The "grace" bubble.

There is a concept that has been held at least for the last two hundred years, maybe even from before that time. The concept is that the believer lives in a "state of grace" that shields him from the Divine examination of his behaviour. The atonement is viewed as a covering that prevents God from seeing our conduct. Once we believe in Jesus we are placed in some kind of bubble such that our salvation is unrelated to our behaviour.

The concept of the bubble that shields us from the laws of the Kingdom of God gives "belief" a role in our salvation that God does not mean for it to have. If we are justified in God's sight merely by our belief in the atonement, then what is most of the New Testament speaking of?

Obedience to Christ, keeping His commandments and those of His Apostles, is vastly more important than belief in theological facts. Belief has value only as it results in our obeying Christ.