Why Trying To Work Out, Or EARN Your Own Salvation, Is Futile [Spirituality & Religion]

In 1 John, Chapter 5, verses 3-4, the apostle Paul is NOT saying obedience BRINGS salvation. Common sense tells you that a person is not obedient to someone they don't even love. But this is not a "have-to" obedience we're talking about, when it comes to the Lord.

Would you do things for your partner, if you didn't love him or her? You might, but it wouldn't be out of love. It would be out of some type of fear or "have to" situation. Maybe out of guilt.

You either fear, or you love. The two cannot share the same seat of your heart OR head. Further, you either trust, or you don't. There's no middle ground.

The obedience Paul is talking about here, strictly comes out of love and gratitude for what Jesus did for us on the cross, and His great love for us....never from force...as "perfect love HAS no fear" and Jesus's love for us, is perfect! So what Paul is teaching here, is that obedience to one's Savior, is the way His followers choose to show their love for Him. We freely give it.

There's no such thing, that followers WOULDN'T follow Him. They are HIS CHILDREN. They belong to, and ARE, His family. Forever heirs of Christ, salvation, and heaven. So where is the fear? There IS none.

Followers are perfected in love. God creates in them, a new heart and spirit, cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear, because fear has punishment; and the one who fears, is not complete in love. 1 John 4:18." Fear cannot exist where there is Love. God is Love, so God being all-there-is, means that Love is all-there-is.

Watch this. The FEAR that perfect loves casts OUT, is the fear of God’s judgment. WHY? Because...

Romans 8:1 - "There is, therefore, now NO CONDEMNATION...to those who are in Christ Jesus!" Our SINS WHICH CONDEMNED US....have ALL been washed AWAY, by the blood of Jesus Christ. By the grace of God, believers in Jesus Christ, will not face the condemnation SIN PUT ON THEM...NOT GOD! Stop blaming God. By the grace of God, “We have passed from death to life!!” (1 John 3:14).

We are not saved by our own efforts. In fact, Paul argues that even our faith is a gift from God, and therefore, there is no room for man’s boasting. Salvation is a work of God...not man.

On the opposite side, others here are trying to teach each to “Work! Work! Work! Discipline yourself!” to the exclusion of reliance on God, at all. FAITH is all ABOUT trusting. These types of false teachers often become legalistic, relying totally on works of the flesh to gain salvation. Listen to what Paul said to the Galatians: “Are you so foolish?!! After beginning with the Spirit, are you NOW trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Galatians 3:3). We can see how ridiculous that is. What Paul is saying here, is that it is strictly the "work" of Jesus on the cross, that KEEPS us saved. NOT our own efforts. There are certainly good works one does AFTER they are saved, but they have NOTHING to do with salvation. To "work out our salvation" means TO CULTIVATE IT.