What do you think of this quote?

[Anastasia13]

[quote]I heard a quote in a sermon "You are saved by Faith alone, but the faith that saves is not alone." This means that is is solely on the redemptive work of Christ that you are saved, but true faith will bring forth fruit fitting of repentance.[/quote]

Do you agree or disagree? What do you think of it?

Edited September 24, 2005 by Light and Truth

[dspen2005]

i thought we were saved by God's grace.... but then james tells us, faith w/o works is dead....

[cmotherofpirl]

Faith without works is dead.

[Era Might]

The Scriptures repeatedly emphasize the personal nature of good works. The Lord's parable about the servants who did and did not do the will of the Father is a perfect example.

In Baptism, we are infused with the life of God. It's like a tree, which, if cultivated, always bears fruit. But if it is not cultivated, it withers away and dies. We will be judged on whether or not we have allowed it to die.

The grace to do the good works given to us by God is a free gift. But unless we welcome that grace every day, and renew our faithfulness to the Master until he comes again, we cannot be saved, because it amounts to a rejection of his grace.

This is why St. Paul likens the Christian life to a marathon. It's long and grueling, and it requires a conscious choice not to give up midway. That choice must be made every step of the way.

[Anastasia13]

Do you think the quote I gave at the beginning represents that relationship between salvation, faith, and work well?

I'm not sure what the part about fruit fitting of repentance is exactly, but if the quote spoke of repentance and really loving God and our neighbors as we should, I would say that it does represent to relationship well. Abraham was considered righteous be because of his faith, but that faith had to be faith that would result in obedience to God, even to the point of being willing to sacrifice Isaac. We are saved by faith, but by the very nature of that saving faith, that faith is lived out in works and the things that we do. I suppose that works and salvation almost would go hand in hand as a result of real, living saving faith.

[Era Might]

[quote name='Light and Truth' date='Sep 24 2005, 12:33 AM']Do you think the quote I gave at the beginning represents that relationship between salvation, faith, and work well?
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No, because it gives the impression that faith is a passive act of God, as though we had nothing whatsoever to do with it. Faith is a gift and a choice. It doesn't just magically bear fruit, by itself. It requires the cooperation of the person.

[Anastasia13]

[quote name='Era Might' date='Sep 23 2005, 10:35 PM']No, because it gives the impression that faith is a passive act of God, as though we had nothing whatsoever to do with it. Faith is a gift and a choice. It doesn't just magically bear fruit, by itself. It requires the cooperation of the person.
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I don't really disagree with wat you said about cooperation to bear fruit not being passive. I think sometimes that when it's least passive is when we grow the most. Can you explain to me how it gives that impression though? I hadn't noticed it and maybe I'm being dense, but would you mind?

Edited September 24, 2005 by Light and Truth

[Era Might]

[quote name='Light and Truth' date='Sep 24 2005, 12:40 AM']Can you explain to me how it gives that impression?  I hadn't noticed it and maybe I'm being dense, but would you mind?
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The quote is basically saying that if someone is given faith, it is impossible for them not to bear fruit and be saved. Hence, if someone doesn't bear fruit, they can't have real faith.

From a Catholic perspective, faith is a gift of grace that must be received and lived out. It is only by grace that we can possibly live out the Christian life; IOW, we do not do so by our own objective merits. But we must freely welcome and cultivate that grace, or else, as I said, it withers away and dies.

Man is not a robot. God doesn't program him to accept his grace. Man is a morally free being. He is able to reject the attempt God makes to raise him up from himself. This is, in effect, hell.

[Era Might]

[quote]I think sometimes that when it's least passive is when we grow the most.[/quote]

The life of faith is a complete personal submission to the will of God. But you must open yourself up to the work of God in you. You must become a "pencil", as Mother Teresa would say, in the hand of the Divine author.

Those who choose not to live out the gift of faith are hopeless, because they reject the only thing which can save them. Faith here is understood as a giving of yourself every day to God, made possible by his own gift to you; not just an intellectual assent to this or that Truth, or a robotic act of God (as mentioned above).

It is a vital point, however, that they CAN reject it. Just as the demons did.

Edited September 24, 2005 by Era Might

[Anastasia13]

[quote name='Era Might' date='Sep 23 2005, 10:47 PM']The quote is basically saying that if someone is given faith, it is impossible for them not to bear fruit and be saved. Hence, if someone doesn't bear fruit, they can't have real faith.[right][snapback]736070[/snapback][/right]
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I would be interested in seeing how you would fix that if you were to restate the quote changing absolutely as little as possible.