Dead Faith Versus Demonic Faith

Grace to You.org ^ | 1993 | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

[Elsie]

Luke 18:9-15    New King James Version (NKJV)

 

⁹ Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ ¹³ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

[Elsie]

Thus we get:

Saved by Grace; Kept by Works.

[Iscool]

again, the church has nvr taught works alone, it has always taught as James clearly states. faith without works is dead....and that is why luther called james’ book, an ‘epistle of straw’ and wanted to get rid of it, as it flew squarely into his face regarding his MAN MADE doctrine of ‘faith alone’

Of course it's not man made...If you read a bible, you see it all over the place...

Since you don't read the bible (if you did you'd know faith without works is definitely in there) you can't know how to rightly divide the word of truth...

But correct me if I'm wrong, the faith you are taught to seek is faith in your Catholic Church...PLUS, good works to show your faith in your Church...

The faith that we and the bible speaks of is NOT faith in your Church...

[metmom]

In recent years there has been an alarming rise in the number of professing Christians who believe that there's no necessary relationship between what they believe and what they do.

And I keep meeting them.

I've actually heard someone say that God doesn't care what we do as long as our heart is right.

[ealgeone]

again, faith and works, just as the catholic church has taught from the beginning.....James is right on the button.....sometimes it’s amazing the hermaneutical gymnastics some folks will go thru to deny the simple plain truth of what James is saying.....no wonder luther tried to get rid of the book.....

If you read James you will see that he and Paul both reference Abraham as a model of faith and works. Faith comes first, as it always does and is what saves you, then followed by the works which is confirmation of the faith.

You can do a million good things apart from Christ but those good things will not save you.

Faith in Christ is what saves. Faith in Christ results in good works. As it has always been noted in the Word.

[boatbums]

sometimes it’s amazing the hermaneutical (SIC) gymnastics some folks will go thru to deny the simple plain truth of what James is saying

I'm amazed all the time by the mental gymnastics Catholics or other salvation by works religions go through to try to prove the Holy Spirit would contradict the simple gospel of salvation by grace through faith - as demonstrated throughout the rest of Scripture - with a sloppily interpreted single passage from one book. Sound hermeneutical principles mandate that we consider all of Scripture to determine the meaning of one passage that only seems to contradict rather than try to make one passage negate hundreds of others.

[boatbums]

again, the church has nvr taught works alone, it has always taught as James clearly states. faith without works is dead....and that is why luther called james’ book, an ‘epistle of straw’ and wanted to get rid of it, as it flew squarely into his face regarding his MAN MADE doctrine of ‘faith alone’

Let me ask you this...are we saved by God's grace or by our own works of righteousness? Because Scripture clearly states it is EITHER by grace OR by works and NOT both:

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. (Romans 11:6)

[boatbums]

Well said!

[Elsie]

Because Scripture clearly states it is EITHER by grace OR by works and NOT both:

But; don't you KNOW?

Sacred Tradition trumps whatever is in the bible.

[Terry L Smith]

Dear Jim,

The very last word of your post, is the same last word from those damnable ragheads ‘submission’.

I am American, and was taught to remain standing, no matter what, who, or why.

Besides, when ‘that day’ comes, you are supposed to stand for your judgment, too are you not? So why start then, and not now?

[MHGinTN]

In 1545 the Vatican decreed that Tradition had equal authority to the Word of God/Scriptures. Of course tradition had already become more authoritative, but it was formalized.