Replies

Principles like love, charity, honesty, virtue, compassion, mercy, justice, etc. In effect, the principles that Christ himself exemplified.

Right. None of which we exemplify though, leaving us just as dead as Muslims.

"...11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:11-12.

Luckily we have someone who is perfect for us though.

"8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

We are saved by Christ and His redemption, and He is the only name and only way for us to be saved. But he does require that we accept Him, believe in Him, and come unto Him and love Him. He has told us directly in the scriptures that those who do these things, who do love Him, will take upon themselves His name and keep His commandments.

Part of the conversion process, part of coming unto Him is the process whereby we desire to do this...and sincerely strive to do so, though being mortal and weak, we fail, thus further indebting ourselves unto Him who is mighty to save. This engenders in us a mighty love for Him. That love and our beginnning to learn to love others like He loves is the fruit of our conversion.

Jesus, Paul, John, James and others all indicated this to be true. Some might call it good works...James certainly indicated that faith in Him and such "works" (which I call fruits of our true conversion) are intricately tied together. John indicated that if we say we are His and do not love Him or keep His commandments...that we are liars.

My entire point however is not to get into the intricacies of the full meaning of conversion and faith and their ramifications in our life. My point is simply this...in Christianity, these things are accomplished through our free will choice to accept and profess Christ Jesus...not through being coersed to do so.