Hi Joe nice to see you again. I might add quite a few posts here as I want to discuss the scriptures in detail in relation to your post here. So let's start.
You said: God's salvation according to the scriptures is conditional on us believing and following what Gods' Word says. Yes, you are absolutely right. But what you are missing is that mankind CANNOT believe or follow God's Word (or even understand God's Word for that matter) without the gift of the Holy Spirit.
According to the scriptures God gives everyone the power of free will to choose for themselves what they will believe and follow and what they will not believe and follow. You see Gods' creative power is in His Word and we we believe Gods' Word he enables us to follow what he says...
GOD'S SALVATION THROUGH FAITH AS WE BELIEVE HIS WORD?
John 3:16 [16], For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
John 8:31-32 [31], Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; [32], And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 17:17 [17], Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth.
Note: our salvation or sanctification is in believing God's Word
AN EXAMPLE OF GREAT FAITH?
Matthew 8:7-13
[7], And Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him.
[8], The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
[9], For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.
[10], When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Truly I say to you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
[11], And I say to you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
[12], But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[13], And Jesus said to the centurion, Go your way; and as you have believed, so be it done to you. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
Note: so great faith according to Jesus is believing the Word of God will do what it says it will do.
FREE WILL TO CHOOSE WHO WE WILL FOLLOW?
In the translations of Philemon 1:14
(ARV 2005) but without thy mind I would do nothing, that thy goodness should not be as of necessity,
but of free will.
(ASV-2014) but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity,
but of free will.
(Anderson) but, without your consent, I was not willing to do any thing, that your good deed might not be as a matter of necessity,
but one of free-will.
(ASV) but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity,
but of free will.
(FAA) but I did not want to do anything without your opinion, so that your good deed would not be as it were under compulsion,
but of free will.
(GDBY_NT) but without your consent I did not wish to do anything; in order that your good might not be by constraint,
but by the free will:
(GW) Yet, I didn't want to do anything without your consent. I want you to do this favor for me out of
your own free will without feeling forced to do it.
(CSB) But I didn't want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of
your own free will.
(LEB) But apart from your consent, I wanted to do nothing, in order that your good deed might be not as according to necessity, but according to
your own free will.
(MRC) but without your consent I did not want to do anything, that your goodness might not be by necessity, but of
your own free will.
(MNT) But without your consent I was unwilling to do anything, so that your kindness to me might be of
your own free will, and not of compulsion.
(NTVR) but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity,
but of free will.
(NWT) But without your consent I do not want to do anything, so that your good act may be, not as under compulsion, but of
your own free will.
(Revised Standard ) but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of
your own free will.
(RNT) but without your consent I am unwilling to do anything, so that your goodness may not be of necessity
but of free will.
(RSV-CE) but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of
your own free will.
(TLV) But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness wouldn’t be by force
but by free will.
(WEB) But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity,
but of free will.
(WEB (R)) But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity,
but of free will.
(NASB77) 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, that your goodness should not be as it were by compulsion, but
of your own free will.
(NASB95) 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but
of your own free will.
(TEV) 14 However, I do not want to force you to help me; rather, I would like for you to do it of
your own free will. So I will not do anything unless you agree.
(ERV) 14 but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity,
but of free will.
(NHEB) 14 But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity,
but of free will.
(TCE) 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but
of your own free will.
and you can add both the NEB and the REB
CT 14 but I would not do any thing without thy consent, that the benefit derived from thee might not be as it were forced,
but of free will.
NENT 14 but without thy: mind I wished to do nothing; that thy: goodness be not as of necessity,
but of free will.
SLT 14 But without thy judgment I would do nothing; that good might not be as according to necessity, but
according to free will.
(NEB) 14 But I would rather do nothing without your consent, so that your kindness may be a matter not of compulsion
, but of your own free will.
(REB) 14 But I would rather do nothing without your consent, so that your kindness may be a matter not of compulsion, but
of your own free will.
Note:
Free will we see is not a matter of necessity
Free will is a will not under compulsion
Free will is consensual
Free will is a will not forced
From alternate translations
Philemon 1:14 (ESV) 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.
Philemon 1:14 (KJV) 14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.
Philemon 1:14 (NET1) 14 However,[33] without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your good deed would not be out of compulsion, but from your own willingness.
Philemon 1:14 (NIV2011) 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.
Philemon 1:14 (NJB) 14 However, I did not want to do anything without your consent; it would have been forcing your act of kindness, which should be spontaneous.
Philemon 1:14 (NRSV) 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced.
Philemon 1:14 (BBE) 14 But without your approval I would do nothing; so that your good works might not be forced, but done freely from your heart.
Philemon 1:14 (MontgomeryNT) 14 But without your consent I was unwilling to do anything, so that your kindness to me might be of your own free will, and not of compulsion.
Philemon 1:14 (CEB) 14 However, I didn't want to do anything without your consent so that your act of kindness would occur willingly and not under pressure.
Philemon 1:14 (CEV) 14 But I won't do anything unless you agree to it first. I want your act of kindness to come from your heart, and not be something you feel forced to do.
Free will is without necessity
Free will is without compulsion
Free will is without force
Free will is a will not pressured
Free will is from one own heart
Free will is a voluntary
Free will is of your own accord
Free will is without constraint
And one last verse not Phm 1:14
1 Corinthians 7:37 (KJV) 37 Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity,
but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.
Free will has no necessity and is under ones own power
Deuteronomy 30:19 KJB - I call heaven and earth to
record this day
against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Joshua 24:14-15 [14], Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve you the LORD. [15], And if it seem evil to you to serve the LORD,
choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
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According to the scriptures therefore we all have free will to choose to believe God's Word. By believing God's Word God works in us to will and to do of His own good pleasure *Philippians 2:13.
More to come…