Both Calvinists and Arminians believe that people are born in sin, hence, born NOT part of the body of Christ.
I believe people are born ALREADY part of the body of Christ, by God's grace.
But if NOT, as Calvinists and Arminians teach, then what must one do to become part of the body of Christ? If one has to do SOMETHING first - like believe, accept, repent - before he can become part of the body of Christ, then that's salvation by works.
Both Calvinists and Arminians have a lot of explaining to do. Please just dwell on the issue. No ad hominems, please.
This fits quite well with the conversation we are already having... I'll try to keep it short, a summary only.
This explanation is of our Pre-Conception Existence theology, the idea that everyone created in YHWH'S image was created at the same time (before the creation of the physical universe) in Sheol with a free will. By our free will we separated ourselves into three broad groups (some minor inter-group differences ignored for brevity):
1. Those who accepted, by their free will, YHWH's claims to be our creator GOD and wanted to come under HIS promise of election to heaven by the salvation found in HIS Son for salvation from any and all sins. GOD received them with HIS election promise, making them people of HIS kingdom and HIS Bride. Since YHWH had offered no proof at this time, they chose by faith, an unproven hope in HIM.
2. Those who totally rejected HIS claims to be our GOD and rejected HIS promises of election and salvation as the lies of a false god. By removing themselves from HIS promise they ensured their evil natures were eternal and they are all condemned to hell already. Since GOD has not proven HIS deity yet, they made this decison on faith, believing without proof that HE was a lying false god.
3. And then some few of those who accepted HIS deity and were chosen to be HIS elect, rebelled against HIS call for the elect to come out from among the demonic reprobate so they could be judged claiming the judgement was too harsh for their sin of unbelief, it was too rushed, not giving them time to repent and too unloving for the GOD who is love, etc etc putting their own feelings above GOD's judgment in idolatry of the demonic tares.
These sinful good seed, aka, the people of the kingdom, are sent to earth to live with their lovers and friends they put above YHWH until they realize the ultimate disvalue of sin and the fact that the reprobate will never, indeed, can never repent.
So, what must one do to become part of the body of Christ?? One must have chosen by their free will to put their faith in YHWH's claims to be their creator GOD and asked to come under HIS promise of election and salvation. Since YHWH never proved HIS claims before the elect made this decision, they made it on faith, trusting HE was telling us the truth and hoping without proof that HIS Son would indeed be their saviour if they should ever fall into sin. By faith you are saved by coming into Christ and by faith your are saved from your sin by returning to Christ if you should ever chose to go astray into evil.