We are saved by grace through faith, not by obedience.
Salvation is based on faith and trust in the person and atoning work of Jesus Christ for the remission of one's sin (Eph 2:8-9), which is necessarily followed by submission to God.
No saved person submits perfectly, we all sin.
Salvation is not based on never sinning, it is based on faith by grace.
Indeed it is, but what do we do with that grace once we receive it? Scripture is clear. Not everyone that says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those that do the will of my Father who sent me. This says that just because you say you believe in Jesus does not mean you get into heaven. You don’t not can you work to be saved. God is not a merchant. There is nothing you can do to make Gos owe you salvation, but once we are saved we have to get to work.
1 Cor 13 cannot be more clear that we are not saved by faith alone. If I have faith to move mountains, yet have not charity I am nothing. Sounds pretty bad. Jesus tells us we are not born again just by mouthing words or an intellectual ascent. He says we are born again of water and the spirt. We are baptized out of obedience to His command and to follow His example, as Our Lord Himself was baptized, and of the spirit, whereby we not only believe in Jesus but actually do what He says. We deny ourselves take up our cross and follow Him. We mortify our flesh and detach our hearts from the things of this world and the esteem of men. That takes work.
When born again it is not by faith alone, but I will grant you that it is by grace alone. A born again soul justified by the grace of God receives three gifts. These come from God alone and can’t be attained by human effort, neither would the natural man be inclined to try and attain them. These gifts are faith, hope and charity.
Faith to know that He is and is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Hope that He will complete His work that he began in us as He promised. We know that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. He says if we lack anything, ask in prayer believing you will receive and it will be given to you. Should we not ask for greater virtue that we are to weak at present to perform?
Should we not humble ourselves and conform our bodies to righteousness through repetitive practice that is spiritual exercise? Lastly we are Given Charity which many misinterpret as love of neighbor, but that is only half true. Charity consists of two commandments, the first is to love God with your whole heart, whole mind and whole soul. Love of God is reading His commandments and if we think they are burdensome due to our weakness, charity gives us the love of God to pray for the grace to obey and to put into practice Gods commands as His grace enables.
Charity gives us the grace to know Jesus’ voice and we will not listen to any other. Jesus says the Eucharist is His body and blood. Some dude in the fifteenth century said it is symbolic. Jesus says not to look at a woman with lust and since my wife is a woman that includes her too. I do not listen to some conference from 1930 that thinks they can override the clear teaching of
Our Lord.
Our Lord said to deny ourselves and strive to enter by the straight gate and walk the narrow way . I do not listen to a sixteenth century monk that rebelled against church teaching.
The difference is so subtle, and if it were possible would deceive the very elect. We are saved by grace alone, but that grace is not impotent. God is not mocked. His grace is not impotent nor a joke. The grace He bestows completes the work He wants it to do. His elect are the salt of the earth. They are not slothful scoffers who say we are not saved by works so we are not doing any.
The works of righteousness are what the elect will be doing. They take discipline and discipline comes from the gift of Charity to have the will to mortify our flesh and give glory to God in obedience.
Multiple Protestant assemblies that I have participated in actively discourage pursuit of holiness, calling it legalism. They would say we are not saved by works, do you think you are better than us? You are judging us. There would be no revival as no one thought penance was necessary. There would be little talk of God, but politics, prosperity, and unless one had a lot of recruits for the assembly, there was no place found for them. If one thought something was not right about that and wanted to know more about God, they were told they were obsessed and over thought things and made others uncomfortable. There may be Bible verses being quoted but I can’t see how that is what Christianity is supposed to be about.
In the first century the pagans hated Christians because the pagans were put to shame by the Christian’s righteous works. We do not pursue the pleasure of the world, but seek the joy of serving the Lord. That includes the work of mortifying our flesh and training for virtue, not implying or actually living like good works are a waste of time. The elect are saved unto good works and we all need to pursue holiness without which no one will see the Lord. If we want people to call us good when we don’t deserve it, are not ashamed of our lack of virtue and desire to improve, can we really say we love Jesus?
