I like your writing. We might not agree but thank you nevertheless.
You’re welcome. As long as you try to understand what Catholics truly believe, that is at least what matters.
Not sure all Protestants will agree with this: "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:13-15)
Christ had to die on the cross and atone for sin because human beings are unable to observe the moral precepts of the law to perfection. He cancelled the law as the source of salvation, but he did not make the law void insofar that we aren’t obligated to observe the moral precepts of the law or repent of our personal sins in order to be saved. The law still serves as a means to be saved. Thus St, Paul exhorts us to “be doers of the law”. The law condemned us until Christ died for our sins. He alone remitted the sins we had committed against the law and removed its ultimate power over us. By legal decree Christ cancelled the record of debt that stood against us with all its claims. This is just one dimension of being declared or reckoned as righteous. Christ alone has formally saved the world by his death on the cross in view of no preceding merits of ours, having made satisfaction to the Father for our sins in strict justice by his merits (
meritum de condigno), but we as individuals and friends of God must cooperate with the infused divine graces we receive to instrumentally be saved and merit our eternal reward (
meritum de congruo) - now that Christ has cancelled the debt against us. This cancellation holds as long as we act righteously or justly in our lives by being observers of the law of liberty. We must " work out our salvation in fear and trembling" and not rely strictly on Christ’s salvific work.
*Who will render to every man according to his works… But glory, and honour, and peace to every one that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Romans 2 6-10, 13
And you know that he appeared to take away our sins, and in him there is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not; and whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him or known him. Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doth justice is just, even as he is just.
1 John 3, 5-7*
Compare Colossians 2:9 - "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."
Indeed, the person of Christ, the Divine Word made flesh, is actually substantially united to our human nature. So we are called to partake in the divine life of his by being righteous as our Lord was in his sacred humanity through the efficacy of divine grace. Thus we aren’t just declared just. We must act justly in order to be justified in God’s sight in view of the merits of Christ in his sacred humanity.
I will give you a new heart and place my spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit in you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees.
Ezekiel 36, 26-27
Compare Romans 10:10 - "with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.". It appears as if faith (the James 2:17 type of faith) is what brings righteousness.
So faith also, if it has not works, is dead in itself.
James 2, 17 [VB: English translation of the Latin Vulgate]
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead,
being alone
James 2, 17 [KJV]
So also faith
of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2, 17 [NAB]
James isn’t concerned whether a type of faith can save us (2:14), but whether the faith of Christ can save us without good works done in grace. James is objecting to relying on only faith to be saved. If his concern was to draw a distinction between a saving faith and an unsaving faith, then he would have written: " So also faith (not “of itself”, “being alone”, or “in itself”), if it does not have works is dead." For James faith is faith and works are works: two separate entities in themselves. James does not intend to tell us that a faith of sufficient quality saves as is evident by good works. Scripture also mentions “dead works”, (good works done outside the sytem of grace of a pharisiac quality), so are we to conversely assume that works alone save us provided that they are of a sufficient quality as is evident by our faith?
Of course not. The truth is that faith and works are separate entities in themselves which must be coupled in order for the believer to be saved. Faith initially justifies, but is completed and perfected by good works. Good works done in charity and grace (feeding the hungry and clothing the naked) render our faith profitable, and so are causative of salvation.
To be continued.
PAX :heaven:
But I really cannot say I’m surprised. After all, sola scriptura makes you your own ultimate judge of the truth as per your own private interpretation:shrug:.
