Christ died for me

[fhansen]

In this passage we are not told that we are perfect. If one lives habitually in sin then he is wicked and does not have faith. Sanctified in this sense talks about the new spirit infused at regeneration and our being set aside to God, not being perfect.

Of course, relative to God, human perfection in general is inferior. But God has a “perfection” for us in the sense that we will be perfected in love before we enter heaven. Catholics believe that justification and sanctification are inseparable, that one must be sanctified in order to be justified. So, for an adult, this is a process which happens over time- neither faith nor Baptism nor works saves us but rather grace and our cooperation with it-the first response or act on an adult’s part being that of faith which should progress to Baptism. But it doesn’t stop there for us. It’s also acknowledged that those living past Baptism will sin and that Jesus saves us while yet in those sins-again, a process -of perfecting-because nothing imperfect will enter heaven. I wouldn’t want it any other way myself. Part of this process of perfecting, as Augustine says, is for man to come to know his own imperfection.

We in our sinfulness won’t be standing in front of God shielded by Jesus’ blood; rather Gods’ plan is to get us to stand and face Him sinless. This means to be perfected in love, perfectly unattached to and turned away from sin and totally and perfectly turned to God-a direct reversal, within ourselves, of the turning from God done by Adam & Eve. This is the perfection God is after in us-a perfected will to love only Him first. Nothing less will do for entrance to heaven, even if, by Gods’ mercy, we must first pass thru a final “fire” to purge the last vestige of imperfection.

 

[SyCarl]

Of course, relative to God, human perfection in general is inferior. But God has a “perfection” for us in the sense that we will be perfected in love before we enter heaven. Catholics believe that justification and sanctification are inseparable, that one must be sanctified in order to be justified. So, for an adult, this is a process which happens over time- neither faith nor Baptism nor works saves us but rather grace and our cooperation with it-the first response or act on an adult’s part being that of faith which should progress to Baptism. But it doesn’t stop there for us. It’s also acknowledged that those living past Baptism will sin and that Jesus saves us while yet in those sins-again, a process -of perfecting-because nothing imperfect will enter heaven. I wouldn’t want it any other way myself. Part of this process of perfecting, as Augustine says, is for man to come to know his own imperfection.

We in our sinfulness won’t be standing in front of God shielded by Jesus’ blood; rather Gods’ plan is to get us to stand and face Him sinless. This means to be perfected in love, perfectly unattached to and turned away from sin and totally and perfectly turned to God-a direct reversal, within ourselves, of the turning from God done by Adam & Eve. This is the perfection God is after in us-a perfected will to love only Him first. Nothing less will do for entrance to heaven, even if, by Gods’ mercy, we must first pass thru a final “fire” to purge the last vestige of imperfection.

However the passage from Matthew you quoted told us to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. So Jesus is talking about a specific perfection, that of God. You have acknowledged that we can not achieve God’s perfection. Therefore what Christ must be telling us is to have it a goal, not something that we can achieve.

 

[fhansen]

However the passage from Matthew you quoted told us to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. So Jesus is talking about a specific perfection, that of God. You have acknowledged that we can not achieve God’s perfection. Therefore what Christ must be telling us is to have it a goal, not something that we can achieve.

I’m saying God’s given us a goal, of perfection, to strive after which is achievable prior to entrance into heaven. We’ll never achieve the perfection *of *God. We can only be like God in His qualities and perfect in the way He’s ordained for us to be.

 

[Monica4316]

SyCarl, do you believe that Christ’s merits are attributed to us if we believe, or that by a living faith we accept His merits which then become part of us? In other words, do you believe that Christ’s sacrifice allows us to be* transformed into perfect people, or that it covers *our imperfection?

I believe that when we ask for forgiveness, our sins actually disappear…Christ’s blood doesn’t just cover them, but washes them away and the reason we must have faith is not so that His righteousness could be attributed to us, but so that it could enter into us and transform us into* actually *righteous people. And of course this is all done by grace.

the reason I believe this is because in the Bible it is clear that we should obey God (those who obey His commands, are those who love Him)…and this obedience to God is the result of His grace working in our lives. One of the ways we receive this grace is through the Sacraments.

God bless

monica

 

[SyCarl]

SyCarl, do you believe that Christ’s merits are attributed to us if we believe, or that by a living faith we accept His merits which then become part of us? In other words, do you believe that Christ’s sacrifice allows us to be* transformed into perfect people, or that it covers *our imperfection?

I believe that when we ask for forgiveness, our sins actually disappear…Christ’s blood doesn’t just cover them, but washes them away and the reason we must have faith is not so that His righteousness could be attributed to us, but so that it could enter into us and transform us into* actually *righteous people. And of course this is all done by grace.

the reason I believe this is because in the Bible it is clear that we should obey God (those who obey His commands, are those who love Him)…and this obedience to God is the result of His grace working in our lives. One of the ways we receive this grace is through the Sacraments.

God bless

monica

Our sins are actually forgiven but we are not made perfect. We are transformed by regeneration so that we do have a new nature imparted to us, one that allows us to realize our sins and want to please God. We are no longer slaves to sin. However we still have a remnant of our sinful nature left so we are not perfect. In sanctification we must struggle against our old nature to become more Christ like. Sanctification is not completed in this life. It is the remnant of our sinful nature that can be likened to being covered. Whatever words we use and however we describe what happens is only our finite way of trying to describe God’s infinite workings.

Of course we should obey Him because it is what He wants and is one of the reasons we have been given a new nature.

If God’s grace was tied to any actions on our part it would no longer be grace. Grace is God’s free gift and, as Paul says, if it is of works it is no longer by grace.

While the sacraments help strengthen our faith, I do not think that God’s grace is tied to them. I believe that a person can receive God’s grace even if he has no access to the sacraments. God’s grace is received through faith. I think that even the Catholic sacramental position recognizes this to a large extent. If an unbelieving adult is baptized, does he receive forgiveness due to that baptism? No, he requires faith and if he gains faith after that baptism he is regenerated at that point. Similarly Catholics confirm baptism of desire for catchumens. They have been cleansed as if baptized if they die before baptism. How do they receive that except through their faith? In the Eucharist, does someone receive any benefit if he receives it without faith?

 

[Monica4316]

Hi, thanks for your reply.
I agree that we don’t become perfect suddenly, that it’s a process…
I meant more like how our sins are forgiven, whether they actually disappear or are covered by Christ’s sacrifice.
There seems to be a difference in opinion about this between Catholicism and Protestantism, although I’m not sure.

btw it is true that God’s grace is present outside of the Sacraments; we receive His grace through faith as well… that is why non Catholics can still be saved and it’s also why they’re united to the Church, although not in full communion. (catechism)
I think it’s best to have both faith and the Sacraments though because that’s great for spiritual growth.
I can’t yet partake of the Eucharist as I’m not yet officially Catholic, but that’s something I’m looking forward to for the future

Just wanted to comment on one thing you said…
“If God’s grace was tied to any actions on our part it would no longer be grace. Grace is God’s free gift and, as Paul says, if it is of works it is no longer by grace.”
God’s grace is indeed a free gift, but salvation requires a cooperation with grace…otherwise, all would be saved one of the ways we cooperate with grace is by letting it transform us and by having a living faith…as we know from the Bible living faith includes good works.
That is why the Catholic position is that we are saved by grace through faith working in love, not faith alone. It’s not the works that save us, but neither is it the faith, it is Christ who saves… He uses faith and works…

God bless

monica

 

[SyCarl]

Hi, thanks for your reply.
I agree that we don’t become perfect suddenly, that it’s a process…
I meant more like how our sins are forgiven, whether they actually disappear or are covered by Christ’s sacrifice.
There seems to be a difference in opinion about this between Catholicism and Protestantism, although I’m not sure.

btw it is true that God’s grace is present outside of the Sacraments; we receive His grace through faith as well… that is why non Catholics can still be saved and it’s also why they’re united to the Church, although not in full communion. (catechism)
I think it’s best to have both faith and the Sacraments though because that’s great for spiritual growth.
I can’t yet partake of the Eucharist as I’m not yet officially Catholic, but that’s something I’m looking forward to for the future

Just wanted to comment on one thing you said…
“If God’s grace was tied to any actions on our part it would no longer be grace. Grace is God’s free gift and, as Paul says, if it is of works it is no longer by grace.”
God’s grace is indeed a free gift, but salvation requires a cooperation with grace…otherwise, all would be saved one of the ways we cooperate with grace is by letting it transform us and by having a living faith…as we know from the Bible living faith includes good works.
That is why the Catholic position is that we are saved by grace through faith working in love, not faith alone. It’s not the works that save us, but neither is it the faith, it is Christ who saves… He uses faith and works…

God bless

monica

Our sins are actually forgiven and we are cleaned. When we say our sins are forgiven we mean truly forgiven. There if no temporal punishment to endure in a place like purgatory since if there was how can it be truly said we are forgiven. We are told in Hebrews 10:16-17 that God will not remember our sins. How can that be true if we still receive punishment for them?

 

[Monica4316]

Our sins are actually forgiven and we are cleaned. When we say our sins are forgiven we mean truly forgiven. There if no temporal punishment to endure in a place like purgatory since if there was how can it be truly said we are forgiven. We are told in Hebrews 10:16-17 that God will not remember our sins. How can that be true if we still receive punishment for them?

I think you’re misunderstanding purgatory.

Purgatory is not something people have to go through for forgiveness of sin… for those who go there, their sins are already forgiven. It’s for those who are already saved. Nor is it a “punishment” in the way that we understand punishment… it’s more like being purified, because the Bible says nothing unclean can enter heaven, and only the pure at heart can see God. I guess you might say that purgatory is the final step in being made perfect - in sanctification it does not remove sin, but the effects of sin.

here’s an article on purgatory:
davidmacd.com/catholic/purgatory.htm

God bless

monica

 

[Odell]

Our sins are actually forgiven and we are cleaned. When we say our sins are forgiven we mean truly forgiven. There if no temporal punishment to endure in a place like purgatory since if there was how can it be truly said we are forgiven. We are told in Hebrews 10:16-17 that God will not remember our sins. How can that be true if we still receive punishment for them?

Does not the bible say God disaplins those whom he loves? Is that not temperal punishment?

Dosnt that kind of go against the whole Jesus covers me deal when he obviously sees your sin and dicaplins those whom he loves?

Also are all your sins forgiven the moment you become Christian or only after you have repented?

 

[SyCarl]

I think you’re misunderstanding purgatory.

Purgatory is not something people have to go through for forgiveness of sin… for those who go there, their sins are already forgiven. It’s for those who are already saved. Nor is it a “punishment” in the way that we understand punishment… it’s more like being purified, because the Bible says nothing unclean can enter heaven, and only the pure at heart can see God. I guess you might say that purgatory is the final step in being made perfect - in sanctification it does not remove sin, but the effects of sin.

here’s an article on purgatory:
davidmacd.com/catholic/purgatory.htm

God bless

monica

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the “eternal punishment” of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the “temporal punishment” of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.83

vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_P4G.HTM#CS

From the Council of Trent

CANON XXX.-If any one saith, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema.

history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/trentall.html

 

[Monica4316]

Yes there is such a thing as temporal punishment, but my point was that it doesn’t mean that sins aren’t forgiven. When our sins are forgiven we are spared eternal punishment (hell), but there might still be consequences for what we did… in this life… and we might have to be ‘cleaned’ of those effects in purgatory.

 

[mdcpensive1]

Jesus’ life, death on the cross and resurrection have done everything for me. Through faith I believe I have been reborn with a new nature. Whereas previously I was a slave to sin, I have now been freed so that I can do things that God wants. My past sins have been forgiven and I have confidence that future sins will be forgiven, through faith, relying on His mediation. Even though I am not perfect and can still sin, I know that God accepts me for Christ’s sake.

Jesus has satisfied the covenant of obedience for me that Adam broke. It was necessary that a man fulfil that covenant by perfectly obeying God. As man, Jesus could obey for us, just as Adam, our first ancestor disobeyed, and as God his obedience is of infinite value and can redeem everyone who comes to Him in faith.
Jesus showed me God and that God’s love and mercy are as infinite as His justice. He showed us true love by freely dying because of our sins. He has shown us the way to live in a manner truly pleasing to God.

SyCarl, there is much truth to what you say but there needs to be a clarification. Your faith is very much appreciated and valued by me so I don’t want to come off being judgemental or worse.

I ask if you could elaborate what you mean by having a new nature by believing. It seems to me that the scribes and pharisees believed also but did not get a new nature. I have always been taught that the ordinary way to this new nature is through Baptism so I welcome your thoughts.

Also, please tell me how sins can be forgiven through this same faith, especially if the faith is weak. Are you saying we just have to ask?

mdcpensive1

 

[SyCarl]

Does not the bible say God disaplins those whom he loves? Is that not temperal punishment?

Dosnt that kind of go against the whole Jesus covers me deal when he obviously sees your sin and dicaplins those whom he loves?

Also are all your sins forgiven the moment you become Christian or only after you have repented?

There is a difference between discipline and punishment. Discipline is for instruction and correction to affect future actions in this life. After death we can no longer change and so it cannot be discipline to affect our future actions.

You do not become a Christian until you repent. Regeneration and justification are looked at as separate but are inter-related and take place at the same time.

 

[SyCarl]

SyCarl, there is much truth to what you say but there needs to be a clarification. Your faith is very much appreciated and valued by me so I don’t want to come off being judgemental or worse.

I ask if you could elaborate what you mean by having a new nature by believing. It seems to me that the scribes and pharisees believed also but did not get a new nature. I have always been taught that the ordinary way to this new nature is through Baptism so I welcome your thoughts.

Also, please tell me how sins can be forgiven through this same faith, especially if the faith is weak. Are you saying we just have to ask?

mdcpensive1

Paul talks about the scribes and pharisees, as well as the rest of the Jews.

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
(Romans 9:30-32 NASB)

For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
(Romans 10:2-3 NASB)

The scribes and pharisees faith was in their obeying the law, not that in God’s grace.

Sins are forgiven through faith because it is the means that God chose for us to accept His grace. Our faith may be weak but if it is real it is enough.

 

[mdcpensive1]

Paul talks about the scribes and pharisees, as well as the rest of the Jews.

The scribes and pharisees faith was in their obeying the law, not that in God’s grace.

I am sorry that I still don’t understand your answer to my question. I am saying that the scribes and pharisees had faith. You could see that in their liturgical observances, especially in the temple in the Holy of Holies and how they observed Passover. I was not talking about their physical “practices” of the Mosaic Law especially like the things listed in Deuteronomy. They believed in Yahweh. Jews still do. It is the same God as Christians have so are they regenerated by their faith according to what you believe?

 

[SyCarl]

I am sorry that I still don’t understand your answer to my question. I am saying that the scribes and pharisees had faith. You could see that in their liturgical observances, especially in the temple in the Holy of Holies and how they observed Passover. I was not talking about their physical “practices” of the Mosaic Law especially like the things listed in Deuteronomy. They believed in Yahweh. Jews still do. It is the same God as Christians have so are they regenerated by their faith according to what you believe?

The scribes and the pharisees tried to achieve their own righteousness based on obeying the law. As Paul says often no one is saved by the works of the law. So while they believed in God they tried to make themselves right in His eyes rather than rely on Him. They did their works to earn something, not for love.

But we cannot achieve righteousness on our own. The pharisees were the strictest followers of the law in Judaism. Yet Jesus says unless our righteousness exceeded theirs we would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We cannot establish our own righteousness but must rely on God. That is the difference between the law of works and faith.

Jews who relied on God rather than themselves were certainly saved. Hebrews 11 goes through a list of some. The Old Testament refers to circumcision of the heart by the Spirit and Paul refers to it at the end of Romans 2. Trusting in God they were regenerated in the same way as we are, through faith in God’s grace. As the church fathers said, they looked forward to the event we look back to.

I cannot pretend to know what the position of the Jews is now that Jesus has come. All I can do is say that I trust God to do what is good and just.

 

[mdcpensive1]

The scribes and the pharisees tried to achieve their own righteousness based on obeying the law. As Paul says often no one is saved by the works of the law. So while they believed in God they tried to make themselves right in His eyes rather than rely on Him. They did their works to earn something, not for love.

But we cannot achieve righteousness on our own. The pharisees were the strictest followers of the law in Judaism. Yet Jesus says unless our righteousness exceeded theirs we would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We cannot establish our own righteousness but must rely on God. That is the difference between the law of works and faith.

Thanks for your reply.

It is true that we cannot “work” our way to salvation because our actions are so insignificant compared to One who is unlimited. This is not the point I am addressing however. God had a covenant with His people and there were requirements to be kept to be in that covenant. Being faithful to the covenant and God’s promises by keeping the demands of the covenant was a requirement. There was no “option” to just have faith in Yahweh instead of keeping the laws of the covenant. I am pretty sure Moses would agree with me since he wrote the laws for the people to keep.

Do you understand the point I am trying to make about your concept of faith as the only regenerative option?

mdcpensive1

 

[Monica4316]

just some thoughts…

In Catholicism there’s a distinction between works done under law and under grace… works done under grace are the only ones that can be profitable for our salvation. They don’t save us, btw. But they help us cooperate with grace for futher growth, and they show our faith to be true, and they help us develop love for God… Works done under grace are also ones that are done out of love, not to earn something. And they are the result of our faith and of *God working in our lives *
the Pharisees trusted in works done under law, which for them weren’t grounded in love but were merely external actions… God wants our hearts more than our actions, that’s why it doesn’t matter how many good works we do or how big they are, but how much love we put into them. In the end all that matters is…how much we have loved God.

I guess all I’m saying here is that trusting in God’s grace for salvation and recognizing the need for good works arent mutually exclusive things. It’s not like we don’t need to do anything just because we believe in God. In fact, our faith should motivate us to obey Him and serve Him in our lives
just like forgiveness isn’t an excuse to sin, grace isn’t an excuse to have “faith alone”.

 

[SyCarl]

Thanks for your reply.

It is true that we cannot “work” our way to salvation because our actions are so insignificant compared to One who is unlimited. This is not the point I am addressing however. God had a covenant with His people and there were requirements to be kept to be in that covenant. Being faithful to the covenant and God’s promises by keeping the demands of the covenant was a requirement. There was no “option” to just have faith in Yahweh instead of keeping the laws of the covenant. I am pretty sure Moses would agree with me since he wrote the laws for the people to keep.

Do you understand the point I am trying to make about your concept of faith as the only regenerative option?

mdcpensive1

If you look at the Mosaic covenant, you will see that it is not a salvific covenant. It was a covenant with national Israel that they would prosper as a nation if they obeyed and suffer if they did not. The nature of this covenant is most clearly seen in Deuteronomy. The salvific covenant was made with Abraham before the law was given. This was based on faith. That this is the relevant covenant is clear from the emphasis placed on the promise to Abraham being fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament. Paul makes it clear that no one was saved by obeying the Mosaic law and it is also made clear in Hebrews.

Augustine clearly expresses the view that the same faith has always justified the saints, both those before and after Jesus’ incarnation.

For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; since there is none other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved; and in Him has God defined unto all men their faith, in that He has raised Him from the dead. Now without this faith, that is to say, without a belief in the one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; without faith, I say, in His resurrection by which God has given assurance to all men and which no man could of course truly believe were it not for His incarnation and death; without faith, therefore, in the incarnation and death and resurrection of Christ, the Christian verity unhesitatingly declares that the ancient saints could not possibly have been cleansed from sin so as to have become holy, and justified by the grace of God. And this is true both of the saints who are mentioned in Holy Scripture, and of those also who are not indeed mentioned therein, but must yet be supposed to have existed,— either before the deluge, or in the interval between that event and the giving of the law, or in the period of the law itself,— not merely among the children of Israel, as the prophets, but even outside that nation, as for instance Job. For it was by the self-same faith in the one Mediator that the hearts of these, too, were cleansed, and there also was shed abroad in them the love of God by the Holy Ghost, who blows where He lists, not following men’s merits, but even producing these very merits Himself. For the grace of God will in no wise exist unless it be wholly free.-Augustine (On the Grace of Christ, and On Original Sin, Book 2, Chapter 28)

newadvent.org/fathers/15062.htm

and

If the law justifies, Abraham was not justified, since he lived long before the law. Since they cannot say this, they are forced to admit that a man is justified not by works of the law but by faith. And he compels us to understand that all the ancients who were justified were justified from the same faith. For as we are saved by believing, partly in a past event, that is the first coming of the Lord, and partly in a future one, that is, his second coming, they believed the whole of it, that is, both coming events. The Holy Spirit reveals this for their salvation.-Augustine, (Epistle to the Galatians,Thomas Oden ed. ., Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament VIII: Galatians, Ephesians Philippians, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 43.))

Similarly Theodret talks about the Old Testament saints being saved by faith alone and not the law.

The righteousness of God is not revealed to everyone but only to those with the eyes of faith. For the holy apostle teaches us that God foresaw this for us from the beginning and predicted it through the prophets, and even before the prophets, had it hidden in his secret will. Paul quoted Habakkuk for the benefit of the Jews, because he wanted to teach them not to cling to the provisions of the law but to follow the prophets. For many centuries before they had predicted that one day there would be salvation by faith alone. Then departing from his admonition to the Jews, he accuses everyone else of having brazenly departed from the natural law which the Creator had placed in them. For when God made them, he did not allow them to live like beasts but honoured them with reason and gave them the ability to know the difference between good and evil. Those who lived righteous lives before the time of Moses confirm this by their witness.-Theodret (Interpretation of the Letter to the Romans Gerald Bray, ed., Ancient Christian Commentaryon Scripture, New Testament VI: Romans (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1998), p. 31.)

to be continued

 

[SyCarl]

continued

Similarly again Theodore of Mopsuestia

He has made use of many proofs, since he knew the Jews especially questioned faith by means of a certain line of argument. For the Jews were setting forth the law and righteousness by their works, but Christians set forth faith, saying that even if someone should be guilty of ten thousand evils, by only believing in Christ he receives immediately deliverance from all of them, being deemed worthy of justification from him. Therefore, having determined this, then partly to appropriate the things that had been said before and partly to be able to show that faith appeared among all the virtuous men of old, he adds, “by faith the men of old received divine approval.”-Theodore of Mopsuestia (Fragments on the Epistle to the Hebrews 11.1-2 Erik M. Heen & Philip D. W. Krey ed., Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament X Hebrews, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2005), p. 173.)

and Bede

If the salvation of the world is in no other but in Christ alone, then the fathers of the Old Testament were saved by the incarnation and passion of the same Redeemer, by which we also believe and hope to be saved. For although the sacramental signs differed by reason of the times, nevertheless there was agreement in one and the same faith, because through the prophets they learned as something to come the same dispensation of Christ which we learned through the apostles as something which has been done. For there is no redemption of human captivity [to sinfulness] except in the blood of him who gave himself as a redemption for all.-Bede (Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles, Francis Martin ed. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament V Acts (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006), p. 49.)

Paul tells us that the Law was given not to justify us but to show us we are sinners. That it is through faith that we are saved and not Mosaic covenant or Law can be seen by those besides Abraham who were saved by faith, unless no one could be saved before Moses. In fact the Covenant of Grace goes back to immediately after the fall and God’s unconditional promise in Genesis 3:15.

Now, I do not deny that we must love God and our neighbour, which Jesus tells us is the law and the prophets, but such love can only be the result and evidence of faith. We love not for reward or to be saved but because God wants it. If we do the works to be saved then we are trying to establish our own righteousness which, according to Paul, was where the Jews stumbled.