Faith = salvation.
Works follow as a result, but not for the saving of the soul.
Lot was considered righteous. Tell me what good works of HIS you read about.
Tell me what the thief on the cross did.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Well, metmom, the good, penitent thief on the cross did a number of things. (None of those things saved him, of course -- his salvation came from the salvific work of God on the cross next to him.) However, his brief, nascent faith life on his own cross was by no means a dead faith, as his faith was definitely coupled with works.
For example, while hanging on his cross, the good thief preached one of the shortest but most poignant, memorable, public sermons ever preached -- one that the Holy Spirit obviously saw worthy of inclusion in the Holy Scriptures, and which has been endlessly repeated (especially during Holy Week) and heard by millions of people over the centuries (including you metmom) -- even more people than the number of people who have heard Billy Graham's sermons over the years -- when he said this brief sermon to his fellow thief on the other cross in his eloquent defense of Jesus:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us".
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?"
"And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss."
And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom".
Luke 23:39-42
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A careful reading of his words will show that within that same brief sermon, the good thief also confessed his own guilt to the Lord, and composed the "lyrics" to this very famous Christian chant/hymn:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Jesus Remember Me"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
My final point this evening will be that it is much better to approach fellow Christians with kindness and Christian compassion, rather than with a spirit of vitriolic bitterness and vituperous anti-Catholic rancor.