Thanks for the reply. It took you some time! So it looks like I gave you something to think about, which is a good sign. But I haven’t finished yet! I have got more good stuff for you to think about. Consider now the following verses, mostly by Paul himself:
Romans 2:
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; )
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Galatians 6:
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Acts 10:
34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35 But in every nation [and religion] he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
According to these verses, you don’t even need to be a Christian to be saved. All you need to do is to act righteously before God, and do what is good and right in the sight of God, and you will be saved. A pagan who acts righteously before God out of a good conscience will be saved; whereas a Christian who does evil will be condemned. That is what Paul is saying in those verses. In other words, salvation is a reward for acting righteously before God, regardless of whether you are a Jew or Gentile; Christian, pagan, or Muslim; and damnation is a punishment for doing evil, regardless of whether you are a Jew or Gentile; Christian, pagan, or Muslim. That is what Paul and Peter are saying in those verses. How do you reconcile that with the other passages of Paul, such as in Romans 4, which appear to say something different? Which do you think is the best strategy, to build your theology on isolated passages of scripture, which is going to give you a distorted or incomplete picture of what the correct biblical doctrine should be; or to build your theology on everything that is taught in the Bible, which will give you a more complete picture?