@Frosbel
[Quote] what do you understand by works ??
Works of faith include :
Living a sin-free life by the power of the Holy
Spirit
Visiting the widows and orphans and helping
them Helping the poor especially those of the
household of GOD
Praying for the sick
Preaching to the lost
Works are not :
Praying to Mary Penance
confessing sins to a priest
bowing before statues of dead saints
holy water sprinkling
abstaining from meats
forbidding to marry praying with the rosary These are all dead works.
@Frosbel
[Quotewhat] do you understand by works ??
Works of faith include :
Living a sin-free life by the power of the Holy
Spirit
Visiting the widows and orphans and helping
them Helping the poor especially those of the
household of GOD
Praying for the sick
Preaching to the lost
Works are not :
Praying to Mary Penance
confessing sins to a priest
bowing before statues of dead saints
holy water sprinkling
abstaining from meats
forbidding to marry praying with the rosary These are all dead works. [/Quote]
What do you think Paul was driving out when he said salvation was not by the observance of the law, was not of works, was by grace through faith? Simply this , 'SALVATION IS NOT DESERVED' !!! And suppose Paul were to prove his point by arguing that one does not get saved by the DEAD works you enumerated, would it be anything to the purpose? To understand Paul, you have to understand that even the 'LIVING' works do not save (or justify, as he puts it).
@ Italo
The need to distinguish the role played by faith and that by works. If we fail here , we fail in our understanding of the justification of the sinner. Faith and faith ALONE justifies(saves). Works are commanded of the justified man (not the sinner or unbeliever) as obedience to the Lord and it is a natural consequence or proof of justification. It does not justify, but it's presence in a person tells the person and others that they(the person) are justified (saved).