What the NT says, Follow Him, Obey Him, endure to the end.

Cathy said to Luther:

What the NT says, Follow Him, Obey Him, endure to the end. Grow, mature in my faith and relationship with God. Simple belief does not save, it is actually called dead.

Luther replied:
Notice in Ephesians 2:8, For by grace you have been "past tense" saved through faith.. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore having been "past tense" justified by faith.. Faith that trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation is not simple belief that is dead. Ephesians 2:5 - even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)..verse 8-9 through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. We follow Him, obey Him and endure to the end BECAUSE we are saved, not to become saved. Lost people do not follow Him, obey Him, endure to the end or grow and mature in their faith and relationship with God. Only saved people do.

I reply to Luther:

Luther:

Notice in Ephesians 2:8, For by grace you have been "past tense" saved through faith..

Is that the only verse in Ephesians?

Ephesians 4

¹I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
²With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
³Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
⁴There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
⁵One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
⁶One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
⁷But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
⁸Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
⁹(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
¹⁰He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
¹¹And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
¹²For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
¹³Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
¹⁴That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
¹⁶From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
¹⁷This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
¹⁸Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
¹⁹Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
²⁰But ye have not so learned Christ;
²¹If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
²²That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
²³And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
²⁴And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
²⁵Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
²⁶Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
²⁷Neither give place to the devil.
²⁸Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
²⁹Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
³⁰And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
³¹Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
³²And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore having been "past tense" justified by faith.. Faith that trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation is not simple belief that is dead.

True faith is not simple faith alone which is dead. That is true. Let us read more of Romans:
Romans 5

¹Therefore being justified by faith, (present tense, a continuing process) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
²By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (future hope of glory).
³And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
⁴And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
⁵And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
⁶For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
⁷For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
⁸But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
⁹Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (shall be saved. How quickly it changes to future tense).

Ephesians 2:5 - even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)..verse 8-9 through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Let us now read verse 10 of the same chapter:
Ephesians 2:10

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ah yes. Christ made us in the womb for good works. Good works ordained by God that we should walk in them.

We follow Him, obey Him and endure to the end BECAUSE we are saved,

Because we have been given the grace of faith. Which if it is not exercised in love, is given to many in vain.

not to become saved.

Yes. To be tested and if it passes the test to be saved.

Lost people do not follow Him, obey Him, endure to the end or grow and mature in their faith and relationship with God.

Lost people don't. But those who have received faith and accept it and exercise it in works of love do so.

Only saved people do.

Saved as in set aside for good works. But one does not receive eternal life unless one perseveres in good deeds to the end.

Scripture is clear:
Hebrews 6:4-6

King James Version (KJV)
⁴For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
⁵And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
⁶If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Sincerely,

De Maria