The Law IS works.
Read Galatians 3:2 again. The WORKS of the LAW.
ANY works anyone does are either obeying the Law or disobeying it. Nobody ever created any works that aren’t covered by the Law.
And if someone thinks they did and think they can please God by what they label as *good works*, they’re mistaken. If the Law, handed down from Sinai couldn’t and didn’t save anyone, nothing any man substitutes for them will either.
Paul makes clear, as I have shown, that by this he means the works of the Mosaic Law. That is what the whole letter is about. Paul also warns that those who continue in sin will not inherit the kingdom of God. But you ignore this because it does not fit your preconceived notion of sola fide. . In Romans, Paul writes:
By your stubbornness and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God, who will repay everyone according to his works: eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works, but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness. Yes, affliction and distress will come upon every human being who does evil, Jew first and then Greek. But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, Jew first and then Greek. There is no partiality with God. (Rom. 2:5-11)Notice again that the reason that Paul is writing is to proclaim the equality of Jews and Greeks, i.e., that we will be judged equally by our works, and not by our obedience to the Mosaic Law. No, we do not earn our salvation by obedience to the moral law; salvation is a free gift. But we can, as Paul declares, loose it by our sins. But I expect that you will ignore this too, or try to explain it away, because it does not fit with sola fide.
Read Galatians 3:2 again. The WORKS of the LAW.
Read all of Galatians. Paul is speaking of the Mosaic Law, and specifically of circumcision, not of the universal and eternal moral law.
You were running well; who hindered you from following [the] truth? That enticement does not come from the one who called you. A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. I am confident of you in the Lord that you will not take a different view, and that the one who is troubling you will bear the condemnation, whoever he may be. As for me, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case, the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. Would that those who are upsetting you might also castrate themselves! (Gal. 5:7-12)Both Galatians and Romans are addressing the problem of the Judaizers who insisted that the new Gentile Christians needed to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic Law. He is not saying that we will not be judged by our acts. Thus he immediately follows with:
For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another. (vss. 13-26)Thus he lists a number of sins and says, "Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." He does not add, "unless you have faith." Nor does he say that faith will cover these sins." Note that he is writing to believing Christians, not to pagans. So yes, we can loose our salvation through unrepentant sin. Paul says this explicitly. If you have a problem with this, you have a problem with Paul and you have a problem with the Bible.
Protestants try to broaden Paul's teaching to obedience to the moral law. In doing so they are placing the doctrine of sola fide above Scripture, forcing an interpretation that is not there. So much for the claim of sola Scriptura. You are placing your own man-made tradition above Scripture.