The person who knows Christ doesn't do the things that he knows he needs to do out of some fear of losing or not gaining heaven, rather he does them because he is already saved and heaven bound.
Take special note on "why" each one does what he does. Many "religious" persons (by that I mean those still under the law, still serving the letter of the law, still thinking that by observing the law they will gain heaven) do what they do simply because they don't want to come up short of heaven. In other words they do what they do because they dread the loss of heaven and fear the pains of hell. In realty these neither know Christ nor do they know or have the love of God in them.
The person who has been convicted by the Spirit of Truth, and has therefore repented, is heaven bound and operates entirely through "faith". They see things as God sees them, know things as God is and knows them to be, and obeys the "Living Spirit" of the law! They obey because they are saved and made free to worship God in Spirit and in Truth as He is. Their entire motive for loving, serving and obeying Him is... "Love". They obey because He is wonderful beyond comprehension, and knowing Him as they do now they can't help but to Love Him. To these God is Love!
The motive behind doing what each person believes is different. The "religious" (but unsaved) person does what he does in order to save or help save themselves, to make them look good (i.e. "somewhat righteous") in God's eyes. While the person who is heaven bound does none of those things to save themselves (which he knows that the world does through unbelief) but only does those things which proves that he belongs to God, like keeping and proclaiming His word to the lost.
One "works" in order to try and gain heaven under their own power and godnesses, while the other "rests" (and doesn't work at all to gain or keep heaven) because they have already gained heaven through their God-given faith at the revelation of Jesus Christ. They know there's nothing they can "do" to save themselves. Concerning trying to save themselves, they're dead! They've been "crucified with Christ".
That's where faith, love and truth come in. These are "spiritual" laws and principals that cannot be worked out by the flesh but only by the Spirit showing us just what reality through our spirit is. "It is the Spirit that gives life - the flesh profits nothing!"
Only those having a "new nature", through their new birth in Christ, can work out these spiritual matters. Just like life-giving spiritual fluid flows through living spiritual grapes, this is all beyond the comprehention of the "natural man", and in fact is foolishness to him. They have no comprehention of spiritual matters, of things they can neither see nor hear.
The unbeliever thinks that faith is... "Blind", and therefore follows along blindly. Nothing could be farther from ther truth! It is at the revelation of Christ where everything becomes... "Crystal Clear"... so clear, in fact, that words are not needed to (nor can they ever hope to) describe these... "Spiritual things", which takes and transforms us from death to the old and into new and joyful life for the new!
Whatever (Whoever) we have received, whatever we have attained from God since you and I first believed, it is imperative that you and I continue to walk in these things the way we began and that we all be of one mind and heart (in agreement) concerning these spiritual matters...
The unbeliever has no "personal relationship" with, and no "saving knowledge" of Him! They obey the "Dead Letter" of the law (because they themselves are "dead", never having been "Born Again"), for reasons stated above.
So rather than grasp these things spiritually (which they cannot do) instead they laugh at them or try to figure them out through their fallen reasoning powers (i.e. "intellect").
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:12-16
May God bless you in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!
Biff
