The way it looks is that Robert Pate is going to find out the hard way.
I did notice that you are as so many, and that is that you are afraid to say you believed and obeyed to get saved.
We have to believe and repent of our sins when we want to be saved.
It is not shameful and it is not the 'not of by works' Paul speaks of.
Paul is speaking of the works of the law which are the purification/ceremonial works.
Faith alone is dead and cannot save anyone.
Faith alone is mentioned one time in the KJV, and it is to tell us what kind of faith not to have.
That dead faith is not saving faith, it really is dead.
Yes this is a tricky part to unpack...our choice...
I liken it to “What did Adam do to be created?” NOTHING...he merely had to acknowledge he was and by Whom or reject it and believe he just came to be as a part of a evolutionary process...or aliens or...so it goes...
That Adam chose to believe was because he already was...it was provided to him to be...
And believing that it compelled him to be grateful and obey and oh wait...it should have...lol
The same is with us...Salvation was provided before I was born...I must simply accept it...
Which means of course “work” on my part is necessitated to understand my need for salvation and from whence it comes and take the chance to believe that it is provided by Him...no small task is true...but no one can come to Him lest the Father draws Him...
As a result of this “work” of understanding and choosing I of course wish and want and desire to not only accept but share my gratitude with Him who provided and others...and so I am compelled do what the “owners manual” expects for this temple to do in order to perform optimally in this condition...
Just like Adam after acknowledging His Creator’s creative act obeyed...(should have)
We too do because we are...we are because we believe...
The baby does not breathe to become alive...the baby breathes because it already is alive...
That was the original plan...original default was Adam would obey because he was created to wish to do so...we are merely on a detour...we were given a map and have a Guide...just gotta chose and persevere