Our new priest spoke after mass, the first thing out of his mouth was that we are saved by our good works which had me gagging. I stared in disbelief....then after everyone else in the church agreed with him, he said that St. Paul would disagree with him and that we are saved by faith alone, our good deeds notwithstanding. Weird start to his formal ministry.
At our Father’s Day picnic, my convert friend said that the real answer was we are saved by grace....I said no...we are saved by faith alone, just as the Bible says. There is more to it, but the correct answer is faith and Father Mike did clarify that after misleading everyone. She claims St. Paul is confused and she is right. Lively discussions abounded after that nugget.
SrB drilled it into us that we are saved by faith alone and that is the formal teaching of the Catholic church. Sure, there is more to the discussion, but that is the correct answer. My convert friend said...whatever Paul, or whoever he is, was talking about he was wrong. We Catholics really need to study the Bible more. She did not even know who Paul is. I am still shaking my head this morning.
oh that is disturbing. Faith in Jesus Christ is what saves. period. end of story. if you have that, and seek to honor Him, you are going to do good works. I honestly do not know why people [and I am looking at you, religion forum] go on and on and on and ON about the theology of it, and beat each other up over who is right. it serves NO purpose, brings no glory or honor to God, and only delights Satan to have believers tearing each other down that way.
"Faith alone" is the Protestant heresy. We are saved by grace alone, which results in our faith which is shown by its works. Both faith and works are secondary and motivated by grace.
Ephesians 2:8 says we are saved BY grace, through faith, and even that faith is not of ourselves but rather is the gift of God.