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| Q: | I have asked you people a ton of times but I never get a clear answer on my question. When I point out that I am Catholic, I am attacked every time. The last time I asked a question, I was told that my religion was man-made. For Protestants, after your baptism and a few years later after your confirmation, you could sit on your butt for the rest of your life saying "Yes I believe in Jesus, he is my Saviour;" and you go to heaven without demonstrating your love through works in any way. Catholics believe that works are equally as important as faith, it's spelled out for you in the Bible. It says clear as rain in the Gospel of James that faith without works is DEAD. In another words, means absolutely nothing. When the passage I mentioned before is brought up you say that if you had real faith you would do works, but I have heard time and time again Protestant ministers/preachers say that it doesn't matter what you do but only what you believe. What do you believe, I don't want a super-complicated answer that I won't understand.. Give me the meat and potatoes answer. | ||||||||
| A: | We believe and teach that we are justified (declared not guilty) or fully forgiven by God individually or personally when we are brought by the Holy Spirit to trust Jesus Christ and his saving work on our behalf. That is, we are forgiven or saved by faith alone, and not through or on account of the good works that come with faith. The good works do indeed come with and always accompany saving faith as the fruit of true faith (which is the point James was making), but we are not forgiven because of them. Because this is so, we reject some ideas that have repeatedly surfaced in the history of the church. One idea that we reject is that we are are forgiven because of the good works that come with saving faith. That is false because, even though good works always accompany and flow from saving faith, they are never the cause or a condition that has to be fulfilled to obtain forgiveness from our gracious Lord. A second idea we reject is that good works are unimportant or not necessary for people who are personally forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ. Since true saving faith always and inevitably produces fruit (Christian love, good works, etc.) this fruit may even be called "necessary," that is, necessary as inevitable fruit produced. But not "necessary for forgiveness" or "necessary for salvation" which comes through faith alone. In short, we do good works because we are saved through faith, not in order to be saved through faith plus works. We consider this to be a very important and practical distinction that is taught often in the Bible. God desires us sinners to be at peace with him as we are brought to focus on Christ alone through faith alone and not on our own works that accompany Christian faith. Our works, our fruits of faith, will always be imperfect and never a good foundation for enjoying peace with God. | ||||||||
This is recent question #21 of 50
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