Yes. Our works are a gift of grace from God. The effect on salvation is, as James taught, that when we reject this gift without repentance, we reject God. Thus, we “fall” from our justification that we thought we were standing firm in (1 Cor 10:13).
I would, more or less, agree with all ten of those. I don’t think those are the whole story, but I don’t necessarily disagree with any of those points. Just one thing I would point out is that in point #8, you have just changed your position. Imputation is a complete substitution of righteousness (Christ’s for our own). This is what you have been arguing. Infusion is that the H.S. transforms us and “makes us good” or righteous, which is what WE have been arguing. Therefore, if you accept point 8, you believe in infusion, not imputation, whether you know it or not.
This is a false dichotomy. The problem with documents like this is that they try to make either/or’s out of something that is clearly a both/and. The Catholic Church teaches that God infuses us with the HS and makes us righteous. Therefore any more righteousness that comes to the faithful Christian is still ultimately a result of the grace given to the Christian in the first place. Thus, it is not the Christian that merits the grace, but rather God’s grace meriting more grace. The fact that the Christian is entrusted to take care of this free gift, and grow his “talents” (Mt 25:14-28), does not make it any less of a gift. Likewise, Catholics agre that “grace” is “the loving and favorable disposition of God; in other words, grace is all about what God is doing and giving.” Again, if works are the fruit of the grace given to us, we do not “earn” salvation, in a strict sense, because of our works. God is doing these works in us. However, when we deny this grace the ability to operate freely, we thereby reject God’s “favorable disposition,” and as a loving God, He must thereby respect our wishes. Love must be freely given, never coerced. To force us to remain in a state of grace, against our will, is contrary to God’s nature. Therefore, we must continue to cooperate with God’s grace in order to continue to be justified.
This merely begs the question. Perhaps the author of this document does not grasp the concepts he criticizes. Perhaps the author is mistaken when he equates “extra-biblical traditions” with “un-biblical traditions.” Perhaps he is wrong all together to call these “extra-biblical traditions.” Maybe if he understood justification more appropriately, he would grasp the importance of these other doctrines. Perhaps…
Fr. Cantalamessa rocks. My wife just finished reading his book entitled, The Eucharist - Our Sanctification, that would blow you away.
This is just a caveat because this bothered me and I forgot to include it in the other post.
Did you go to the link provided? Your critique of the author is a critique of the LCMS, I am sure you understand the term justification better than their think tank of theologians!
I already answered this directly in a previous post. The difference between God’s work and man’s lies in its origin. If it originates out of unregenerated heart, then it is purely the work of man. If it is done purley out of love for God, and love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, then it is God’s work. Since only God can judge the motives of a man’s heart, then we cannot determine or even have a right to judge the motives of any man.
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So there is no way to tell if we have a regenerated or ungenerated heart? So we just go about doing good works hoping our heart is right? if its not we burn in hell, yet these good works can make or break our salvation? what of all the verses I quoted in post #2?
We know we have a regenerated heart the same way you know you have been born again. Do you believe that your desire to serve God is a product of your justification? If you do, then so do we.
So I guess you never do good? I guess Saint Paul telling Christians to do good is impossible since Christians can never do good? Is that what you’re saying?
I reaffirm what I said in this post.
I also reaffirm this post and what it clearly says in John 15 about those “in Christ” who do not persevere in bearing fruit and abide in Christ, namely, thrown into the fire (eternal dmantaion).
James is dealing with people who own up to being Christians, and yet they don’t substantiate the truth of their faith by their works.
So the answer to James’s question “Can that faith save him?” is that faith that produces works and hence validated by works saves? That’s precisely what the Catholic church says!