A question for reflection

[PJM]

I believe that it’s by faith and good deeds. Allah swears by time itself that mankind is lost, except for those who believe, do righteous deeds, exhort people to truth and endure until the end.

“By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience” (Qur’an 103:1-3)

I occasionally come across a muslim brother/sister saying that they will become religious once they get older or when it’s convenient for them, but death can occur at any time, so it’s important to get on the ball.

AGREED!

Blessings,
PJM

 

[guanophore]

Thank you, I was aware of this

God Bless you,
Patrick

And I knew you knew…

But, if you look at the stats, there are already 10 times as many people reading the thread than there are posting on on it. These things need to be posted in case folks have not encountered them before.

So, Jon my friend, the role of WORKS is muted. Faith alone is sufficient?

Blessings,

PJM

Much effort can be saved with a review of Jon’s posts on this subject. He has posted copious references from Luther and Lutheran sources that demonstrate the role of works is subsumed into faith. Personally I don’t like the formulation of “faith alone” because saving faith is always accompanied by the fruits of love.

As a FYI,

We Catholics Do NOT teach or believe that we CAn “work our way into heaven”; through WORKS ALONE

But there are many poorly catechized Catholics who do believe that we can, and should work our way into heaven WITH faith. This is one reason I don’t like the formulation “faith and works” because it seems to support that error of working our way into heaven. Faith, working through love seems best.

 

[PJM]

Saved by God’s grace.

And what my friend is man’s required role in this salvation?

Yes, usually called Resurrection Sunday.

Thank you & God Bless,

PJM

 

[PJM]

Yes. It is Christ’s victory (and ours through Him) over death. He is the first fruits.
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?”

Jon

Thanks Jon

 

[PJM]

The LDS view is that Eternal Life is gifted to those who are continually doing Godly works and actions (which would include repenting of one’s sins, of course).

Thank you

God Bless

PJM

 

[PJM]

There are many who don’t know what Luther taught, but that is not entirely relevant to Lutheranism. The faith of Lutherans (oddly, given the name) is not based upon Luther’s writings as much as it is the Book of Concord and the Creeds. In the end, Luther did not decide what Lutheran’s would believe.

One of the reasons that Lutheranism is fracturing today is that many Lutherans have abandoned the catechism just as many Catholics do .

Insightful & helpful, THANKS:thumbsup:

 

[PJM]

And I knew you knew…

But, if you look at the stats, there are already 10 times as many people reading the thread than there are posting on on it. These things need to be posted in case folks have not encountered them before.

AGREED!

I do this type if interjection when I feel it could be beneficial too.

Much effort can be saved with a review of Jon’s posts on this subject. He has posted copious references from Luther and Lutheran sources that demonstrate the role of works is subsumed into faith. Personally I don’t like the formulation of “faith alone” because saving faith is always accompanied by the fruits of love.

But there are many poorly catechized Catholics who do believe that we can, and should work our way into heaven WITH faith. This is one reason I don’t like the formulation “faith and works” because it seems to support that error of working our way into heaven. Faith, working through love seems best.

Good point.

Yet it seems to ME, that Faith without the evidence of Charity, is fruitless.

God Bless you, and thanks,

Patrick

 

[Kliska]

And what my friend is man’s required role in this salvation?

Well, that’s a different question. I think we can all agree that we are saved by God by grace, yes? I’ll leave that as my answer in this thread.

 

[JonNC]

Yet it seems to ME, that Faith without the evidence of Charity, is fruitless.

God Bless you, and thanks,

Patrick

And Lutherans agree with you. This from Luther:

Faith must of course be sincere. It must be a faith that performs good works through love. If faith lacks love it is not true faith. Thus the Apostle bars the way of hypocrites to the kingdom of Christ on all sides. He declares on the one hand, "In Christ Jesus circumcision availeth nothing," i.e., works avail nothing, but faith alone, and that without any merit whatever, avails before God. On the other hand, the Apostle declares that without fruits faith serves no purpose. To think, "If faith justifies without works, let us work nothing," is to despise the grace of God. Idle faith is not justifying faith. In this terse manner Paul presents the whole life of a Christian. Inwardly it consists in faith towards God, outwardly in love towards our fellow-men.

From Luther’s commentary on Galatians

Jon

 

[PJM]

Well, that’s a different question. I think we can all agree that we are saved by God by grace, yes? I’ll leave that as my answer in this thread.

A partial reply is much better than none.

Thank you,

God Bless,
Patrick