Years ago, I was watching something like 60 Minutes ( Is that still on?) and they were doing a story on a convicted murderer in prison who had found Jesus.
As I watched, though, it was quite obvious that the man didn’t understand what being a Christian really meant.
Over and over again, the interviewer would ask him if he had repented of his grave sin and asked for forgiveness. Every time, the man would loudly say, “Nope! Don’t need to! I believe in Jesus and that’s all that matters!”
The interviewer would say, “You don’t feel you need to ask for forgiveness? Do you at least feel sorry for what you’ve done?”
Again, as if to drown out the question, the man yelled with a smile on his face, “Jesus took care of all that. I just gotta believe in Him and I get to go to Heaven. There’s nothing else I need to do!”
I shook my head and thought, “This guy just doesn’t get it and he’s in real danger.”
Danger of having Christ say, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in Heaven.” Matthew 7:21
This is why Sola Fide—Faith Alone—doesn’t work. This belief that came about in the 1500s flys in the face of everything Christ and His Apostles taught, though, there’s no one adopted belief on this doctrine.
And while many will pick out a few verses here and there to try to prove this false doctrine, you must, as always, take the verse in context with the chapter and the chapter in context with the book and the book in context with the whole Bible.
It just doesn’t work and it’s dangerous. This man in prison thought he just had to say he had faith and he was fine—faith alone would save him. Yet, it makes us wince to hear him say that he doesn’t need to repent or seek forgiveness, to ACT in a way that shows his faith has some teeth to it. Unrepentant sin does not show a soul in a state of grace.
Christ says, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.”
We come to Christ through the gift of Faith, Catholic Pilgrims, and our faith requires a response from us—not just a declaration. It also requires a trust and commitment to the sacraments.
Because as St. James says, “Faith without works is dead.” James 2:17
Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Thursday.
