And if the Law itself, handed down from Mt. Sinai by God Himself, could not save, no man made additions to that Law can save either.
If baptism could have saved, combined with faith, then why didn't God just do that from the very start? Why wait so long? If communion was required for salvation, why wasn't it incorporated into the Law from the beginning?
The Catholics whole premise that these things save is flawed from beginning to end. Their problem is that they don't stop to think through what their church teaches or bother comparing it to Scripture.
Salvation is indeed through faith alone. Thank God that it doesn't depend on our works and rituals.
Galatians 2:15-21 15We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
17But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Galatians 3:21-29 21Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Seems to me the Lord Jesus put them in their place on that issue...called them “White washed hypocrites”...”Brood of Vipers”...and then pronounced many “woe is you” over them for carrying their own righteous acts as if those could somehow cleanse their way before a Holy God.
It's just another stumbling block which holds people back from enjoying the relationship Jesus desires with them...hard to see Christ thru the “veil” of legalism. That very “curtain” which God almighty Himself tore down top to Bottom....and with it said...”The Just shall live by faith”!
AMEN to that! In fact, just about every ritual and rite tends to lead away... Only the stuff that YHWH has sanctioned leads TOWARD. And that IS it's function - to lead one forward in symbolism TOWARD the truth - they cannot be the truth itself. Pictures and rehearsals...
Read the book of Leviticus.