No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed:

Cathy says:

Could we delve more into the false idea that faith is “an empty hand”? Rather, doesn’t faith justify precisely because it is an act of the intellect moved by the will. The will is moved by love of some good in this case God Himself. To believe in a doctrine, let’s say the Trinity for instance, is not an intellectuall judgement such as affirming that 2+2=4. Even if believing the doctrine of the Trinity is coherent, we must still will to embrace it and all that it entails in our lives. Of course, sin can cause the loss of charity and then the remaining faith is dead but in the initial coming to believe, love of God is operative. The “empty hand” or ” nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling” is not only unbiblical but illogical. Feedback please.

Thomas says, Hello Cathy,

• I’d say you answered just how any informed Catholic should answer. The empty hand motif is unbiblical and illogical. It’s an example of justifying a doctrine after the fact rather than justifying it beforehand. One fundamental error in Protestantism is that they begin their whole theological careers by first assuming Justification by Faith Alone is true, and from that point on they go onto affirm whatever needs to be affirmed to preserve Sola Fide. So in the empty hand example, they’re simply affirming that because they’re already dedicated to Sola Fide; they didn’t arrive at empty hand by any kind of exegesis.

  
  
• De Maria says:

  
  

  For what its worth, Deut 16:16 says:

  New International Version (NIV)
  16 Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed:

  In my opinion, this foreshadows the Judgement.
  
  

  Sincerely,

  De Maria