Faith that doesn't produce any works which are the fruit of it is not saving faith.
What does "even the demons believe --and shudder" mean to you?
That there is an intellectual assent belief that acknowledges the facts but is not trust or receiving Christ. The demons KNOW that God is real and exists, but even that level of knowing isn't saving faith, as they are not saved. They shudder because they know God's power and what's coming.
What do you mean by "faith alone"?
Salvation is by faith only. There are several places in Scripture where it states that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. That occurred before the sign of circumcision and before the Law was given.
The problem is that one can have an intellectual assent kind of faith, belief that God does exist, and still be trusting in yourself to gain eternal life by such as baptism, confession, communion, works of righteousness, etc.
The saving faith kind of faith transforms the heart and works flow from that. The danger is that someone can have the intellectual assent belief and acknowledge God and then decide to add works to it, deciding that if they add works to faith, then they're good.
The minute doing anything other than repenting and confessing to God is considered necessary to attain salvation, the person is depending on that thing instead of the finished work of Christ on the cross.
The only thing that saves is forgiveness from God. Works, baptism, communion, etc, don't make one iota of difference in regard to being saved.
Jesus gave the example of the pharisee and the tax collector praying outside the Temple and it was the tax collector who went away justified.
Basically, becoming saved is throwing yourself on the mercy of the court and asking God to forgive you and save you. The debt that we owe, the penalty for our sin, was paid in full by Jesus' death.
When we trust that alone as being adequate for God to forgive us and save us, we are exercising faith and God will honor that and save us. He adopts us into His family and we are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, the day He redeems us, the day we die.
I know that Catholics don't believe that their salvation is sure yet but Scripture teaches that when we accept Christ and receive His forgiveness, we are saved NOW. The spiritual reality of our salvation exists NOW, even though we are yet in these physical bodies finishing out living the life God has planned for us.
Salvation doesn't begin when we die. It begins when we repent and confess, turn to God and cry out for His mercy and to save us.
Agree. Works are concomitant with faith.
That there is an intellectual assent belief that acknowledges the facts but is not trust or receiving Christ. The demons KNOW that God is real and exists, but even that level of knowing isn't saving faith, as they are not saved. They shudder because they know God's power and what's coming.
Agree.
What do you mean by "faith alone"?
Salvation is by faith only.
This is what is confusing to Catholics, because this seems like a direct contradiction of what you just said.
"Faith" can mean simple intellectual assent, or "saving faith." I assume that you mean saving faith, with its concomitant good works. If faith is defined that way, then Catholics can agree.
The problem is that one can have an intellectual assent kind of faith, belief that God does exist, and still be trusting in yourself to gain eternal life...
So far, Catholics can agree. Pelagianism is condemned by the Church.
...by such as baptism, confession, communion,
OK. Understand that Catholics believe that the reception of Baptism (John 3:5), Confession (John 20:23) and Communion (John 6:51) are normative for salvation, since Christ and the Church command their reception.
Nevertheless, the Church teaches that God is not bound by His Sacraments, and salvation is possible without their reception, under certain conditions.
The saving faith kind of faith transforms the heart and works flow from that.
That is the Catholic position.
The danger is that someone can have the intellectual assent belief and acknowledge God and then decide to add works to it, deciding that if they add works to faith, then they're good.
Yes. That describes Pelagianism, which the Church condemns. Everything is grace.
The minute doing anything other than repenting and confessing to God is considered necessary to attain salvation, the person is depending on that thing instead of the finished work of Christ on the cross.
But couldn't repentence and confession be considered a work? Regardless, again, this seems to contradict your previous position, that faith and works are concomitant. If we don't do good works, if we sin, rejecting God's Commmandments, strictly speaking, we cannot attain heaven.
To Catholics, faith and works are two sides of the same coin.
The only thing that saves is forgiveness from God.
Which is impossible without grace. Grace is foremost. We cannot ask for forgiveness without grace.
Works, baptism, communion, etc, don't make one iota of difference in regard to being saved.
If by "works," you mean performing deeds solely to demonstrate that we are saved, then Catholics can agree.
The necessity of the Sacraments is addressed above.
Basically, becoming saved is throwing yourself on the mercy of the court and asking God to forgive you and save you. The debt that we owe, the penalty for our sin, was paid in full by Jesus' death.
Christ paid our debt. Certainly.
But we can accept Christ one day, and reject Him the next (like Peter), either explicitly, or by sinning against God.
For Catholics, salvation is not a one-time, once-and-for-all event. We must work out our salvation, like St. Paul. It is possible to move into and out of a state of grace by sinning and repentence/forgiveness, since we deny our faith when we sin gravely.
By their fruit you will know them.
When we trust that alone as being adequate for God to forgive us and save us, we are exercising faith and God will honor that and save us. He adopts us into His family and we are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, the day He redeems us, the day we die.
OK, this is a point of disagreement. Salvation can be lost and regained.
God cuts off every branch that bears no fruit. John 15:1-5
I know that Catholics don't believe that their salvation is sure
We can be reasonably sure, but not certain.
"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall." 1 Cor 10:12
..yet but Scripture teaches that when we accept Christ and receive His forgiveness, we are saved NOW.
Yet we can lose it by sinning, because for Catholics, one cannot sin, i.e., deliberately disobey God, and claim to have true faith in God. And nothing unclean can enter heaven.
Salvation doesn't begin when we die. It begins when we repent and confess, turn to God and cry out for His mercy and to save us.
Catholics agree with that.