John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Faith is the form charity (love) takes. Charity and love is how the Lord knows us. It's what is written on our hearts.
The Holy Spirit cannot enter us until we have been purged and purified. That sometimes takes years after we are 'saved' when our heart of stone can be replaced with a heart of flesh.
The Bible is full of truth, laws and statutes. The love is there if one looks... see what Paul wrote on love in 1 Corinthians 13. Really profound and beautiful and certainly demonstrates how he lived his life.
To me, faith without charity (being of service) really means nothing. We are given free will to choose good over evil. A full confession of faith will reflect that.
“The Holy Spirit cannot enter us until we have been purged and purified. That sometimes takes years after we are ‘saved’ when our heart of stone can be replaced with a heart of flesh.”
If you said cannot “fully posses us” it migt work, but Scripture is very clear that the Spirit enters into a soul at conversion, which is when they are washed, sanctified and justified (1 Cor. 6:11), even though, like the Corinthians, they lack degrees of maturity.
(Acts 2:38) “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
(Acts 10:43-45) “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. {44} While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. {45} And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
(Acts 15:8-9) “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; {9} And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”
(Rom 8:9) “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
(1 Cor 6:19) “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
(Gal 4:6) “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”