Faith working in Love?

[fulloftruth]

I was listening to a preacher one channel up from EWTN and was listening to his rant on what would happen when a person died or at the end of time. And he went on to say you won’t give a testimony of how well you did at work or how much money you had or how low of a golf score you shot, bla bla bla bal… He said you will be asked by the Father What was your relationship with my Son? It made me think, didn’t Christ tell us what questions we would face when we saw Gods face. When I was naked, poor, hungry, sick, in jail… Are these not all works of the Spirit. Where in this most humbling prophecy of Christ does the Protestant find Sola Fide. Sounds like you had to let the Spirit work in and through you and it has to translate into actual works of mercy. How does a Protestant who subscribes to Sola Fide square this with that?

 

[JimG]

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him.

And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’

He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’

And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Gospel of Matthew: 25:31-46

 

[Toni]

JimG:

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

Gospel of Matthew: 25:31-46

Great answer I am going to add that to my refrigerator with the 10 things God won’t ask you.

 

[Pug]

NAB Romans 8:1 Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…10 … if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. 12 Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live…16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

This part of Romans seems a likely source for the assertion about the relationship with Christ/Jesus being the important thing over golf and money. I doubt it is meant to deny being nice to others.

 

[Trelow]

The Protestant view of faith is more encompassing than the Catholic view. We include your “Faith, Hope, Charity” all within “Faith”. Now I’m not saying that either side is right or wrong, they both say the same thing, just different terminology. Just as you need all three sides to form a triangle, the triangle is “Faith” in the Protestant since, and the sides are “Faith, Hope, Charity”. So in order to have a good relationship with the Lord none can be lacking, thereby validating the preachers statement. This is what has kept the Church divided, a lack of understanding, both sides are to blame. Hopefully we all can come together and fully realize God’s glory for his people here on earth.

 

[Mary]

I’m not quoting verbatim here, but a well known Catholic apologetist (can’t remember his name!!) wrote- Christ comes to us by Faith, through us by Hope and out of us by Love.

Although it is a difference in terminology, it’s dangerous to say we are saved through Faith alone- As was written by James, even Satan believes that Christ exists!

 

[RedGolum]

Mary:

I’m not quoting verbatim here, but a well known Catholic apologetist (can’t remember his name!!) wrote- Christ comes to us by Faith, through us by Hope and out of us by Love.

Although it is a difference in terminology, it’s dangerous to say we are saved through Faith alone- As was written by James, even Satan believes that Christ exists!

Catholics and Lutherans have a different definition of faith. Faith is more than just the intellectuial knowledge, for even the demons know and tremble, it is placing all your hope and love in Jesus. That is what faith means to a Lutheran (and probably most non Catholic), to love God will all you heart, mind, and strengths.

For the most part, both RC’s and Lutherans believe we are saved by faith in Jesus, we just differ on the terminology. The whole justification/santification issue is one where we agree, but just don’t seem to be able to use the same language.