The requirement is love, which New Testament writers repeatedly hold up as the important thing.Explain to me what works have to be done to obtain salvation.
Jesus taught his disciples that the two greatest commandments are those which instructed them to love God and to love ones neighbour (Matt 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-33; Luke 10:27). Paul repeated three times in as many sentences that showing love fulfils Gods requirements (Rom 13:8-10). Paul exhorts: Above all, clothe yourselves with love (Col 3:14). James calls the command to love your neighbour the royal law (Jas 2:8). Peter writes: above all, maintain constant love for one another (1 Pet 4:8). John sums up the Christian message in one sentence: This is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another (1 John 3:11). In Johns view, those who love people in the way Jesus loved can expect a positive final judgment: "God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:16-17). Paul reminds us that love is more important than faith: And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love (1 Cor 13:13). There are certainly many more exhortations in the New Testament to have love than there are to have faith.
The concept of loving others is a general idea which can be expressed concretely in many different ways. Loving others can mean having concern for the poor and suffering (Matthew 25:35-36). It can mean giving equal status to the poor as to the rich (James 2). It can mean ensuring your parents have enough to survive on in their old age (Mark 7:11-13). In general, how love is expressed depends extensively on your situation, and so for the most part the biblical authors can only provide generalities. They encourage love, and various similar characteristics: doing good, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, self-control, mercy etc.
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