[Cronos]

I brought verse 7 to say that for God now accepteth thy works. -- if one accepts this, then works DO have a part to play, right? God accepts they works

[HarleyD]

if one accepts this, then works DO have a part to play, right? God accepts they works

Of course works DO play a part. The question really is WHO gives you those "good" works that are pleasing to God?

Jhn 6:28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?"
Jhn 6:29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

There is only ONE work that we need to do, believe. And we even have to pray for our belief. Our Lord Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. It is He that cause us to bear fruit.

God commands that we go and bear fruit. But God must bless us so that we will bear fruit. It's like Augustine's prayer, "Command what you will, and grant what you command." God told Adam and Eve's race to go forth, be fruitful and multiply. Yet we say children are a GIFT from God, which they are. It isn't because Adam and Eve's race ability to create children. It is because God creates the souls. God commands and yet God must grant what He's commanded.

This is an extremely important principle on the nature of God. I only wished that I thought it up. :O)