulpit prayer. Paul says faith without love is just noise, but we preach saving faith by agreement with our church's dogmas. The kind of faith we practice creates churches where all the people are of the same race, same educational level, same income level, same dress, same financial priorities, same politics and same social standing.
I agree with you that a holistic perspective of the New Testament demonstrates that faith is love in action. Jesus's actions were motivated by love. Love without action is neither love or faith. Repentance lies at the center of an honest heart. Humility lies at the center of repentance. Paul, when on trial for his life - spoiler alert - he loses, explained his entire message was to preach what he had experienced and to call all to repentance and to produce "the works of repentance." Ever since Martin Luther, repentance, baptism and being born again are replaced by "faith." If what you do in life and who you are in life and who you serve in life is not the will of Jesus our Christ, then at least you have the comfort of your "faith."
The least known and least preached chapter in the New Testament is Matthew 25.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
