Justification v Salvation

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Can someone double check my theology and terminology here?

As I understand it, we were justified by the sacrifice on Calvary, meaning we can go to Heaven. We are saved, though, by Baptism, meaning we actually get to go to Heaven (through Purgatory, and assuming, of course, we die in a state of grace).
 
It is simple but complex. We are not “saved” until death.

Christ has merited for sinners the grace of justification (causa meritoria), but the sinner is formally justified and made holy by his own personal justice and holiness (causa formalis).

Considered as an act (actus justificationis), justification is the work of God alone, presupposing, however, on the part of the adult the process of justification and the cooperation of his free will with God’s preventing and helping grace (gratia praeveniens et cooperans).

Considered as a state or habit (habitus justificationis), it denotes the continued possession of a quality inherent in the soul, sanctifying grace.

In active justification an actual and real forgiveness of sins takes place so that the sin is really removed from the soul, not only original sin by baptism but also mortal sin by the sacrament of penance.

Some of the following may provide an initial overview:

Justification (1 of 2)

Justification (2 of 2)

Justification and salvation
 
Redemption was universal, through the sacrifice of Christ’s blood, as Pope Francis has recently stated. Justification and salvation are personal. Through faith and reception of the Sacraments, we are justified. Yet, until and unless we persevere (run the race so as to win) and enter the gates of heaven, we are not saved.
 
We were redeemed by Jesus’ sacrafice. We have to work out our salvation until we die. Someone I know once put it this way:( rather crude explanation but it gets the point across) We’re given a coupon, it’s up to us to cash it in.
 
getysbg said:
We were redeemed by Jesus’ sacrafice. We have to work out our salvation until we die. Someone I know once put it this way:( rather crude explanation but it gets the point across) We’re given a coupon, it’s up to us to cash it in.
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Okay, that’s what I was looking for. It was more the terminology I was having issues with. There was an annoying gap in my vocabulary for what Jesus did by dying on the cross. Justification lacked a solid definition in my head, so I kinda assumed the gap in my vocabulary was justification…
 
I second the council of Trent reference above, especially this paragraph which shows it’s not either-or, but all:Of this Justification the causes are these: the final cause indeed is the glory of God and of Jesus Christ, and life everlasting; while the efficient cause is a merciful God who washes and sanctifies gratuitously, signing, and anointing with the holy Spirit of promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance; but the meritorious cause is His most beloved only-begotten, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when we were enemies, for the exceeding charity wherewith he loved us, merited Justification for us by His most holy Passion on the wood of the cross, and made satisfaction for us unto God the Father; the instrumental cause is the sacrament of baptism, which is the sacrament of faith, without which (faith) no man was ever justified; lastly, the alone formal cause is the justice of God, not that whereby He Himself is just, but that whereby He maketh us just, that, to wit, with which we being endowed by Him, are renewed in the spirit of our mind, and we are not only reputed, but are truly called, and are, just, receiving justice within us, each one according to his own measure, which the Holy Ghost distributes to every one as He wills, and according to each one’s proper disposition and co-operation.
 
Greetings in Christ,

In Mathew 19:25-26 Christ’s disciples asked just about the same questions: “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Conclusion: Only God can save us. We need to be saved!
The real questions are: How God saves us and then, what should we do?
The way God saves the elects, those who He has predestined to heaven:
“Elects according to the foreknowledge of the Father,” (1 Pet.1:1-2).
“He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, having predestined us to adoption,” (Eph.1:4-5; 2 Tim.1:9).
To be member of the Bride of Christ/Christ’s body is not our choice, it is by invitation only.
(1 Pet.1:1-2; Eph.1:4-5; Rom.8:29-30)
Our faith is God’s gift, and our will to freely say yes is prepared by God. (II Council of Orange; John 6:44-45)

ST. AUGUSTINE ON GRACE AND PREDESTINATION Fr. William Most.
De gratia Christi 25, 26: "For not only has God given us our ability and helps it, but He even works [brings about] willing and acting in us; not that we do not will or that we do not act, but that without His help we neither will anything good nor do it.”

De gratia et libero arbitrio 16, 32: "It is certain that we will when we will; but He brings it about that we will good. . . . It is certain that we act when we act, but He brings it about that we act, providing most effective powers to the will.

Predestination CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA
Quote: “Consequently, the whole future membership of heaven, down to its minutest details, … has been irrevocably fixed from all eternity. Nor could it be otherwise. For if it were possible that a predestined individual should after all be cast into hell or that one not predestined should in the end reach heaven, then God would have been mistaken in his foreknowledge of future events; He would no longer be omniscient.” End quote.

JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church

Quote: 3/15 By grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God.

3/17 Justification is solely due to the forgiving and renewing mercy that God imparts as a gift and we receive in faith, and never can merit in any way.

3/18 Therefore the doctrine of justification, which takes up this message and explicates it, is more than just one part of Christian doctrine. It stands in an essential relation to all truths of faith.

4/19 We confess together that all persons depend completely on the saving grace of God for their salvation. The freedom they possess in relation to persons and the things of this world is no freedom in relation to salvation, for as sinners they stand under God’s judgment and are incapable of turning by themselves to God to seek deliverance, of meriting their justification before God, or of attaining salvation by their own abilities. Justification takes place solely by God’s grace. Because Catholics and Lutherans confess this together, it is true to say.

4/25 We confess together that sinners are justified by faith in the saving action of God in Christ. Whatever in the justified precedes or follows the free gift of faith is neither the basis of justification nor merits it. End quote

As elects to Heaven, predestined on God’s eternal decree before the world was made, and have been saved solely by Christ’s merit on the cross, God’s gift of faith, and the preparation of our wills by the Holy Spirit to freely say yes to God’s call. God saved us without any contribution by us for our salvation.
(II Council of Orange 529AD; Rom. 11:5-6; Rom.4:4)

With love in Christ,
Lion Heart
 
Gwillym said:
Hi guys. I’m in an ongoing discussion with one of my Reformed Protestant buddies and in his last email he made the following statement/question:

" So, in the Roman Catholic case, their “faith” requires them to constantly perform sacraments or else they won’t make it to heaven. How is that any different from the Judaizers whom Paul condemns in Galatians?"

Something about this statement smells like a misunderstanding of Catholic teaching on the Sacraments but I can’t really put my finger on how so I’ll just let it stand.

Are sacraments, necessary for salvation? How is that not simply a new ceremonial law that would fall under the rather blunt condemnations of Paul in Galatians?

Feel free to link me to other posts if these questions have already been dealt with.

Gwill
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Sacraments are often thought of as works by the Protestant or the reformer because there is no clear understanding of justification. The effects are beyond a covering, beyond a fiduciary sign; rather Sacraments have a real (and promised) consequence on the soul. “A sacrament is in such a manner an outward sign of inward grace that bears its image (i.e. signifies or represents it) and is its cause “(Sacramentum proprie dicitur quod ita signum est gratiae Dei, ei invisibilis gratiae forma, ut ipsius imaginem gerat et causa existat - Peter Lombard, IV Sent., d. I, n.2). And, this efficacious grace is one requiring the cooperation, or, if you please, ‘work’ freely given from wherein. Just as freely as it can be accepted grace can be rejected. Thus we pray, “Turn ye to me, and I will turn to you, we are reminded of our liberty; and when we reply: Convert us, O Lord, to thee, and we shall be converted, we confess that we need the grace of God.” (Cf. Zach. 1:3 and Lam. 5:21 – Trent Session VI, 5)

Protestants and reformers have ‘five sola(s)’ (yes, I know; how do you have five of ‘one thing’? You’ll need to ask them – I’ve never gotten a satisfying answer). Their philosophy makes them accustomed to this thinking; they are ‘saved’ alone by God, ‘predestined’ alone by God, and ‘crowned’ alone by God – here and now. Consequently, this logic brings them to a Divine work, and what is done by man is an act of corruption. God does the work, he chooses the individual ‘predestined’ for crowning and damns the rest of us – especially if you happen to be Catholic – so the philosophy leads us.

As an aside, by using ‘alone’ or ‘sola’ philosophy just think what God has structured His creation. Plants and animals are able to take care of themselves, low maintenance creation. Man, however, was created corrupt, perverse, depraved flesh and requiring all of His ‘sola’ maintenance just so a few of us can play among the clouds in heaven. He must save us because he loves us (these corrupt, perverse and depraved fleshy men) – strange thought isn’t it. To a a few of us in heaven with Him, He must take us off the road of perdition, and then lift us up. That’s a lot of work for a deity that looks and acts like a loving old man with a white beard! Santa Claus?

The difference between Catholic doctrine and Protestant/reformer philosophy is the reality of ‘justification’. Receiving justification in Catholicism occurs after our death, in the Protestant and reformer’s view receiving justification occurs in the here and now. Both Catholic and non-Catholic hold to the view ‘actus justificationis’, the act of justifying, is undoubtedly accomplished by God. However, ‘works’ used to describe the redemptive properties of justification is a habit, habitus justificationis, a continuance of man’s will in a relationship with God’s graces. Justification cannot precede grace, it’s not a work done alone but requires grace; “in adults the beginning of that justification must proceed from the predisposing grace of God through Jesus Christ”. As we read in Trent’s treatment of justification we can’t merit the call. However that ‘call’ is not the quality of redemption, itself being justification. Trent goes on to say that those 'cut-off from God “can be quickened in ascent to God’s grace to convert themselves to their own justification”. It is not the claim that man can be the ‘cause’ of his own justification, rather it is a claim that our desire to illumination will lead to Justification through grace.

“. . . God touches the heart of man through the illumination of the Holy Ghost, man himself neither does absolutely nothing while receiving that inspiration, since he can also reject it, nor yet is he able by his own free will and without the grace of God to move himself to justice in His sight.”

I describe it as aligning one’s will with the will of God, a synergistic relationship like that of friendship. At this point we have completely departed from anything Protestant or reform like. They look for a relationship whereby the will of the Creator is perfectly aligned with their own. This Protestant/reformer’s relationship is akin to of one party possessing the other, I’m sure you know the type – it becomes abusive in married life.

“For the Law requires not only Faith but works also, but grace saves and justifies by Faith.” Ephesians 2:8 [St. John Chrysostom, On Galatians, Homily 3]

It is true, and Catholicism teaches that empty ritual is just that, empty. However, the “Law requires not only Faith but works also, but grace saves and justifies by Faith.” [St. John Chrysostom, On Galatians, Homily 3] And faith is formed by Charity.

JoeT
 
Greetings in Christ,
THE PROCESS OF GOD’S JUSTIFICATION V SALVATION

It is helpful if we know some theological terms that we use in our Catholic Church.

Quote: Are All True Christians Predestined to Persevere? by James Akin
“True Christians”
A true Christian is a person who has been justified, born again, and entered a state of salvation.

“False Christians.”
A false Christian is a person who, though he has apparently come to Christ and made a profession of faith in him, in reality he was never justified, never born again, and he never entered a state of salvation.

“To Persevere”
To persevere to the end is to remain in a state of God’s grace–to remain in a state of salvation–until the end of life.

“Predestined”
The position of Augustine and Aquinas, namely that predestination is based unconditionally on God’s sovereign choice alone.

It is also used in redemptive contexts. Here there have historically been two usages.
On the one hand, one can be predestined to come to God and become a true Christian.
On the other hand, a true Christian can be predestined to stay with God and persevere to the end of life.
These two uses have historically been known as predestination to grace and predestination to glory.
One is predestined to grace if one is predestined to enter the graces of the Christian life, and one is predestined to glory if one is predestined to enter the glory of heaven. End quote. (Emphasis mine.)

According to the teaching of our Catholic Church, “Jesus Christ gave himself as a ransom for the sins of the whole world, but only those predestined to glory (Heaven) will be saved.”

The process of God’s Justification v Salvation.

Rom.8:29-30 “For whom He foreknow, He also predestined, … Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

Foreknowledge precedes predestination, predestination precedes God’s call, God’s call precedes justification, justification precedes glorification.

In God’s salvation process justification is the fourth step.
No one can be justified without prior predestination and God’s call. Before God’s Call to the heavenly life – God gives us the gift of faith and the Holy Spirit prepares our will to say freely – YES to the call of God.

According to our Catholic Church teaching: Those whom God has predestined to Heaven, without fail they make it to Heaven. They are protected by God’s gift of final perseverance.
This gift is: God protects them to stay on the road to heaven, and also God works in them “to act and to will good.” They don’t reject God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. Without this “gift of final perseverance,” not even one of them could make it to Heaven.

According to our Catholic Church teaching also: Those whom God has predestined to grace, (not having God’s gift of final perseverance) will sooner or later reject God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. The results being, they all end up in hell.

Christ died for the sins of the whole world, and God’s will is for everyone to be saved.

With love in Christ,
Lion Heart
 
Lion_Heart said:
Greetings in Christ,
THE PROCESS OF GOD’S JUSTIFICATION V SALVATION

The process of God’s Justification v Salvation.

Rom.8:29-30 “For whom He foreknow, He also predestined, … Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

Foreknowledge precedes predestination, predestination precedes God’s call, God’s call precedes justification, justification precedes glorification.

In God’s salvation process justification is the fourth step.
No one can be justified without prior predestination and God’s call. Before God’s Call to the heavenly life – God gives us the gift of faith and the Holy Spirit prepares our will to say freely – YES to the call of God.

According to our Catholic Church teaching: Those whom God has predestined to Heaven, without fail they make it to Heaven. They are protected by God’s gift of final perseverance.
This gift is: God protects them to stay on the road to heaven, and also God works in them “to act and to will good.” They don’t reject God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. Without this “gift of final perseverance,” not even one of them could make it to Heaven.

According to our Catholic Church teaching also: Those whom God has predestined to grace, (not having God’s gift of final perseverance) will sooner or later reject God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. The results being, they all end up in hell.

Christ died for the sins of the whole world, and God’s will is for everyone to be saved.

With love in Christ,
Lion Heart
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Hi everyone, greetings in Christ with love,

I have read my above post many times, because I felt my following statement: “According to our Catholic Church teaching also: Those whom God has predestined to grace, (not having God’s gift of final perseverance) will sooner or later reject God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. The results being, they all end up in hell.” Cannot be correct.

I hesitate to accept the view that all people whom God has predestined to grace He will cast all of them to hell. That would mean: Christ at His 2nd coming, instead of taking over Satan’s Kingdom, and restoring the whole creation (Acts 3:21; Matt.19:28), He will depopulate the whole world, by casting to hell all predestined to grace with those who rejected the grace of God.
If the above doctrine is correct:
  1. From the word population, God has predestined a limited number of people to heaven BY INVITATION ONLY.
  2. The rest of the world population has no chance for salvation at all, and will never have.
  3. The rest of the population of the world will have no other dwelling place apart from hell.
    Conclusion: The above doctrine is not a doctrine of the Catholic Church.
PREDESTINATION TO GLORY
This is an UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION, based on God’s eternal decree, (God’s choice/by invitation only).
The names of the elects, and their full number is completed before the creation of the world.
Destination is Heaven. The predestined cannot lose their salvation.
Style of the election: Thomism [After Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 1274)].

PREDESTINATION TO GRACE
This is a CONDITIONAL ELECTION, based on God’s foreknowledge of our response to His grace, (elects choice). It is up to the individuals to accept it, or reject it, or accept it for a while and then reject it, but in this case, their names never were among the predestined.
The names of the elects, and their full number is completed before the creation of the world.
Destination is God’s Kingdom on earth. The predestined cannot lose their salvation.
Style of the election: Molinism [After Luis de Molina (1535 - 1600)].

As long as Thomists and Molinists are thinking in two dimensions, heaven and hell, they can never be reconcile with each other, the reconciliation is in three dimensions, heaven, hell, and the restored earth by recreation "YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WLL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. "When the Thomists and Molinists will realize for what they are praying for sanctuaries, they will reconcile with each other.

This world at present is the Kingdom of Satan (Matt.4:8-9; Luke 4:5-7), but after Christ 2nd coming will be the Kingdom of God (Rev.11:15; Matt.13:41-43), and will have plenty of love, happiness, and dwelling place there.

The outline of God’s prophecies that the KINGDOM OF SATATAN become the KINGDOM OF GOD.
  1. The DURATION of God’s Kingdom on earth is described in Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:14; Daniel 7:27.
  2. The time of the CHANGEOVER the KINGDOM from Satan to Christ, described in Daniel
    7:13-14; Daniel 7:21-22; DANIEL 7:26-27; REVELATION 11:15.
  3. The CLEANING up of the Kingdom of God is described in Matthew 13:41-42.
  4. The LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD is described in Isaiah 11:6-9; Isaiah 51:3; Isaiah
    52:9-10; Isaiah 65:20-25; Zechariah 8:3-8.
The JUSTIFICATION and SALVATION of those who are predestined to grace exactly the same as those who are predestined to heaven.
Grace alone, solely on account of the work of Christ. Their salvation is God’s gift, so as their merit which will be rewarded by God.
Reward cannot be everlasting life, or entrance into the Kingdom of God, bur reward IN the Kingdom of God.

With love in Christ,
LH
 
Razanir said:
Can someone double check my theology and terminology here?

As I understand it, we were justified by the sacrifice on Calvary, meaning we can go to Heaven. We are saved, though, by Baptism, meaning we actually get to go to Heaven (through Purgatory, and assuming, of course, we die in a state of grace).
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We were redeemed by Christ on the cross and given the opportunity to be saved but to be saved we must be baptised, inside the Catholic Church and die in a state of grace.
 
Razanir said:
Can someone double check my theology and terminology here?

As I understand it, we were justified by the sacrifice on Calvary, meaning we can go to Heaven. We are saved, though, by Baptism, meaning we actually get to go to Heaven (through Purgatory, and assuming, of course, we die in a state of grace).
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Greetings in Christ, Razanir

I believe Razanir, your first sentence is absolutely correct. Of course a bit more to it, to make it fully understandable.
  1. To go to Heaven we have to be among those whom God elected and predestined to Heaven. – Just suppose we are among the predestined to Heaven.
  2. At God’s time, before He calls us into the Catholic Church/Body of Christ, God gives us the gift of faith and the Holy Spirit prepares our will to freely say yes to the Call of God.
    God’s gift of faith includes : Unconditional belief in what God says.
    Unconditional trust in God. Unconditional love of God. Baptism of desire.
  3. At this point “God raises us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Eph.2:6)
Quote:
“AUGUSTINE’S CONTRIBUTION TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.
We are inserted into the Body of Christ by our baptism and become members united to the Head, so that while our feet may be on earth we are already in heaven.” End quote.
The above quote taken from a letter of Paul Maloney OSA Written September 19th 2012

So those who are saying we are not saved until we are in heaven, they are perfectly right, because at our conversion God takes us up to heaven.

BAPTISM
[CCC 1249] Quote: “Catechumens are already joined to the Church, they are already of the household of Christ,” End quote.

How can be a Catechumen a member of the Church/Body of Christ before water baptism?

The answer is very simple: God’s free gift of faith not only includes belief, trust and love, but includes the baptism of desire as well, and this is the saving part of the baptism.
God’s gift of baptism of desire saves without water baptism. When a Catechumen has the water baptism he/she already was a member of the Church/Body of Christ because of their baptism of desire.

Speaking about adult baptism: Water baptism is not valid without the baptism of desire. Baptism of desire is valid without water baptism.

At conversion we are fully justified/saved, God delivered us up to heaven (Eph.2:6).
We are here on earth as ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor.5:20), and all our works are the FRUITS of our justification/salvation.

JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church

3/17 Justification is solely due to the forgiving and renewing mercy that God imparts as a gift and we receive in faith, and never can merit in any way.

4/37 We confess together that good works - a Christian life lived in faith, hope and love - follow justification and are its fruits.

There is one Body of Christ, which is the Catholic Church, every true Christian is a member of it. We may call the Protestants separated brothers, because of different administration, because there is no distinction in the Body of Christ, in the Body of Christ they are equal with us, and we are equal with them. – This is the teaching of the Catholic Church
and we all should accept it, and treat our protestant brothers and sisters with love and respect.

With love in Christ,
LH
 
po18guy said:
Redemption was universal, through the sacrifice of Christ’s blood, as Pope Francis has recently stated. Justification and salvation are personal. Through faith and reception of the Sacraments, we are justified. Yet, until and unless we persevere (run the race so as to win) and enter the gates of heaven, we are not saved.
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Greetings in Christ, Po18guy

If we would have to preserve with our own natural power, none of us could make it to Heaven. God’s “great and special gift of final perseverance” makes us to persevere (run the race so as to win). Without this special gift of God, we all end up in hell.

Quote: A Tiptoe Through TULIP James Akin
43. Trent’s Decree of Justification, canon 16, speaks of “that great and special gift of final perseverance,” and chapter 13 of the decree speaks of “the gift of perseverance of which it is written: ‘He who perseveres to the end shall be saved [Matt. 10:22, 24:13],’ which cannot be obtained from anyone except from him who is able to make him who stands to stand [Rom. 14:4].”

The Church formally teaches that there is a gift of final perseverance. [43] Aquinas (and even Molina) said this grace always ensures that a person will persevere. [44] Aquinas said, “Predestination [to final salvation] most certainly and infallibly takes effect.” End quote.
Please read also: 2 Tim.4:18

The condition to be a real (not only an imitation) Catholic is to be a member of the invisible Church/Body of Christ.
The condition to be a member of the invisible Church/Body of Christ
is HAVE BEEN SAVED/BEING IN THE STATE OF GRACE.

The Catholic Church clearly teaches that one MUST be in a STATE OF GRACE, MUST be a member of the BODY OF CHRIST, MUST be already SAVED, MUST be already JUSTIFIED before we do a SINGLE WORK that counts for anything.

With love in Christ,
LH
 
getysbg said:
We were redeemed by Jesus’ sacrafice. We have to work out our salvation until we die. Someone I know once put it this way:( rather crude explanation but it gets the point across) We’re given a coupon, it’s up to us to cash it in.
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Greetings in Christ, Getysbg

I agree with you. “We have to work out our salvation until we die.”
We have to be very careful about the way we understand Phil.2:12-15, because if we understand it the right way and we work on it, that brings God’s blessings and supernatural rewards. – Rewards of course CANNOT be salvation. That is God’s gift for us. Can be rewards IN heaven, but can NEVER be reward OF heaven.

RIGHT UNDERSTANDING OF PHIL.2:12-15
Work out our sanctification – growth in likeness to Christ, (as already saved) this is STRICTLY the fruits of our salvation, NOT the cause of it.

We have been saved by (formed) FAITH ALONE, or if someone prefer another formula “BY GRACE ALONE, SOLELY BY CHRIST’S MERIT ON THE CROSS.
The meaning of both formula EXACTLY the same.

Sola fide formata = (formed) FAITH ALONE
THE COMPOSITE OF GOD’S GIFT OF FAITH:
a. BELIEF …… (Unconditional BELIEF in what God says.)
b. HOPE ……. (Unconditional TRUST in God.)
c. CHARITY … (Unconditional LOVE for God.)
d. BAPTISM OF DESIRE.

This formed faith produces INSTANT SALVATION without water baptism and without sacraments, [CCC 1249]; Acts 10:44-46. Our official doctrine of salvation: “Salvation by grace alone, solely on account of the work of Christ, or (formed) faith alone.” Period. Anything added to faith contradicts [CCC1249]; Acts 10:44-46, and takes away God’s Glory!

God’s free gift of faith is formed faith, at that moment when God gives it to a person, THAT IS THE MOMENT, WHEN THAT PERSON IS SAVED. From that point on, every good work of a saved is the fruit of salvation NOT the cause of it.

WRONG UNDERSTANDING OF PHIL.2:12-15
Christ’s merit on the cross, God’s grace or His gift of (formed) faith alone is not sufficient for our salvation. We have to work for it as well, or another version of it, but just as DEADLY, if we DON’T WORK we are condemned.
Both version of the above DECEPTIONS DESTROYS our WORK and our FAITH. – Without faith there is NO salvation.

TO BELIEVE: WORK IS NOT A CONDITION OF OUR SALVATION PRECEDES SUPERNATURAL MERIT!!!

The Catholic Church clearly teaches: ONLY those works can be done for the GLORY OF GOD which done FREELY, WITHOUT any EXTERNAL COERCION or INTERNAL NECESSITY.

Why is it deadly if we work for the reason to GET or KEEP our salvation?

We have no faith in the teaching of the Catholic Church that We have been saved “BY GRACE ALONE, SOLELY BY CHRIST’S MERIT ON THE CROSS,” or if someone prefer another formula (formed) FAITH ALONE.

If we believe, work is condition of our salvation, then all our works go up in smoke at the judgment of 1 Cor.3:11-15, because ALL OUR WORK energized by the SPIRIT OF SLAVERY and DECEPTION.

JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church

3/15. “… Together we confess: By GRACE ALONE, in faith in Christ’s SAVING work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.

3/16. … Through CHRIST ALONE are we justified, when we receive this salvation in faith. Faith is itself God’s gift.

3/17. We also share the conviction that the message of JUSTIFICATION direct us in a special way towards THE HEART OF THE NEW TESTAMENT witness to God’s saving action in Christ: … as a GIFT and we receive in FAITH, and NEVER can merit in any way.

4/25 We confess together that sinners are justified by FAITH in the saving action of God in Christ. Whatever in the justified PRECEDES or FOLLOWS the free gift of faith is NEITHER the basis of justification NOR MERITS it. (Emphasis mine.)

With love in Christ,
LH
 
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