Pope: Professing the faith without good works is just spouting hot air

cns ^ | February 21, 2014 | Carol GLATZ

[NYer]

(CNS/Paul Haring)

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Understanding God's commandments and church doctrine is useless if those truths aren't put into practice, Pope Francis said.

"A faith without bearing fruit in life, a faith that doesn't bear fruit in works is not faith," the pope said in a Mass homily, focusing on the day's first reading from the Book of James (2:14-24).

Professing the faith without giving a witness makes the Gospel "words and nothing more than words," he said Feb. 21 during his early morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives.

"We, too, make this mistake many times," he said. It's often the case when a person thinks, "'But I have lots of faith. I believe everything.'"

However, look at how that person lives life. It may be "a lukewarm, weak life" where "faith is like a theory" and not lived out in practice, the pope said.

"You may know all the commandments, all the prophesies, all the truths of the faith, but if this isn't put into practice, is not translated into works, it serves nothing." As the Apostle James noted, even demons know the Creed, but that doesn't mean they have faith, the pope said.

Christians can be this way, too, he said, seeing the faith "as a system of ideas." But in reality, such people are what James considered them to be, "the anti-Christ, ideologues of the faith," the pope said.

"Having faith isn't having knowledge," the pope said. Instead, it is "receiving God's message" as brought by Christ.

There can be people who know very little or nothing about doctrine, "but have lots of faith" because rather than embracing "abstract truths," they embrace the living Christ, the pope said.

"Faith and witness are indissoluble," he said. "Faith is an encounter with Jesus Christ, with God," and always leads to witnessing.

"A faith without works, a faith that doesn't get you involved, isn't faith," he said. "It's words and nothing more than words."

[NYer]

Ping!

[bigheadfred]

good work NYer

[RoosterRedux]

Living in the Bible belt, I know lots of people of Faith...and they are all ALWAYS running around giving to others.

This includes Catholics and Protestants.

The reason I know this is that I am a caregiver to an elderly parent (used to be parents but Dad passed away a year ago at 94...and in his elder years, he was happy as a clam). I see what goes on in my small corner of the world. Loving folks are always knocking on my door.

[SoConPubbie]

The Pope is close to being correct on this one.

Actually, it is the being Born Again that Christ commanded us to be, and the accompanying change of heart, that allows us to do the good works commanded by Christ and God in the spirit demanded by God, Loving God with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

Without that necessary change of heart, all of our works, whether we profess to being a Christian or not, are as dirty filthly rags in the eyes of God.

Remember, from II Corinthians 5:17:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

[Jvette]

When one has faith, one opens their heart to allow the Spirit of God to come into it and change it. When that happens the good works follow.

What the pope is saying here is that people profess faith but their lives do not reflect that faith.

Matthew 15:8-9 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’

Faith is a verb.

[CorporateStepsister]

Completely in agreement; so many use their ‘belief’ to kind of separate themselves from the bad things they do. Like a “good girl” who tarts around and does cruel acts.

[Uri’el-2012]

Galatians 2:16

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

[RoosterRedux]

What the pope is saying here is that people profess faith but their lives do not reflect that faith.

And this is a oddity.

I haven't actually met any people who say they have faith, yet do not evince the Holy Spirit's love.

But I have encountered some--a few--here on our beloved FR.

If they think about it, they will recognize themselves.

They claim that they belong to the True Church and those who don't are going to hell.

I do not say this to create division. I say this to clarify this thread.

BTW, I am far from perfect. I am a sinner (however forgiven).

But we have brothers and sisters here who are lying to themselves.

They say they believe but they are not saved...they are not filled with the Holy Spirit.

When it comes to good works...ask yourself, "are you capable of good works without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? Are your good works yours...or are they His?

[RoosterRedux]

And this is a oddity.

Oopsy, a grammatical error. I await chastisement by those of the True Church...who in their smallness will seek to hurt those who do not believe as they do.

[Forrestfire]

Pelosi??? Biden???

[fish hawk]

yeah but, faith without works, you’re still saved where as works without faith , you are lost.

[jonrick46]

Once again, Pope Francis is not sticking with what the Bible says. We must refer to the Bible which says we are justified by faith, not works:

“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly [Christ], his faith is counted as righteousness,” Rom. 4:5

“nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.” -—Gal. 2:16

And,

“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.”-—Rom. 3:28-30

And,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. 9Not by works, lest any man should boast.”-—Eph. 2:8-9

If you do have righteousness, it comes from your faith:

“and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.” -—Phil. 3:9

[Jvette]

I know many people who profess a belief in Jesus Christ and yet their lives do not show that faith. Just look at so many of our politicians and entertainers who claim to have faith but promote what is sinful.

That is what the pope is talking about here. As a follower of Christ, we should be conforming ourselves to Him but too many want to make Him in their own image so that they can be comfortable in their sins.

[Salvation]

Is the book of James in your Bible? Then please pick it up and read it again. (You do know that Luther added the word 'alone' to the word faith is Paul's letters, don't you?)

Reading 1 Jas 2:14-24, 26

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
You believe that God is one.
You do well.
Even the demons believe that and tremble.
Do you want proof, you ignoramus,
that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works
when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
You see that faith was active along with his works,
and faith was completed by the works.
Thus the Scripture was fulfilled that says,
Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,
and he was called the friend of God.
See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
For just as a body without a spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

#15 bump

[jonrick46]

Yes, believers are justified, or declared righteous before God, solely by faith. You must look at James’ writings in their context. Works are the evidence of salvation through faith. These are not works we try to do to demonstrate our righteousness. Authentic faith leads automatically to good works so that works become the evidence of our salvation. It is something that God does by working in those who are saved.

A believer may ask for the power of God to make a person’s short leg to grow instantly to the length of the other leg. Such events happen not because of the power of the Christian. The Christian has no healing power. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that does the healing. Through faith God works in the life of the believer. Works, such as healings, demonstrates God’s power through our faith.

[Iscool]

When one has faith

Faith is a verb.

Like, I faith God???

[Iscool]

So does James void those verses post in #13??? Shouldn’t one try to reconcile all the scriptures instead of pit some against others???

[Heart-Rest]

"A faith without works, a faith that doesn't get you involved, isn't faith," he said. "It's words and nothing more than words."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Pope really nailed that!

There are many people who seem to think that just claiming "faith" verbally, or letting the concept of "faith" gently and lazily roll around in their cerebral meanderings, is the same as possessing faith.    However, as the Holy Spirit clearly and plainly told St. James, the truth is:

   So-called "Faith" minus Works = "Dead Faith" (which is Not-Faith).

(And absolutely no one can be saved by "Not-Faith", which, like the Pope said, amounts to nothing more than mere words, or the "spouting of hot air".)

With that wonderfully insightful and inspiring thought to meditate on, I will retire for the night, and wish all a goodnight!