This is to disagree with the doctrinal belief of the protestants that we are already saved by our faith in Jesus, citing the teaching of apostle Paul as their basis that says, “man is not justified by works of the law but by faith in Jesus” (Galatians 2:16). And that ‘Salvation’ is a grace given by God so we need not to work for it, all we have to do is to have faith in Jesus alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
You know what, God is perfect so we should be perfect in order to be saved. When Paul talked about “man is not justified by works of the law but by faith in Jesus”, he was referring to the Old Covenant law (Mosaic law). Because we did not earn our ‘Salvation’ by perfect obedience of the Old Covenant law but it’s given by God freely. It is impossible for us to obey that law perfectly, that’s the reason why God sent His Son to be our perfecter of faith. Christians are not under the Old Testament law but under the New Testament law or Christ law. So when Paul said, “one is justified by faith aside from the doing the law” (Romans 3:28), he was referring to the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). Our Salvation can be earned by believing the saving work of Jesus plus obeying his will. Below is a debate or comments quoted from a Facebook post that says;
“We are not sinners saved by Grace _we are Saints! Read Bible to see the Truth”
Cheryl Matko (Protestant) vs. Leon Kilat (Catholic) debate
Leon Kilat: Saint means sinless or purified. the reason why the Son of God was manifested is to save sinners. Why God needed to save the people if they were already sinless?
Cheryl Matko: Leon Kilat. we are all sinners but when you enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, God sees you as blameless or purified through Christ. We are sinners saved by Grace but in the bible we are only ever referred to as saints.
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko. Saint means holy, and not all christians are holy. The Saints referred to in the Bible are holy people, they are purified or perfected thru believing the saving work of Jesus. If you are already purified in this world that means you will no longer face Judgment, you will no longer die. Death is the effect of our sin, if you are sinless, you have no death.
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko. Believing without work is empty. How can you say to your husband “I love you” but you refuse him on the bed? How can you say to someone “I believe you” if you don’t show it by your deed? If you really believe in God, you should observe His law. Faith and deed should go together in order to be saved;
1. [2 John 1:8] Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be fully rewarded
2. [James 1:22-25] Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
3. [Romans 2:13] For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.
4. [2 Thessalonians 2:17] encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.
Cheryl Matko: Leon Kilat. that’s incorrect. Throughout Paul’s letters in the New Testament, all of Christ’s followers are only ever called saints. This is because God sees us as holy because of what Christ Jesus did for us. That’s Grace. https://seminary.grace.edu/what-does-saint-mean/… .
Cheryl Matko. Leon Kilat. James 2:17-18 actually says ‘…faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith BY my works.’ You’re interpreting those verses to mean that if you have faith you must also do good works. What they are really saying is that TRUE faith in Christ inspires and produces good works.
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko. WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY IS THAT WORK IS THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH. IF YOU BELIEVE WITHOUT DOING FOR IT IS NOT TRUE FAITH. IF YOU LOVE GOD, HOW YOU SHOW IT? IF YOU HAVE FAITH IN GOD, HOW YOU SHOW IT?
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko. PAUL WAS ONLY REFERRING TO THE FAITHFUL BELIEVERS, AND NOT TO ALL CHRISTIANS. JESUS TOLD US CARRY YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME, THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO DO THE EXAMPLE SET BY HIM. AND APOSTLE JOHN REMINDED US NOT TO WASTE WHAT WE HAVE WORKED FOR. MEANING, WE NEED TO WORK AND KEEP DOING GOOD WHILE WE ARE ON EARTH. AND THERE IS A POSSIBLITY THAT WE FAIL TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
[2 John 1:8] Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.
Cheryl Matko: Leon Kilat. that’s incorrect. All true Christians (ppl who have a relationship with Jesus Christ) are faithful believers.
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko. 2 John 1:8 refers to the true christian yet still in danger of failing to make it to the final. And Jesus said, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2). Christians are branches of Jesus, but if a Christian does not bear fruit, meaning you don’t work for the growth of Christianity, God will cut you out.
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko.
[James 2:14-26] What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless? Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Cheryl Matko: Leon Kilat. 2 John 1:8 is a warning about false teachers. Loss of salvation is not in view here, it’s about the loss of spiritual reward. https://www.bibleref.com/2-John/1/2-John-1-8.html… . https://versebyversecommentary.com/2001/10/13/2-john-18/
In John 15:2, the branches that don’t bear fruit refer to people who have attached themselves to the church, but don’t have a real relationship with Christ. They may have grown up in the church, know scripture and profess to be Christians but they never really knew Jesus and therefore produce no fruits of the Holy Spirit. https://www.bibleref.com/John/15/John-15-2.html… . https://www.biblestudytools.com/…/gills…/john-15-2.html
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko. This teaching of your Church that “you can be saved by Faith alone” was already condemned by the apostles. Ponder this verses;
[James 2:14-15] What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead.
Cheryl Matko: Leon Kilat. Our deeds/works/fruits have nothing to do with earning our salvation – rather they are EVIDENCE of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our salvation is assured because of what Christ did on the cross for us. That’s what GRACE is all about! You can’t lose your salvation once you have entered into a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the GIFT of God, NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, so that no one may boast.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:38-39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.
Titus 3:5 He saved us, NOT BECAUSE OF WORKS done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
https://www.christianity.com/…/how-can-i-have-assurance… https://www.gotquestions.org/assurance-salvation.html
Cheryl Matko: Leon Kilat. this teaching is not just from “my church”. It’s from the Bible. The verses you quote need to be taken in the context of the gospel that was preached by all of the apostles. The gospel clearly states that our salvation is a free gift and not dependent on our works.
Yes faith without works is dead. But if there is no evidence of works or the fruits of the spirit, there is no true faith. Our “works” are evidence of a true relationship with Jesus Christ. But nothing we do can give us salvation and nothing can cause us to lose it. It’s all about what Christ did on the cross.
Go and search Google for assurance of salvation and you’ll find many more articles by biblical scholars of all denominations.
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko. Don’t lie to yourself, don’t twist the passage just to suit to the teaching of your Church. The verse is very clear, that work is a requirement for our salvation. In fact, it is through our actions that we can be righteous in the eyes of God.
[James 2:20-24] O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless? Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.
The saving work of Jesus is a free gift to those who accept it. And once you accept it, it has a stipulation, you need to follow the will of Jesus. Faith and works of the law should go together in order for you to be saved.
[Romans 3:28] For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
Cheryl Matko: Leon Kilat. I’m not lying to myself. Most Christian biblical scholars have the same understanding of the scriptures that I have. Go and read a few different commentaries on those specific verses and you’ll find that I’m right. How can salvation be a free gift if it comes with stipulations? And how do you explain
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For its by GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH. And this is not your own doing; it is the GIFT of God, 9 NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, so that no one may boast.”
What’s your interpretation of God’s Grace?
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko. You cannot understand the Bible by one or two verses, you need to understand its context. Mankind was separated from God because of sin, the reason we lost our eternal life. And we have no ability to reconnect to God by our own efforts so that we can retrieve that eternal life. No matter what we do, it is nothing to God because in the first place we are sinners. God is perfect, therefore the one that can intercede between Him and us is a perfect or sinless man. And that’s what apostle Paul meant when he said we are saved not by works. And the salvation is a grace or free gift, because we did not work for it. It’s God who reconnected to us through His son. Jesus is our bridge to God, but what about the one who won’t accept Jesus and refuse to do his will? Can they be saved also? the answer is “they cannot”. So this is the stipulation; believe in Jesus and follow his will. To have an eternal life, you have to be perfect or sinless. And we cannot be perfect without following the will of Jesus. Once we believe Jesus’ saving work, we need to do his example.
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko. give me a Biblical verse that says “we can be saved by faith alone”
Cheryl Matko: Amen! As I have already said to you, I agree it’s so important when reading the Bible to understand it in its context. The message throughout the new testament is the gospel – that Jesus died for us and paid the penalty of sin for us on the cross. It’s a free gift. All he asks is that we accept his invitation to follow him and commit our lives to living the life he intends for us to live. Nothing else we do can give us eternal salvation and we are never more acceptable to him than we are when we first come to him. It’s all about what Christ did for us. Our works and deeds contribute nothing.
In this context we need to understand that true faith in Jesus Christ produces good works and the fruits of the spirit. Lack of these good works and fruits is an indication that the person does not have a real personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They may say they believe in him but they don’t really know him.
Matthew 7:20: “Therefore by their fruits you shall know them”.
But if a man comes to Christ on his deathbed and he has no works or deeds, does this mean he doesn’t have salvation? Of course not! Because his salvation is totally dependent on what Christ did on the cross and his response to that. It has nothing to do with good works.
Cheryl Matko: Leon Kilat.
Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Galatians 2:16: Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Romans 3:28: For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
Romans 5:1: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 4:5: And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
Philippians 3:9: And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.
Romans 11:6: But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Galatians 2:21: I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
John 6:28-29: Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
Leon Kilat: Cheryl Matko. When Paul said about “man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus”, he was referring to the Old Covenant law. Because we did not earn the Salvation by obeying that law perfectly, but given by God freely. No man can obey that law perfectly, that means we will fail certainly if we follow the Old Testament law. This is the reason why God sent His Son to be our perfecter. Christians are not under the Old Testament law, but under the New Testament law or Christ law. So when Paul said “one is justified by faith aside from the doing the law”, he was referring to the law of Christ;
[Galatians 6:2] Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
In addition, I had a wonderful time with that. In spite of the fact that both the narration and the images are of a very high level, you realise that you are anxiously expecting what will happen next. Regardless of whether you choose to defend this stroll or not, it will be essentially the same every time.