Faith and Works: Please see this thread!

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JKirkLVNV:
Will some of the more subtle apologists check out my response here and tell me if I’m off. I’m not entirely satisfied with how I said it.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=1227696#post1227696
I am not an apologist, but I took a look.
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JKirkLVNV:
We cannot earn our salvation, that’s not what the “works” is. We don’t “work for it” so much as “work it out.”
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Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more now in my absence,) with fear and trembling work out your salvation.
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JKirkLVNV:
Faith is what saves, but faith without works is dead, so if your faith doesn’t “work,” it isn’t capable of saving.
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James 2:14 What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him? cf.
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JKirkLVNV:
The contemplative monk in a hermitage is living a life of prayer and sacrifice, he IS working, insofar as the whole of his life is his work of charity (love), thus demonstrating the “aliveness” or “operativeness” of his faith.
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Romans 15:30 I beseech you therefore, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Holy Ghost, that you help me in your prayers for me to God,

1 Peter 2:5 Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
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JKirkLVNV:
He’s given up everything to follow Jesus. That’s what “works” are: the faithful and obedient following of Christ, every day.
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Luke 9:23 And he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

These all sound great! And there is a certain rhythm to it all - that’s why I put each segment in its own quote.

hurst
 
I actually like the way you explained it on that thread. I was thinking of just refering to your post when I responded.
 
Don’t see anything wrong in what you’ve said, although there is the subtlety that the works are really the *result * of faith rather than the mechanism of salvation.

Here is how I stated that on another thread:
We are saved totally through our faith and the grace of God. Works are only the natural result of our need to act on the joy from that grace and the infinite love and mercy of God.
That is why St James comments that faith without those works is dead. It’s not that the works save us; it is simply that in the presence of this faith one can do nothing but act on it, and if one is not acting on it the faith can’t be real.
 
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ncjohn:
Don’t see anything wrong in what you’ve said, although there is the subtlety that the works are really the *result *of faith rather than the mechanism of salvation.

Here is how I stated that on another thread:
I like how you said it, as well!

Thanks to all of you who commented. I wasn’t too sure.
 
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