Spiritual desire, ability, and action toward God are results of eternal life, not conditions for it. Eternal life includes the ability to know and please God, and this order is not to be reversed. Without God's saving intervention, men would continue on in their natural condition - enemies of God and servants of sin. Faith and works are compatible and necessary, not to the obtaining of eternal life, but rather to the evidence of it. Faith and works prove God has already saved us.

Since man is spiritually dead and depraved by nature, it is only by God's glorious power we are brought to desire and obey Him (Ps 110:3; Phil 2:13). The desire to love and fear God results from this saving change worked in us by His might (Ps 65:4; Rom 8:15; Jer 32:39-40).

Until a man is born again, he cannot even see the kingdom of God (John 3:3); therefore any sight or desire of the kingdom of God is an evidence of regeneration, not a condition for it. Salvation brings with it a hearing ear and the ability and desire to know Him (Pr 20:12; John 8:47; 17:2-3).

Salvation prepares us for good works; it is not because of good works (Eph 2:10; 4:24; Tit 2:14).

Faith itself is the gift of God in salvation; for without His gracious giving of faith, we would never have it (Gal 5:22; I Cor 12:3; Rom 8:14; 12:3; Acts 18:27; II Pet 1:1). It is the fruit and evidence of His Spirit in our lives, without Which we would never have it or sustain it.

It took the same power that resurrected Jesus from the grave to give us faith and cause us to believe (Eph 1:19), for by nature we are God-haters and truth-rejecters, as we have shown.

Faith and works are the evidence of salvation, therefore they cannot be conditions, means, or instruments of salvation (Acts 10:34-35; I John 2:29; 3:7, 3:14; 4:7; 5:1, 5:4).

Proof #4

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