***Believing only is a start. It’s like starting a car to go to a distant city.***
So, Jesus only gave us a start by dying for the sins of the past, it is up to us to earn the rest? and how far is enough? Not enough? too much? On the wrong road?
Even Luther told of the fear of “not doing enough” if he had to earn his salvation.
The teaching of Jesus and His Church is that Jesus died for our sins and salvation is a gift from God.
Some keep insisting that Catholics earn their salvation through good works. That is not the truth.
We can accept salvation or reject salvation. We accept it by following God’s will and through His graces received in the Sacraments.
If we are join God in Heaven we need to live by His commandments and gain holiness by our decisions and actions.
St Paul spoke of Christians as a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). They are made over from scratch— they are not at all merely the same old total corruption! And he says more than once that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us as in a temple (1 Cor. 3:17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16).
Luther believed we are all still corrupt even after our sins are forgiven and his own insecurities led him to believe in faith alone.
"If thou wilt be perfect..."
***Believing only is a start. It’s like starting a car to go to a distant city.***
So, Jesus only gave us a start by dying for the sins of the past, it is up to us to earn the rest? and how far is enough? Not enough? too much? On the wrong road?
Even Luther told of the fear of “not doing enough” if he had to earn his salvation.
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Your reply makes no sense.
Hearing the word only does not save. It is what you do after hearing the word. Putting the keys in the car does nothing it is the driving that gets you somewhere.
I said nothing of enough, the thief on the cross confessed Christ as Lord, he in effect witnessed before the crowd and the soldiers and of course the other thief. He had heard the word some time ago but accepted it now and even though on the cross had “works”. “Faith without works is dead.”
What Jesus did had nothing to do with what we do. It is totally up to us. A gift was given to all who would accept it. there are many who are not willing to accept the gift, that has no effect on the giver, the price was paid for all whether we accept it or not.
Get over this idea that confessing that Christ is Lord saves you, it does not. You must have faith to believe. Again, faith without works is dead. Works don’t get you anything, nobody here is saying they do. Works are simply evidence of faith. Without works there is no faith. Without faith there is no belief and no saving.