‘He was a believer in Jesus’.
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Are you intentionally playing the role of the devil’s advocate or what? I suggest re-reading my previous post several dozen times.
Faith alone is enough, and IF you truly have that faith, it will show by your fruits! BUT THE FAITH triggers the fruit. If there was ever someone without the genuine fruits of a faith in Jesus then it was Chavez regardless of what he professed with his tongue.
That's the type that wouldn't believe they had a nose on his face unless the RCC told them so. Brain washing is so evident in Jvette's posts.
Jvette's is not spiritually equipped to understand the things of God. And him keep saying Hugo was a believer in Jesus - he has no understanding of what it is to be a believer in Jesus! Hugo wasn't. He only knew about Jesus and that is ALL a catholic is capable of - due to the teachings of man/the RCC.
Anyone calling for spiritual direction - never knew JESUS. They would KNOW Jesus is The Way, The Truth, The Life. So he wouldn't be going to man for spiritual direction, he would have been crying out to Jesus. And when he first learned of cancer, his interest was in saving himself. He had LOTS of time to voice to his nation that he is sorry for all the wrong he did. That did not happen. There was no true repentance. He couldn't/wouldn't bear the shame.
So now when he couldn't save himself from cancer, he turned to trying to save himself from reaping what he has sown in life. The unfortunate thing is - he reached out to man and not God. So much for he being a believer in Jesus! He was a believer in an organization with pomp with it's desire to please/deceive man - not God. And they have zilch power to do one thing for Hugo ONLY deceive him more because that's all they have.
Hugo was deceived in life and death. And he's the example of believing man. And that was HIS CHOICE!
And the RCC is not equipped to tell him the truth - to swallow his ego/pride and repent openly to his nation and people and then accept, thankfully, the GIFT of salvation that Jesus died to give him. And that is what his spiritual direction should have been. I'm sure they gave him a rosary instead and false hope like they did in his life.
Not devil’s advocate.
Merely seeking an understanding of this seeming contradiction to the non Catholic tenet of faith alone.
When a Catholic says both faith and works are needed for salvation, we are accused of teaching against the Bible which supposedly says faith alone saves. We defend the belief by saying that one who has faith will have works/fruits/deeds which reveals that faith.
Again, I do not judge Hugo Chavez. I do not judge anyone. God judges.
But, here in this thread I am reading posts by non Catholics condemning him for his actions even though he professed a belief in Jesus.
Logically is would follow that if one must have good fruits as evidence of faith, then faith alone does not save, faith must be accompanied by deeds.
Just saying.