I feel like we are on different wavelengths.
I will just clearly state that "saved is save" not quasi saved,
not only if you love saved,
not only if you obey saved
... it an irrevocable Gift.
There is nothing we can do to earn it and by the same measure nothing we can do to lose it.
End of Story.
This is the starting point of understanding all scripture.
That's a beautiful and profound question—and it touches the deepest core of what it means to be a follower of Christ.
Let’s unpack it together slowly, and reverently.
Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)
“...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
This passage emphasizes the
simplicity and sufficiency of faith in Christ for salvation. It is the
entry point—a doorway into the kingdom. It's not about merit, but trust. That trust is rooted in God's grace, not human effort.
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
This is
foundational: salvation is a
gift. Not earned. Not deserved. It is wholly God's initiative.
But here's the pivot:
1 John 3:22-23
“...whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.”
So
belief and love are inseparable. These are not two separate “tracks.” They're one vine and its fruit. You don’t get one without the other—not truly.
So How Do We Reconcile Love as a "Command" With Grace?
The key is understanding
what kind of love we’re talking about. This is not human effort or niceness or moral performance.
This is
agapē love—
divine love,
Spirit-born,
Christ-revealed,
cross-shaped love.
It
flows from God, not from human ability. That’s why...
“The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
—Romans 5:5
So, love isn’t a human work—it’s the
evidence that the Holy Spirit dwells in someone.
It's
the inevitable fruit of a tree that has been rooted in Christ.
Can the Tree Not Bear Love?
No. Not if it’s alive in Christ.
“Every good tree bears good fruit...
A bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” —Matthew 7:17-18
So a person who is
truly born again, filled with the Spirit,
will inevitably love. Not perfectly, but truly. And love becomes the
proof that their faith is real:
“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.
Whoever does not love abides in death.” —1 John 3:14
That’s not a threat—it’s a spiritual diagnosis.
Not a Burden—but a Birth
God doesn't give the command to love
as a condition for being saved, but as the
expression of having been saved.
We do not “obey love” to earn salvation. But if we are truly saved,
love becomes the natural result—because Christ Himself is in us.
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” —Galatians 5:6
So in Summary:
- Faith saves us—by grace, not works.
- Love is the fruit of true faith—because the Holy Spirit fills us.
- The command to love is not a ladder to salvation, but the evidence of salvation.
- A tree that is truly in Christ must bear the fruit of love—because Christ is love.
Your intuition is right:
a loveless Christian life is a contradiction in terms.
Not because love earns salvation—but because love is
the unmistakable evidence that Christ truly lives in us.
Would you like to explore how this fits with the parable of the sheep and the goats? Or maybe how Revelation ties love to overcomers?
4o
You said:
What is the outcome for a Christian that believes in Jesus Christ but has no fruit of the Holy Spirit? Using only the N.T. Why does Paul look for 'faith and love' in the early churches?
ChatGPT said:
That’s a crucial, sobering question—and one the New Testament does not shy away from answering.
Let’s sit in the tension of it for a moment:
What becomes of someone who believes in Jesus—but shows no fruit of the Holy Spirit?
You’re asking something deeply spiritual and urgent, and we’ll let the
New Testament speak plainly for itself.
First: What is the "Fruit of the Spirit"?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...”
—Galatians 5:22-23
Paul is clear: these are not self-manufactured traits, but the
outcome of the Spirit dwelling within. A life connected to Christ
must begin to display these.
So What If There Is No Fruit?
“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
—Matthew 7:19
Jesus is confronting
false professions of faith. People may say “Lord, Lord,” and even do religious acts, but if their lives bear no fruit—
the verdict is judgment (Matt 7:21-23).
Likewise, in
John 15, Jesus says:
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away...
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers... and they are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
—John 15:2,6
These are chilling words. The branch was
in Him, yet bore no fruit. The conclusion is that
abiding in Him must result in fruit, or else the union is not real.
Paul and the Marks of Authentic Faith
Why does Paul constantly look for “
faith and love”?
“We always thank God... since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints...”
—Colossians 1:3-4
“...we give thanks to God always... remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love...”
—1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
Paul isn’t checking if they
say they believe. He’s looking for the
visible signs of God’s life within them:
- Faith = rooted trust in Jesus
- Love = evidence that the Spirit is present
Faith and love are
indicators of genuine new birth. Without them,
something vital is missing.
What Does 1 John Say?
John draws a sharp line:
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
—1 John 4:8
And even more directly:
“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar...”
—1 John 4:20
So again:
faith that doesn’t result in love is not real faith.
Can Someone “Believe” in Jesus and Still Be Lost?
Yes—if by “believe” we mean only
mental assent and not
Spirit-transformed trust.
“Even the demons believe—and shudder!” —James 2:19
James confronts the same issue:
“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
—James 2:17
He's not contradicting Paul. He’s showing that
real faith always produces fruit. A barren confession is no different than a fig tree Jesus cursed.
The New Testament Pattern
Across Paul, John, James, and Jesus Himself, the message is crystal clear:
- Genuine faith always bears the fruit of love, because the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in those who believe.
- A so-called “Christian” life that shows no fruit of the Spirit is not life at all.
- Faith and love are the spiritual vital signs—the proof that Christ lives within.
Final Word: The Loving Warning
Jesus said:
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” —John 13:35
This is not a sentimental command—it’s a
diagnostic.
Love is the
seal of His presence.
So if a person believes in Jesus but lives without
love, without any of the
Spirit’s fruit—the New Testament warns that their
faith may be false, or
lifeless, or
not saving at all.
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