Lutero said:
Isn't that what those who believe in FAITH ALONE should quantify? You claim to save yourselves by your faith alone. But we leave judgement to Him.
Acts 10 begins by calling a man who believes in God devoutly and pays alms a just man:
Acts 10
1There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
That's faith and works.
Then, God sends to this man an angel who says:
30And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
31And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
Note that he was fasting. He was offering to God a sacrifice of suffering. Then, God sent him and angel who said that God remembered his faith ALONE? No. His ALMS.
And God also sent to this man, St. Peter, the leader of His Church, who, hearing this story said:
35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
Again, faith and works are confirmed as the basis for salvation.
And then, God sends the Holy Spirit upon this man and his cohort and St. Peter says:'
43To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Why did he Baptize them after they received the Holy Spirit? Think about it. That is the purpose of his mission. He needed to Baptize them for the remission of sins. Otherwise they would remain in their sins. If that isn't the case, then there was no need for St. Peter to come to them. For the Holy Spirit had already indwelt these people. But they had not been Baptized.
St. Cornelius is called "devout". Let's see what that means:
Definition of DEVOUT
1
: devoted to religion or to religious duties or exercises
2
: expressing devotion or piety <a devout attitude>
3
a : devoted to a pursuit, belief, or mode of behavior :serious, earnest <a devout baseball fan> <born adevoutcoward — G. B. Shaw>
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...10&version=KJV
St. Cornelius is also called a man who worketh righteousness:
Definition of RIGHTEOUS
1
: acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin
2
a : morally right or justifiable <a righteous decision>b : arising from an outraged sense of justice ormorality<righteous indignation>
3
slang : genuine, excellent
— righ·teous·ly adverb
— righ·teous·ness noun
See righteous defined for English-language learners »
See righteous defined for kids »
Examples of RIGHTEOUS
- <a righteous man can be trusted to act honorably regardless of the circumstances>
St. Cornelius is called just:
Definition of JUST
1
a : having a basis in or conforming to fact or reason :reasonable <a just but not a generous decision>barchaic : faithful to an originalc : conforming to a standard of correctness : proper <justproportions>
2
a (1) : acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good : righteous <a just war> (2) :being what is merited : deserved <a just punishment>b : legally correct : lawful <just title to an estate>
And St. Cornelius feared God, fasted and paid alms:
Fearing God is faith. And fasting and paying alms are works.
And St. Cornelius is remembered for the alms he paid:
That is a work. Not faith alone.
God saves those who believe Him and obey His will.
John 6:40 - "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
John 6:54 - “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6 does not afford any support to the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. On the contrary, it is an emphatic statement on the primacy of faith as the means by which we receive the grace of God. Jesus is the Bread of Life; we eat of Him and are satisfied when we believe in Him for salvation. Jesus is the Bread of Life. Just as bread nourishes our physical bodies, Jesus gives and sustains eternal life to all believers. Partaking in the Lord's Supper and believing that the bread is His literal flesh and trusting in that act to save you is not believing in Him.
Those who were there, His disciples, left Him, because they believed He was speaking literally. AND JESUS DID NOT CORRECT THEM. Jesus only reaffirmed His message. Jesus said, you don't believe me because you have not seen me ascend to my place at the right hand of God:
John 6:62
King James Version (KJV)
62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
But since they did not recognize God with them, they did not believe Him.
You claim to believe in Christ, but in denying His Church and Sacraments, you deny Him by your actions.
1 John 5
1Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Luke 18:9-11
King James Version (KJV)
9And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
It is Protestants who trust in their own righteousness, as does this Pharisee.
It is Catholics who rely upon the judgement of God. Catholics never say, "I did this and that therefore I am saved." We always say, "We don't know if we are saved. We hope we are. But it is God who saves us."
1 Corinthians 4
1Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
Psalm 15
1Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
Proverbs 11:18
King James Version (KJV)
18The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
Acts 10:35
King James Version (KJV)
35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
Romans 2:13
King James Version (KJV)
13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
And you explained your understanding of the Scripture. But you are not infallible. I have my own understanding which I have also explained. I will let the reader decide between you and I.
Sincerely,
De Maria
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