Justification by faith (romans) or with works

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris4
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Chris4

Guest
Code: 
 One of the doctrines that galls most protestants, is the addition of works to faith by the Catholic church. By reading Romans 4:3 and James 2:20 out of context they separate the two and interpret each the same way. As usual, they are done by individuals. 
  James wrote his epistle, of the same name, in 49 AD. With Paul's Galatians , it was was among the first writings of the New Testament. it is the same James who must have followed Jesus as an apostle and  heard Him verbatim. From the teachings of the great Teacher he was made to formulate what he did in James 2:20.
 Paul writing to the Romans in 57 AD a clean eight years after James, must have read what was in the epistle and must have humanly wandered with his past and turbulent interaction with the Church, he had nothing to back him up. The nearest he ever went to a prison was when he was consigning some fellow there. Rightly his doctrine of Faith alone makes a lot of sense. 
  What about faith with works? Look at it from the Scripture. Start with what Paul wrote in 55 AD 1 Cor. 12:3 ".... no one can say ' Jesus is LORD' except by the Holy Spirit.." Some one has to have faith. Jesus had confirmed over twenty years before in his teachings - Mathew 7:21. " Not everyone who says to me, ' Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will come to me and say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?". To do all that one must have faith, but Christ is not impressed by that. there must be something more.
   What makes the difference between the turning right or left in Mathew 25:31. Apparently all have the same faith, look at their salutations, v.37 and v. 44, they all start 'Lord.' in their petitions, but it is their work which carry finality before the delivery of judgement before the Supreme Judge. We have the exception of Paul who was called directly by God and was therefore prepared before time. The Thief on the Cross was also promised paradise by absolute power and Creator who can reward whom he wills.
Christopher Rotich
 
Oh, and FYI, Catholics don’t believe you’re saved by works, that’s pelagianism
 
That was a tough format to read through-hadn’t seen it before for some reason. Anyway, the Church teaches that “faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and root of all justification” Trent, sess 6. Faith is the beginning; it establishes relationship, or communion, between man and God, ‘apart from Whom we can do nothing’, John 15:5.

But that’s not the end, it’s only the beginning because faith doesn’t replace justice or righteousness for man, as if righteousness was only meant to be imputed as Protestantism generally teaches; faith is not a get-out-of-hell-free-card, rather it opens the door to justice because it opens the door to God. It must lead to more, and the “more”, to put it simply, is “love”, the highest point of holiness for man, the very heart of Christianity, the image of God that we’re to be transformed into. And love acts, or works, by its nature, for the good of others. “The only thing that counts is faith working through love”, Gal 5:6. Such works are mentioned in Eph 2:10 & Matt 25:31-46.

And this is why the Greatest Commandments are what they are. So St Paul in 1 Cor 13 could say “…if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing.”, and, “Now these three remain, faith, hope, and love, but the most important of these is love.” And Augustine could say, "Without love faith may indeed exist, but avails nothing."

And the Church, quoting St John of the Cross regarding our final judgment, teaches this: “At the evening of life we shall be judged on our love”.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top