BTW, JOhn told the Jews to repent because The Kingdom Of God was at hand ... Jesus, God in human flesh, was at hand and things were about to change and be different from before as Jesus fullfilled that which no Jew before could fullfill. John was baptising folks, too. Were they receiving the justification by faith with that act of submission? It is always good to understand to whom Jesus was speaking, and thus the timing of His words for His audience then, and down through the ages to even us.
When Jesus told Nicodemus 'You must be born again', He was explaining something hard for Nic to comprehend on that temporal side of the cross. We know this because Nic zoomed in on the earthly, typical interpretation of 'be born again'. But Jesus was referring to that which would come. Do you think the folks to whom He preached in sheol --in 'Abraham's bosom'-- came out of sheol without being born again? Absolutely not, because that is precisely what needs be for them to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, as Jesus taught Nicodemus. But they were not born into new physical bodies as we define such. How do you imagine Nicodemus explained that 'being born again' AFTER he bought the loads of spices for Jesus's burial and learned of His resurrection? From that moment onward, I suspect that Nicodemus explained being born again using the example of 'first fruits', Jesus coming out of the grave and ascending unto the Father in Heaven. Yet Nic still had a mystery on his hands because Jesus took His resurrected body to Heaven! Ah, the great mystery that Paul later explains as we shall have new bodies in some where/when of God's choosing because we already have spiritual rebirth by our faith in His atonement.
What do you suppose Paul discussed with Peter, James and later John, when he returned to Jerusalem on more than one occasion to meet with the Apostles there? Now those are Church conferences I would paid to attend! And Paul tells his letter audience 'From them I received nothing beyond what I have taught you, repeatedly.' Paul taught salvation by 'faithing' ... action, based upon belief, sustained by the confidence living in God's Will produces.
>> Prior to the crucifixion, ALL Jews (including The Son of God there with them) were under the Mosaic law, thus the directions to the ‘rich young ruler’ were consistent with the law up to then. In perhaps what is another rendition of that scene, Jesus tells his disciples who want to run after the turning away young man, “Let the dead go bury the dead.” The Jews were still under the law of sin and death. <<
So, all things said by Jesus prior to the crucifixion can be dismissed because he was talking to the Jews before the abolition of the law? Well, that removes nearly everything Jesus ever said. How convenient. Now, would you care to demonstrate how anything, anywhere in the bible establishes that salvation can happen through faith, in spite of an absence of works? See, there’s a reason that Luther argued that James was un-Christian and likely a forgery: Once one admits the authenticity of the statement that man is not saved through faith alone, it’s pretty hard to come up with evidence strong enough to overwhelm that evidence. So, we’re left with these tortured excuses.
>> Paul taught salvation by ‘faithing’ ... action, based upon belief, <<
YES! ACTION, based on belief! We all accept that faith is a means by which mankind is saved! But what good is faith if it isn’t acted apon? If I tell you your home is burning, and you believe me, does that matter, if you refuse to leave?