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Saturday, September 5, 2015

Why Christianity & Roman Catholicism Are Not The Same Thing Part 2

A Different Gospel: 

The Bible teaches salvation is by faith in Christ alone.
Roman Catholicism requires works as part of  / necessary for salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 lets us know that salvation  is by grace through faith.  Even that is not of ourselves. It is the gift of God ...not as a result of works lest any man should boast.
Christians believe we are saved unto good works but works themselves are not meritorious towards our being saved.
Remember the thief on the cross...he could not work or be baptized.

Here are some other Scripture references that show salvation is not of works: Titus 3:5-6. Galatians 2:16, (By the works of the law no man is justified) Romans 3:2-28, and Galatians 5.
Believing that we are not saved by works doesn't mean that Christians believe that we can just pray a prayer and live any way we want to afterwards.
Works only prove that the faith given by God exists in the Christian.  Works don't merit salvation or grace, but they are evidence of the reality of what God has done and not we ourselves.
The Bible says we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  For just as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  The verses I'm taking from are about those who are already Christians.  God is the one who begins a good work in Christians, and He is the one who will be faithful to complete it.  The Bible doesn't tell me to work for my salvation.
(Ephesians 2:10; James 2:26; Philippians 2:12-13)



The James Controversy:

Some may think that James contradicts salvation by grace through faith (alone) and it not being of works, but it actually does not negate the other Scriptures. The Word of God never truly contradicts itself though we may struggle to comprehend at times.  Much of what I already shared really already covers this (James 2:26).
Please check out this explanation:
Does James 2 contradict Romans 4?

John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

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