Will reply only to the last....regarding the verses I posted.No more thought than what I had already put into it in my normal time in meditating on the scriptures. I look forward to your answer!
I look forward to your answers.
Consider that a living faith in Jesus will produce the fruit of repentance.
Tit 3:5, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6, Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
This "washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost" amounts to making the person into a new creature in Christ...the old has gone; behold, all things are become new! (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is a cleansing of the inside of the cup and platter in order that the outside may also become clean.
Often this involves making a 180-degree turn as a decision made by the sinner; but sometimes the turnaround can be defined not as "repentance" because it is a work of the Holy Spirit wherein the sinner is simply no longer attracted to the old things...he realizes that those things don't satisfy. He has the living water and does not need to attempt to quench his thirst with the toilet water that this world has to offer. See John 6:35, John 4:13-14, John 7:37-39.
I suggest really reading these scriptures and understanding them, in light of the concept that real obedience stems out of love rather than obligation.
John 14:21
John 15:10
1 John 5:3
John 14:21 Jesus Himself says that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments.
This means that there are commandments to keep...
IF we love Him.
So, if there are no works, wouldn't you agree that there is a problem with one's love for Christ?
John 15:10 Jesus said that IF we keep His commandments we will ABIDE in His love. He placed keeping His commandments BEFORE abiding in His love.
IOW, we abide in Him....we keep His commandments...we continue to abide in Him....we keep His commandments...and so forth. The obeying draws the abiding.
1 John 5:3 Again, it speaks of love. IF we love God, we will keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. Why?
Because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to give us the help necessary.
So we learn that if we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments.
Commandments are "works" that we are to do,,,every word out of Jesus' mouth is a command.
If we do not work...it means we have no love for Jesus.
Our works are only valid AFTER salvation,,,when we are required to obey God.
It's useless to keep saying that we do them because we love,,,not because we have to.
When God opens His mouth --- it's a command.
NOT a request.