Not at all. And BTW what accusation did I make?
My faith is not a gut feeling. That is false accusation. My faith is confidence in the promises of God's Word, that what God has said, he will do. That is not a gut feeling. What you posted is an insult.
I walk by faith, live by faith, something you probably know nothing of except perhaps in theory, and even then I doubt that.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. There is nothing of works mentioned in that definition, nor in the previous definition that I gave you.
That Protestants believe faith is a strong belief about something?
It is more than a strong belief in something. I strongly believe that Obama is the president of the U.S. That is fact, not faith. Again, faith is confidence in the word of another specifically the Word of God, His word to me that what he said or promised will come true.
Let me demonstrate using an earthly illustration. Right now the temperature (including windchill) outside is minus 30 Celsius, or minus 22 F. I also have a car built by Ford. It is not new, but only five years old. The manual says that although it should be plugged in, in extreme weather the car should start at minus 20. I also have a remote starter. In spite of the cold temperatures, I have faith that when I go and try and start my car, that it will start.
My faith is based on two things:
1. Confidence in the promises written by Ford in its manual.
2. My relation with my car. It has done it before.
If it doesn't start, my faith has not failed because I know that man is fallible and the things that man invents are fallible.
However, I have a relationship with my Lord, Jesus Christ. He has never failed me yet. As I walk with Him my relationship grows closer every day. He walks with me and talks with me (not audibly), but through his word and prayer. My confidence is through his word, which is perfect. I can put my confidence, not in a fallible manual, but in the infallible word of God, written by the Perfect and immutable Savior who created me for his glory, and has never, never failed me. That is the difference.
My car may fail me; Jesus never. He is the same: yesterday, today and forever.
1. Obama is the President. That is a fact. Obama cannot save. I do not put my faith in Obama.
2. Ford is a company. That is a fact. I put much faith in their manuals that what their manuals say is true and if followed my car will be in good operating condition.
3. The Lord is our Creator. That is fact. He is my Savior, and I have a personal relationship with him. That is also fact. I put my faith and confidence in him that what he says is true and he will do that which he says he will do.
Certainly, isn't that what you believe? I mean most likely if I were to ask you, you would end up quoting hebrews but that doesn't really answer the question of what you mean by having faith.
I explained myself without referring to Hebrews.
And since in your belief works are not required to follow faith that limits faith to belief albeit a strong faith or what many youth pastors have said.
You don't understand salvation. Neither do you understand the relationship of works to salvation. Salvation is by faith and faith alone.
If a person tells me he is saved by faith in the sacrificial blood of Christ, and described accurately the plan of salvation that he put his trust in, and then lived a homosexual lifestyle, would that individual be truly saved? This was the point that James was making. Works is not a part of salvation. Works was the proof of salvation.
We could only conclude about such an individual:
1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
It makes the 12 inches jump from your head to your heart. But nevertheless it boils to to a belief. You then may say well actions naturally follow but what you mean is not that one will actively do good works but will passively do them.
Again, you miss the boat. You neither understand Biblical salvation, nor the relationship it has with works.
From your discription of Catholics in your area it is clear (from your discription) that these Catholics don't know their faith. However, I know a lot of nominal baptist as well who don't know their faith so whats the difference?
It is a big difference. I encounter Catholic after Catholic that know little about their faith, and are completely ignorant about the Bible. But very seldom do I encounter a Baptist that cannot tell me the plan of salvation. That is not so with Catholics. They have no assurance whether they will go to heaven or hell.
I've already expressed the Catholic view of faith. And its accurate.
Accurate according to your catechism, but inaccurate according to the Bible. Our standard is not the RCC faith, but rather the Bible.
Yes that is in the scripture with regard to faith speaking about Abraham and notice your focus is on that passage is directed to only strongly believing something. Note that you use "was strong in the faith" but in the ESV we see it say "grew strong" by not waivering. How did he not waiver? His actions were in compliance with his faith. Nothing in what you just said indicated that works must be enacted to complete that faith or "faith must be acted upon" as it does in James
Your misunderstanding on the nature of faith is characterized by your immediate reference to James which is not talking about salvation.
Abraham's faith was predicated on his relationship with God, not on any previous works that he had done. It was predicated on the fact that he had faith in God to begin with; that is that his standing before God was "righteous."
The very next verse says:
Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Again you prove my point. Actions don't have to accompany faith for you to hold that it is faith. Faith to you is strong belief or confidence.
And that is what the Bible says:
Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
--Read it carefully.
"to him that
worketh not, but believeth...
No its not works. However, Faith is not faith unless it is acted upon. You certainly don't believe that. Its like telling a woman that you love her then ignore her. Is that love? Nope. Faith therefore is not faith unless it is acted upon.
Works follow faith. They are not part of faith, nor a requirement of salvation. In your example, the action of love follows the verbal expression of love.
This is where you are wrong. Catholic teach works do not save. Faith which allows for empowering grace enables you to act upon that faith.
If that were true, you would do away with baptismal regeneration, an act of works based salvation. You would do away with the sacraments, examples of works based salvation. Do this; do that and grace will bestowed upon you. That is not true. Trust in Christ by faith, and you will be saved (as it says in Acts 16:31). But you don't believe that. The Bible teaches that works follows salvation, is never part of it.
Its just saying what I just said above it. Works to make God owe you does not save (Romans 4). However, Faith absent of works is dead (James 2).
James does not talk about salvation; thus your confusion.
Salvation is by faith alone. Read Eph.2:8,9 which gives a good description of how one is saved: by grace through faith and not of works. You cannot argue with that Scripture. Then after one is saved, read the 10th verse. After salvation the believer is created "unto good works" not before, not as part of salvation, but after salvation.
It is clear we do. What you have just clearly pointed out is that you understand faith to be no more than a certainty or confidence that what God said is true. And that is where you end faith. Catholics believe in this certainty and follow up with and you will act upon that certainty and purposely live your life accordingly.
Again, what you say is a clear indication that the Catholics have no clear understanding of what faith is.
Faith is not facts, but based on facts. It is not blind but based on the facts of the Word of God, that they are true. That is what Abraham demonstrated.
Then faith is action. It is confidence that God will do what he said in His Word. It is based on those facts. It is also based on the relationship one has with the Savior. But you cannot understand that. It is not based on a relationship with a Catechism, but with the Living God, Jesus Christ, and what he has promised to his children. Your faith is void, vacant, empty, meaningless, based on a man-made fallible document that is not inspired. It is meaningless. It has no more value than my manual to my car.
