The law of Moses was a system of works based righteousness which even states about itself that keeping the law would mean preserving a long life in the land for the tribes of Israel. Individuals such as King David and Moses had a demonstrated faith in God for which reasons we call them saints, but even these received an annointing with the Spirit of God that empowered them to do the works God called them to do. The law was not given as a means of eternal life or salvation, but on the contrary reveals the complete sinfulness of the human heart.
Rom 9:31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works.
David loved the law of YHVH.
Psa 51:16 For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Pro 21:3 To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to YHVH than sacrifice.
Hos 6:6 For I desire goodness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.
Mic 6:8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth YHVH require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Ecc 12:13 This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
In Christ's days in the flesh, His ministry was largely pointing out the impossibility of men saving themselves by their works contrary to the thinking of His religious contemporaries; We have three gospels which focus primarily on the weakness of men and the strength of God. John's gospel is slightly different in that it's primary focus is on the deity of Jesus Christ. What many carnal minded people commonly miss in reading through scripture is that Jesus's ministry was primarily to the Jews and the lost children of Israel, so His teaching was from the law (mostly from the book of Deuteronomy in the gospels) and given to those under the law of Moses.
Mat 9:12 But when he heard it, he said, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
So to employ a bit of hyperbole here: In your opinion, if Jesus was here amoung us on this forum today, would he be preaching a different "gospel" to us than what he taught then? Or would the message and the teachings be the same?
IOW: Would "go and sin no more", if spoken to either you or I still mean the same and carry the same depth to it. Be defined by the same "measure" or "standard".
The gospel as preached by Paul was primarily to the Gentiles (though Paul always preached to the dispersed Jews first until he was by and large rejected by them) so the good news of God's grace was given primarily to those without law. The gospel of God's grace is about believing and receiving Christ by faith
So here you are in essence saying that the message is the same. It was by faith then, and it is still by faith. Which, seems to be what I previously stated by way of question.
not by doing works of any sort (faith is God's work in us.)
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.
Even the first church in Jerusalem acknowledged this by making no requirements of the gentile churches other than they obstain from sexual immortality and foods sacrificed to idols.
Well, you kinda named two of the four. However:
By what standard or measure was / is "sexual immortality" [sic] (immorality) defined?
Was it the same measure or standard that the Bereans examined?
Salvation is a gift in which our part is only to believe and receive our Lord with all that implies.
Key words: "with all that implies".
The scripture plainly says that we are saved for good works, not by them.
Eph 2:12 that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
When those of Egypt also left with Israel in the Exodus, was there a different "standard" for them? Or was there one law for both the native born and the those who sojourned with them? For they also, joined themselves to the "commonwealth of Israel". Into which, we are grafted.
The Apostle Paul wrote multiple epistles explaining these things and nearly 2000 years later the largest "Christian" denomination continues to trample upon the cross of Christ imagining that they somehow contribute to God's finished work through Christ Jesus. That's a disgrace .
What's truly a "disgrace" from my perspective, is your attempt to use your reply to me as a platform to "bash" a denomination that you deem to be inferior to yours.
Thus, to simply "believe" without doing "all that implies", your "belief / faith" will be reckoned as unbelief.
"the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone."