Scripture
Faith
I haven't been reading Saint Faustina's diary lately, so I decided to jump back into it last night. I came across this part:
This reminded me a lot of Paul's letter to the Romans, 4:1-8:
Both of them seem to say, faith and love are the most important things and the works are secondary-- or at least that works can not stand without faith. But then you have James, 2:14-24:
He places a huge priority on works, going so far as to say faith alone will not save you-- that works are required to demonstrate that faith. What's particularly fascinating is that both Paul and James quote the exact same passage regarding Abraham, but then use it to make slightly different points.
I need to reflect on these teachings some more. I certainly don't think they are contradictory-- but the arguments are nuanced.
"I have come to understand today that even if I did not accomplish any of the things the Lord is demanding of me, I know that I shall be rewarded as if I had fulfilled everything, because He sees the intention with which I begin, and even if He called me to Himself today, the work would not suffer at all by that, because He Himself is the Lord of both the work and the worker. My part is to love Him to folly; all works are nothing more than a tiny drop before Him. It is love that has meaning and power and merit. He has opened up great horizons in my soul-- love compensates for the chasms."
This reminded me a lot of Paul's letter to the Romans, 4:1-8:
"What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.' Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justified the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness irrespective of works:
'Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.'"
'Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.'"
Both of them seem to say, faith and love are the most important things and the works are secondary-- or at least that works can not stand without faith. But then you have James, 2:14-24:
"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,' and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone."
But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone."
He places a huge priority on works, going so far as to say faith alone will not save you-- that works are required to demonstrate that faith. What's particularly fascinating is that both Paul and James quote the exact same passage regarding Abraham, but then use it to make slightly different points.
I need to reflect on these teachings some more. I certainly don't think they are contradictory-- but the arguments are nuanced.