Faith alone is not enough!

[godsent]

17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:14-26

So its plain in the bible that you need good deeds as well as faith,otherwise somebody could murder somone but still have faith, and be able to enter the eternal bliss of paradise.

Works and faith are both recipes for the entry of heaven, you cannot have one without the other!

 

[thistle]

17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:14-26

So its plain in the bible that you need good deeds as well as faith,otherwise somebody could murder somone but still have faith, and be able to enter the eternal bliss of paradise.

Works and faith are both recipes for the entry of heaven, you cannot have one without the other!

www.catholic.com/thisrock/2003/0303sbs.asp

 

[Ignatius]

17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:14-26

So its plain in the bible that you need good deeds as well as faith,otherwise somebody could murder somone but still have faith, and be able to enter the eternal bliss of paradise.

Works and faith are both recipes for the entry of heaven, you cannot have one without the other!

If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

 

[BlestOne]

I always look at it this way;
If you have faith, truly have faith, you are moved to works. How could you not be? Didn’t Jesus call us to live a Christ-like life? Wasn’t he our example on earth? Jesus certainly didn’t just live by faith! So we shouldn’t either! We are saved by the grace of God, with that grace we receive the gift of faith, and we are moved to works for the Lord…but that is just me.

 

[montanaman]

BlestOne:

I always look at it this way;
If you have faith, truly have faith, you are moved to works. How could you not be? Didn’t Jesus call us to live a Christ-like life? Wasn’t he our example on earth? Jesus certainly didn’t just live by faith! So we shouldn’t either! We are saved by the grace of God, with that grace we receive the gift of faith, and we are moved to works for the Lord…but that is just me.

That still implies that works aren’t necessary when scripture clearly says otherwise.

Faith without works = dead faith. Period.

 

[BlestOne]

montanaman:

That still implies that works aren’t necessary when scripture clearly says otherwise.

Faith without works = dead faith. Period.

I don’t mean that at all…What I am trying to show is precisely that… If we receive the gift of faith but do nothing with it, we aren’t living as God Commands us to. Didn’t the father send his son to show us the way to live?

 

[imroc]

Ignatius:

If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

This clearly sums it up. Moving mountains via faith, feeding the poor via works, etc, etc, etc. Love is what moves you to God. Going around having faith in God that you are not going to hell is fine and dandy, but is one doing anything in return for that salvation? Going around feeding the poor is common among atheists, what is there final destination?

Being catholic, I’d much rather put my faith in God and follow all of the teachings AND actions of Christ and feed and clothe my bretheren all in the name of Love, also known as Christ with him, through him and in him. All while petitioning for prayer and support of my brothers and sisters before me, especially that of my Blessed Mother, Mary. After all, does her soul not magnify the Lord? Love, Love, Love, Love, crazy love, in communion, one in being.

 

[imroc]

BlestOne:

… receive the gift of faith but do nothing with it, we aren’t living as God Commands us to. Didn’t the father send his son to show us the way to live?

Simply beautiful. Did the theif at the side of Christ on his cross not believe in Christ? Was he to step down from his crucifixion and go out and help the poor and do good works before he entered paradise? Of course not! This is why the Church does NOT teach salvation by works alone nor by faith alone. One’s state of being and full intention of living out their faith is what matters, I believe. If I’m about to die and have full faith in Christ, and am able to clearly profess this faith and repent, I may be saved from the hell that once awaited me. But say I make it through my near death and go back into the world, having faith in Christ but my works lack my faith, am I not guilty of being rather selfish and hypocritical by not loving my God and brother? Faith alone is NOT written in the Bible. Can faith alone save you? I’d say that in circumstances such as the mentioned theif at the side of Christ, yes. But I would not bank on that idea in the long run.

And as mentioned above, Christ went into the world for 3 years after establishing strong family bond for 30 years. What did he do in the world? Have faith? Sure, but did he stop there? No! He healed, cured, saved and fed. He showed our apostles the same. The following disciples were taught to follow his standard, not to go around “faithing”. Nobody can sum up 33 years of salvation works through love by saying that the sum is called, “faith”. This is the most absurd idea ever. God, I pray for the soul of Martin Luther! But honestly, I believe that his mind became so corrupted by this point of his life, that faith was his way of acknowledging Christ. His belief in God was his work. Will this suffice for a person in stable mental shape? I would hope not, especially after the mission of reconcillation is blatantly established by Christ. Did Christ die on the cross in vain? I would think that this is exactly what happens to him when we live out a minimalist belief system, such as “sola fide”.

God Bless all of you and may those around you be blessed by your works and faith, in Love. Amen.