Do you believe God is the author of confusion with regard to salvation? Jesus is God the Son in the flesh is he not? He is the instructor of Paul is he not?
Gal. 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
He is speaking of the gospel he preached (Gal. 1:6-9) and in particular his doctrine of Justification by faith which takes up chapters 1-5. Paul does not deny sanctification is inclusive of works (1 Thes. 4:1-5) but he denies that justification is inclusive of works (Gal. 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Rom. 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works).
In the Galatian passage he denies that justification by faith is inclusive of the "works of the law" while in the Romans passages he denies that justification by faith is inclusive of Abraham's actions (he existed 430 years before the law and so "works" cannot refer law obedience).
This issue between Catholicism and the Bible is the issue of works with regard to the Biblical doctrine of justificaiton by faith. In essence, Catholicism ultimately defines justification by faith as justification by faithfulness. However, Paul who was taught by Christ concerning the doctrine of justification defines "faith" that justifies to be completely vacant of "faithfulness" or obedience by good works. He specfically addresses the nature of justifying faith in Romans 4:16-21 to prove that "faith" is according to grace not works and uses the illustration of the promise given by God to Abraham concerning the birth of Isaac to define the nature of justifying faith. In this illustration, God waited until both Sarah and Abraham could do NOTHING ("dead....deadness") to assist in accomplishing that promise by God. Paul then provides the definition of faith that justifies in these words and directly applies that definition of faith to what it means for us to be justified "by faith."
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 ¶ Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Consider his definition of faith that justifies - "being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, HE WAS ABLE TO PERFORM". Consider then his application to justification by faith - "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we BELIEVE ON HIM.."
Justifying faith has NOTHING to do with our actions or our attempts to please God, but solely what God does to justify us in the person and works of Christ that we receive "freely by his grace" (Rom. 3:24) by faith defined as "being fully persuaded that, what he promised, he was able to perform."
Catholicism denies this kind of faith for justification that completely is "without works" on our part but fuses the doctrine of sanctification with the doctrine of justification thus making the unbiblical doctrine of PROGRESSIVE JUSTIFICATION inclusive of ordinances and all manner of good works. Whereas, Paul demands justification is finished, completed at the point of faith and uses Abraham and the division of his life into "in uncircumcision" versus "in circumcision" to prove the point that justification is a completed finished action (aorist tense "had" - v. 11) at the point of faith in the gospel in that part of his life identified by Paul as "in uncirumcision" thus denying it is a progressive incompleted action that continues "in circumcision." In direct contrast, Catholicism believes it is an incompleted progress that includse all the good works and obedience to God's commands right up to death.
Baptists on the other hand make a distinction between progressive sanctification and justification, which (sanctification) is the regenerative Spirit of Christ working in the fully justified believer producing good works and conforming him/her progressively to the image of Christ which ultimately occurs in the glorification of the body at the resurrection.
The distinction can be simplified by saying justification by faith is what God finished in the physical body of Christ to satisfy all the righteous demands of God against the sinner, whereas, sanctification is what God is working in our physical body both to will and to do of his good pleasure until we are progressively conformed to the image of His Son. Baptists, like Paul, deny there are any truely justified persons who are not also sanctified persons and therefore the doctrine of justification by faith without works does not promote sin (Rom. 6:1) because the justified are also sanctified (Rom. 6-8).
