Posted on 04/24/2015 6:56:10 AM PDT by Gamecock
Faith is not what some people think it is. Their human dream is a delusion. Because they observe that faith is not followed by good works or a better life, they fall into error, even though they speak and hear much about faith. “Faith is not enough,” they say, “You must do good works, you must be pious to be saved.” They think that, when you hear the gospel, you start working, creating by your own strength a thankful heart which says, “I believe.” That is what they think true faith is. But, because this is a human idea, a dream, the heart never learns anything from it, so it does nothing and reform doesn’t come from this ‘faith,’ either.
Instead, faith is God’s work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God. (John 1:13). It kills the Old Adam and makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever. He stumbles around and looks for faith and good works, even though he does not know what faith or good works are. Yet he gossips and chatters about faith and good works with many words.
Faith is a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favor that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it. Such confidence and knowledge of God’s grace makes you happy, joyful and bold in your relationship to God and all creatures. The Holy Spirit makes this happen through faith. Because of it, you freely, willingly and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown you such grace. Thus, it is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire! Therefore, watch out for your own false ideas and guard against good-for-nothing gossips, who think they’re smart enough to define faith and works, but really are the greatest of fools. Ask God to work faith in you, or you will remain forever without faith, no matter what you wish, say or can do.
This excerpt is taken from An Introduction to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans by Martin Luther.
Because the bible is the only Revelation given to mankind by God...
Faith saved him.
Period.
Ignorance of Scripture will get you into trouble. Every. Single. Time.
His sacrifice of Isaac was not for his salvation. He was declared righteous before that, before Isaac was even born. He was declared righteous after God had only spoken to him and made His promise about Isaac, years before Isaac was born
Genesis 15:6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
That verse is misused in that context.
It is not a blanket command by Jesus for believers to submit to the authority of the Catholic church nor is it any guarantee of infallibility of said church and to portray it as such will mislead someone into error.
That is merely the final step in settling disputes between two believers were one party will not be reasoned with.
Godwin’s Law
You forfeited the debate in the first sentence.
Now nothing you have to say has any credibility, as if it ever did in the first place.
Today is the day of salvation.
We are saved now and currently seated in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus.
BY faith.
Works are the fruit of faith. That’s all.
Mercy isn’t mercy if it’s earned.
Neither is grace grace if it is earned.
Forgiveness isn’t earned either.
All of them are gifts, freely granted and bestowed.
If they aren’t given in that manner by the giver, they aren’t mercy, grace, or forgiveness.
Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.
End of story.
Where do you get the perverted idea that Abraham sought to please God by savrificing Isaac?
Could you point to the Scripture for that claim?
Or the RCC infallible interpretation of the Bible that tells us that?
YES!!!!!!!!!!
It's forgiveness granted to me, righteousness credited to me through faith in the VIRGIN born, God Incarnate, Jesus of the Bible.
When you go outside the Bible is when the confusion and error set in.
Absolutely. He's God. He's up to the job.
...Like Mary, He is very busy with trillions of requests and probably doesn't have time to call you personally....that's why Christ established a church to answer your questions....
What an inadequate god Catholics have.
Well said.....
Isaiah 1:18 KJV - Come now, and let us reason together ...
God invites us all to converse ... reason ... WITH Him, and He gave us ability to agree or disagree based on how we come away from that conversation
There is no such thing as YOPIOS ... just your own conversation with God ....
Have you tongue-kissed a Koran today? Yes, no?
CCC 841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."330
If you truly believe that works are only the demonstration of justification, not the cause of justification, then Rome anathematizes you.
But be happy. Many Catholics accidentally become Protestant in this manner by reading their Bibles for a change.
Everyone is judged for their works and promptly stands in condemnation.
Rom 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Even the Apostle Paul cannot approach the throne of heaven and regard himself as anything but a wicked man:
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Upon what grounds is Paul to be saved if he is accounted wretched according to his works?
You have said this correctly, but without understanding the relationship between the two, as the scripture is clear that we are justified without works-- and not by them, lest we contradict the Apostle who clearly states "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt" (Rom 4:4). Good works are the demonstration of justification, so that it may be said that the Elect produce good works, and works that persevere:
Joh_15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:
But these good works are worked into us, it being Christ who makes us grow, and as a result of a salvation already given by no working or willing of our own, but by the mercy of God solely:
Rom_9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Thus when James speaks of works, he speaks only of the demonstration of justification, lest he explicitly contradict the Apostle Paul.
If you declare that we are saved by our works, then you contradict the Holy scriptures, and destroy the golden chain of salvation that has as its starting point and its conclusion the grace of God.
And, after that you have to have jumped through the MORMON hoops.
They succeeded in killing Joseph, but he had finished his work.He was a servant of God, and gave us the Book of Mormon.He said the Bible was right in the main, but, through the translators and others, many precious portions were suppressed, and several other portions were wrongly translated; and now his testimony is in force, for he has sealed it with his blood.As I have frequently told them, no man in this dispensation will enter the courts of heaven, without the approbation of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jun.Who has made this so?Have I?Have this people?Have the world?No; but the Lord Jehovah has decreed it.If I ever pass into the heavenly courts, it will be by the consent of the Prophet Joseph.If you ever pass through the gates into the Holy City, you will do so upon his certificate that you are worthy to pass.Can you pass without his inspection?No; neither can any person in this dispensation, which is the dispensation of the fulness of times.In this generation, and in all the generations that are to come, everyone will have to undergo the scrutiny of this Prophet.They say that they killed Joseph, and they will yet come with their hats under their arms and bend to him; but what good will it do them, unless they repent?They can come in a certain way and find favor, but will they?
--JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES, vol. 8, p. 224
Well...
...YOUR chosen religion says...
HEAVEN-The Mormon church teaches there are three levels of heaven (three "degrees of glory"):
SALVATION: A word that Mormons qualify in one of three ways: unconditional or general salvation is simply resurrection from the dead, granted to all through Christ's atonement; conditional or individual salvation involves entering the celestial kingdom through works of Mormonism; full salvation means exaltation to become a God as a result of temple ceremonies and other works. The word 'salvation' can have a two-fold meaning: a) forgiveness of sins and b) universal resurrection:
The Mormons have several different levels of "salvation".
...no man in this dispensation will enter the courts of heaven, without the approbation of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jun.If I ever pass into the heavenly courts, it will be by the consent of the Prophet Joseph.If you ever pass through the gates into the Holy City, you will do so upon his certificate that you are worthy to pass.everyone will have to undergo the scrutiny of this Prophet.Brigham Young, --JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES, vol. 8, p. 224
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