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So, you would say that persisting in eternal life relies on persisting in faith, which includes doing good by faith?

Jesus DID say "God's Command is eternal life, therefore I speak as He commands Me to speak", so speaking/confessing would count as "obedience" leading to eternal life.

In principle, or "on paper", I agree, but I was told I was trying to pay God for my sins with my good deeds, so maybe there is something about my intention that is awry, in disagreement with what I think I agree with "on paper".

That's how I think. John said many leaders believed, but, bc they loved sin, they wouldn't confess. The thief who believed didn't just believe, but also confessed. This means it's not faith alone right?

Your thinking is similar to my own. I live in Flagstaff, just north of you.

I kind of agree, but if we rely on our good deeds, isn't that not relying on what He already did for us? You can't lean to the Left and lean to the right at the same time can you?

So, would you say that to abide in Him would be to take His Word in, and arrange yourself accordingly, beginning with accounting ourselves as He says (eg i have peace bc of God's mercy, not my goodness procen by my works, through Jesus), and proceeding to planning to live as He lived/commands us...

The angle I'm approaching it by is outlined in the OP where I shared many passages I had difficulty reconciling.

I am not sure what your view is.

It seems like you are denying "faith alone", and saying that, when John speaks about "faith", he, definitionally, includes, in that, also, walking in a way in keeping with that faith, and he never meant to be understood as teaching "faith alone" for eternal life?

You just agreed with my "take" on James 2, but now you're disagreeing?

Isn't it the case that James KNEW his audience had faith (ie, he accuses them of "adultery", meaning he knew they were "married" to God), and he was calling them to not only have faith, but to add works to their faith, so that the faith would be "complete", not "incomplete", so as to resurrect...

In that same chapter, Paul warns the Jewish believers they are "storing up wrath" for themselves (meaning they wouldn't be "repaid eternal life"), even though they had believed. No, many of the leaders believed, but they didn't confess their faith in Christ because they loved sin. Therefore...

When God "promised" Abraham he would have a son, Isaac, "at this time next year", did that mean Abraham didn't have to have sex with his wife?

Right, I did mention this verse, and I also mentioned the counterverses to it that I was asking how to reconcile with it :

As was mentioned in the OP, I was looking how you all reconciled the passages listed in the OP.

I'm thankful that you want to help, but I (the person you're wanting to help) also have to say that, I'm sorry, but this does nothing to reconcile the passages I asked about.

At least you're trying to help people--that is appreciated.

The answer to the OP is going to be how you reconcile the passages which do not teach eternal life is by faith alone with the passages that seem to teach eternal life is by faith alone. From our interactions, I gathered that my inference wasn't enough, but that I had to clarify that what I was...

I guess the inference that I was looking for how you all reconciled the passages I was having difficulty reconciling wasn't enough, so I amended the OP to explicitly ask how you all reconcile the passages. Thank you for helping me make the discussion a smoother discussion.