That doesn’t make any sense at all. If the evidence isn’t present then the person won’t receive salvation, hence it IS required to receive salvation.
“If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”
1 Corinthians 13:2 NASB
“"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.”
John 15:1-14 NASB
The bible is absolutely clear that the only requirement for salvation is faith alone, not faith plus works. Apart from Eph 2:8 I can give you dozens of other verses that show that if you wish.
Once we are saved we are indwelt by the Spirit and He then produces fruit in us - love, patience, kindness, etc (Gal 5:22), the evidence of salvation. The passage you quoted from John 15 demonstrates this. Once we are saved we are connected to the Vine and the fruit FOLLOWS. We bear fruit because we are in the Vine, not in the Vine because we bear fruit.
Upvote
0