Grace Works Faith

He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning Him and exclaimed, “This was the One of whom I said, ‘The One coming after me has surpassed me, because He existed before me.'”) Indeed, we have all received grace after grace from His fullness, for although the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:10-17      (Holman Christian Standard Bible® © Holman Bible Publishers)

Some buzzwords in the arguments about grace and works that have been produced by not sorting identity issues (body of Christ) from citizenship issues (Kingdom) are, “cheap grace,” “legalism,” “greasy grace,” “eternal security versus losing salvation,” “saved by grace,” “saved by works,” “saved by faith,” “saved by baptism,” and “repentance is changed behavior.”

If you were born in Greece, and your name is Elena Alejandro, if you become a citizen of the US, your name is still Elena Alejandro. Your identity didn’t change when your citizenship changed. When you were born of God (born again), your identity and your citizenship changed. Now, you are a daughter or son of Yahweh. Jesus is your first-born Brother. Also, you were translated into the Kingdom of His marvelous light (Colossians 1).

You maintain your sonship through relationship. You don’t lose your relationship without changing your identity.

You maintain your citizenship through obedience. Your inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven is initiated by your relationship, but it is maintained by your obedience.

Your inheritance is not your identity.