Dconn I don't believe in all that SeaBass says, but our Lord Jesus did say that the one who believes in Him is a hearer and a doer of His word, and not just a hearer only.
What does that mean to you that you have to be a hearer and a doer, not just a hearer only ?
Kenneth, study Hebrews 11.....
This is what the bible teaches....
The faith OF Jesus saves us eternally
Genuine FAITH will produce fruit
Genuine faith will be followed by acts of obedience
The acts of obedience do not save, do not add to salvation, do not facilitate salvation and or keep salvation complete
The JUST shall live by FAITH
Abraham BELIEVED GOD and it was put to HIS ACCOUNT FOR righteousness
BAPTISM is the FIRST act of OBEDIENCE and is the PUBLIC TESTIMONY IN PICTURE that YOU acknowledge the RESURRECTION of JESUS
WE are NOT saved BY works, but SAVED to DO the WORKS and there is a difference
THOSE who teach saved by FAITH+WORKS=TEACH a GOSPEL of a DIFFERENT KIND with NO POWER to SAVE
KENNETH...HOW long does it take an APPLE TREE to produce FRUIT?
IS it an APPLE TREE before IT BEARS FRUIT?
IS it an APPLE TREE the MOMENT IT SPRINGS TO LIFE FROM A SEED
IT IS STILL AN APPLE TREE WHEN IT BEARS 1 (ONE) piece of fruit
Does the APPLE make the tree MORE of an APPLE TREE...NO...just proves that it is an apple tree....
Does a work of righteousness make some one MORE a child of GOD...NO...just proves they are a child of GOD!
WE are saved BY faith.....that faith BEING the FAITH
OF/FROM JESUS
How can we seen that which is invisible (faith)......by what it produces!