Faith and Works--Part 2

It's been pretty hard to get real answers from a World Mission Society Church of God member when I ask about confusing or questionable doctrine, but I did finally get an answer about this one...

How is it that the WMSCOG says that you must obey ALL of God's commandments in order to get to heaven, when the Bible so clearly says that our salvation comes by God's grace and not our own actions? It is God who makes us righteous. We cannot do it ourselves.

Here's the explanation I was given (my paraphrase)...
Yes, it it God who makes us righteous by His grace. Our actions are not what makes us righteous. But the way He extends that grace is not simply by our belief and trust in Him and the sacrifice of Jesus. God has given us commands (like the Passover). We must obey what God has told us to show Him that we have faith in Him. He has told us what to do, and when we do it (ALL), then we show we have faith in Him, and then He will give us His grace.

Ok, now think about that.... It circles right back to works--our salvation depending on our own actions (such as physically ingesting the Passover bread and wine, on the right day, at the right time). It is not really free grace at all.

So how then do we reconcile salvation by faith, with the verses that tell us how important works are?
James 2:14-19
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

John 15:5-8
5 ″I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

Luke 6:46
"But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?"

Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We are saved by grace, through faith, when we believe and trust in Jesus.
Romans 10:9-10
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

If you truly love God and believe in Him, your life will show it. Your life will start to change so that you will live in a way that pleases Him. You will WANT to do good works and obey Him. You may not always succeed, and you may have a different impression of how to obey God than the Christian standing next to you. But your heart will be in the right place.

1 Samuel 16:7
...For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

If you say you believe God and love Him, but you live your life in a way that shows no regard for the way He wants you to live, if you don't care about what He wants you to do and only want to do your own thing--then you may need to examine yourself and see if you really love Him or not. Perhaps you are just saying so, but it's not in your heart.

And so there is an important difference here....
According to the WMSCOG, you obey God so that you can be saved.
According to the Bible and mainstream Christianity, you obey God because you are saved.