[Iscool]

Does Scripture anywhere state that "by faith alone" we are justified? The long and the short of it is--no. Those words are never, ever used in relation to justification anymore, by any of the NT authors. And no, not by Paul, who critized Jewish obligational works of law, e.g. circumcision, but not justification by good works.

Mat 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God

T here is no difference between the ceremonial law and the moral law...

The ceremonial law deals with our relationship with God and the moral law deals with our relationship with man...They are all the same law as can be seen in Romans 7...

Your council of Trent and your Catholic church fathers knew better than to separate the two as can be seen here...

click here

Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

It doesn't get any more clear than that...

Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God

Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

The UNGODLY are justified...NOT those that do GODLY works for justification...

Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

Without works...Without works...Without works...

Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

You don't and can't work your way out of sin...PLUS, your sin is covered...

Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

I realize this verse is completely alien to you guys but those of us who study the scriptures and BELIEVE everything God says know exactly what this means...Praise God...

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

You'll notice it does NOT say we might be justified by the Faith of Jesus Christ AND our righteous, moral works...

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them

ALL the things...Every one of the things in the Law...The moral and the ceremonial...

Doesn't matter what you believe...What matters is that God is very clear about Grace without works and a person would have to be a fool to teach about another gospel...

[bdeaner]

Before I more broadly address the points you raise and the scripture you cite, I have two simple questions for you.

1. How do you make sense of Matthew 7:21 and James 2, given your "faith alone" soteriology?

Matt. 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.

James 2 is cited above, in an earlier post on this thread.

2. Luther wrote, "Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Chirst even more boldly...No sin will separate us from the Lamb, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day." Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

If you can address these questions, then I will be in a better position to clarify Catholic soteriology and how it is the same and/or different than yours.

Beyond that, I will note that I have not made the mistake of claiming that Paul in Galatians and Romans is only making reference to ceremonial law and not moral law. If you refer back to what I wrote, you will see that I stated, rather, that Paul is referring to MOSAIC LAW, which implies both ceremonial and moral law, e.g. all that stuff in Leviticus. Christ brings a New Covenant that replaces the Old Convenant. But more on that later. It would be helpful for me if you could address my two questions.