Sola fide (Latin: by faith alone), also historically known as the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is a Christian theological doctrine that distinguishes most Protestant denominations from Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, and some in the Restoration Movement.[17] So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself. [18] But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith. [19] Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble. [20] But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? [21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar? [22] Seest thou, that faith did co-operate with his works; and by works faith was made perfect? [23] And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God. [24] Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only? [25] And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers, and sending them out another way? [26] For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead.
(James 2)
Deader than a nail.
Now would you please find for me any poster that said works does not follow true faith? Please show the post number so we can double check.
None of the five sola's stand alone, but must be taken conceptually all together, for none of the principles are (curiously enough) intended to be "solo".
If that is not done, if the togetherness of the five "solas" (which are all inter-related) are instead broken apart from one another, either by an aspiring but clumsy adherent & advocate, or else otherwise by critics (particularly those who seek to supplant any or all of them with sola ecclesia to greater and lesser extent respectively, but to all extents rhetorically possible for any of the five) then the operating function of the principle being segregated becomes misunderstood, rendering criticisms of the principles convincing only to the negligent, abusive, and/or obtuse. Or in other words, "faith alone" being dead only to those whom themselves, do not only not themselves fully enter in, but who even stand in the door blocking off access to God for all others, if possible.
"Faith alone" (as one of five) is still very much alive, even in an intelligible reading of the very scripture passages you brought to declare it "dead".
In the passages (James 2:17-26) faith itself remains the central subject, even as it is faith put into action, with as the writer much begins "...I will show you my faith by my works."
In other NT passages, we are told much as "be not hearers only of the word, but doers also [of the word]".
That theme, has historically been stressed also, in addition to the "milk" of the Word, with that milk being Christ's own sacrifice by which all penalty for our sins has been paid IN FULL. We cannot add "works", even works in actuality done in proper faith, as towards our own justification towards God.
from Romans 5, Where sin is, grace abounds. Continuing, the Apostle says, "...Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid."
Previously in the same Epistle (in what is now known as Chapter 4 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Now please recall again that the 5 solas hang all together, inseparably. One of those, is "scripture alone" (in stark contrast to the sola ecclesia much promoted by the RCC). 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered. 8 “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
The very passages which you bring in attempt to refute "sola fide" are themselves directed to be taken fully into consideration under sola scriptura (and also in light of those passages I have quoted directly from scripture, above) rendering your argument here against sola fide ineffective. Those who do successfully enough retain the 5 solas all together, putting the principles all simultaneously, together into effect, do not set aside the very scriptures which you seem to think some simple refutation of sola fide, for those passages themselves are part of the "faith" itself, even as they are also included in "scripture only" considerations which are to be applied in determination of proper doctrine, with all of our own acts and being (both outwardly visible, and inwardly existent) judged by the word --- including any and all "tradition" which may arise.
Similarly, sola scriptura cannot be successfully herded away from all the rest as if it were some sort of dumb oxen. It too does not stand alone. Those who constantly harass it -- do seem to have one thing in mind. Kill it off, so the RCC can again have an insidious psychological hold over the minds of men, like the good 'ol days, before the Reformation. The Western world has been there --and done that. Personally --- I have no desire whatsoever to "go back" to Roman Catholic dominated Monarchical feudalism. That sort of thing has been given ample opportunity in times past. The results were quite mixed, producing at times, even hell upon earth, spreading that hellishness liberally wherever papists went breathing out threatenings towards any and all whom would not submit to them, and allow (those who were being threatened) themselves, their lands, and their very lives be plundered and handed over to those whom some distant "pope" gave charter to, and "approval" of (given over much for reason those persons themselves agreed to not argue with that church's overweening claims of "authority", even "to the ends of the earth".)
In my own personal experience, although I cannot say I am strictly Calvinist, I have found taught and spoken of pretty much everywhere which I have been (various other-than "Roman Catholic" churches) that we are are not saved by our works, or indeed can be, yet indeed are all the same called to do good works, even as the urging and encouraging towards doing so can be seen throughout scripture. Yet even there, it is not the "doing" of good works, which is itself the sought for greater sanctification unto which Christians are called...
What we are to not do, is to put ourselves back under the law (which none can keep perfectly well enough) or to look to our own good works as any sort of our own justification before God. Even as we are called to do go works, we are saved for the doing of good, not primarily saved by "doing good" (though avoiding sin can avoid the fruit of it, that's for sure) for the latter consideration -- a measuring of ourselves as to how much or how well we are "doing good", compared to falling short of that, would bring us yet back again fully under law itself, with our own salvation once again fully dependent upon our own works rather than by faith alone in Christ alone. The Apostle Paul warned against reverting back to looking upon our works as justification, with other example found in the NT such as the hypocrite which looks to all of his own "good works" under the law, thinking himself justified before God by them, prays to God thanking Him that he (the 'perfect doer') was "not made as other men", with in contrast it being the sinner who acknowledged his own sin before God (even the one whom the hypocrite looked down upon?) who went down to his own house "justified".
Now to "justification" which is by Christ alone (nothing but the blood of Jesus -- which even under RCC theology one is commanded to drink of) there is also indeed much call to greater sanctification, an abiding in the graces of God, resisting evil not by way of our own self-righteousness, or needing fight temptation all on our lonesome like a white-knuckled dry drunk[ard] (trying to resist temptation to again drink alcohol) but resisting sin by a very simple formula found in James 4 --- Submit to God, resist the devil, and he [the devil] shall flee. Under this formula, by which we can better set aside the sins which so easily beset us, we can better make room for the Spirit to abide within us, for that to bubble up from where it was placed within, it's scope increased to fill us even as we enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise where we find that increased sanctification itself be not "us" there with Him, but His Spirit within us having the increase.
Is that enough basic "works" to make you happy? Or does one need go to some church approved museum and look at dead stuff, and listen to just the right sermons and teachings, learning granting those thing mental assent in order to "build up treasury of merit" through "good works"? Though I cannot find the exact comment...those sort of things have been included in "acts of corporeal mercy and love" on this forum, and I thought by yourself on this thread, but being as it has run past a thousand now, I cannot find it. Yet we know of indulgences being granted from official RCC sources for among other things --- to the faithful participating in celebrations for 28th World Youth Day, including those who
The faithful who on account of a legitimate impediment cannot attend the aforementioned celebrations may obtain Plenary Indulgence under the usual spiritual, sacramental and prayer conditions, in a spirit of filial submission to the Roman Pontiff, by participation in the sacred functions on the days indicated, following the same rites and spiritual exercises as they occur via television or radio or, with due devotion, via the new means of social communication.
opening up indulgences granted to twitter followers, somewhat taking us from "Scotty, beam me up" to a "Francis, tweet me out of Purgatory" kind of thingy...
You've otherwise said here that "we are saved by our works".
Let us examine again what "sola fide" actually is, rather than the cartoon version of it you do seem to be bashing, declaring "faith" of all Protestants dead.
From http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/Five-Solas/
Unwarranted confidence in human ability is a product of fallen human nature ... God's grace in Christ is not merely necessary but is the sole efficient cause of salvation. We confess that human beings are born spiritually dead and are incapable even of cooperating with regenerating grace. We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by his grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life. We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerated human nature. - Cambridge Declaration
And;
The “five solas” is a term used to designate five great foundational rallying cries of the Protestant reformers. They are as follows: “Sola Scriptura” (Scripture Alone); “Sola Gratia” (Grace Alone); “Sola Fide” (Faith Alone); “Solus Christus” (Christ Alone); and “Soli Deo Gloria” (To God Alone Be Glory).Romans 3:28 (from the Apostle Paul)These “five solas” were developed in response to specific perversions of the truth that were taught by the corrupt Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Church taught that the foundation for faith and practice was a combination of the scriptures, sacred tradition, and the teachings of the magisterium and the pope; but the Reformers said, “No, our foundation is sola scriptura”. The Catholic Church taught that we are saved through a combination of God's grace, the merits that we accumulate through penance and good works, and the superfluity of merits that the saints before us accumulated; the reformers responded, “sola gratia”. The Catholic Church taught that we are justified by faith and the works that we produce, which the righteousness that God infuses in us through faith brings about. The reformers responded, “No, we are justified by faith alone, which lays hold of the alien righteousness of Christ that God freely credits to the account of those who believe”. The Catholic Church taught that we are saved by the merits of Christ and the saints, and that we approach God through Christ, the saints, and Mary, who all pray and intercede for us. The Reformers responded, “No, we are saved by the merits of Christ Alone, and we come to God through Christ Alone”. The Catholic Church adhered to what Martin Luther called the “theology of glory” (in opposition to the “theology of the cross”), in which the glory for a sinner's salvation could be attributed partly to Christ, partly to Mary and the saints, and partly to the sinner himself. The reformers responded, “No, the only true gospel is that which gives all glory to God alone, as is taught in the scriptures.”
Romans 4:4-5 (again, for re-emphasis) says,
Again and again in the Epistle to the church at Rome, in chapter after chapter, we see Paul asserting justification by faith (alone).
Try an experiment. Put all theological discussion aside if you will, and re-read the entire Epistle (or book) written to those of the church at Rome. After doing so, say every four months or so over the course of a years time, THEN you may be better able to understand the central core of "Protestant", Baptist, Congregationalist, & Pentecostal theological considerations concerning the relationship of "faith" to "works".