I'm sure Trent is difficult, but I would contend that is because we don't have exactly the same definition of justification either.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but a Baptist views justification as an instanteous event that occurs when you are regenerated. It's a legal declaration of righteousness based soley upon Christ's work on the cross.
Catholics would refer to that as the 'initial grace of justification' which incorporates us into the body of Christ and makes us a child of God and is completely unmerited. But we also view justification as being tied to sanctification for what God declares (you are justified) He also fulfills. It's why James says that when Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his works brought his faith to completion, and the Scripture that “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” was fulfilled. So as Catholics we believe that as we are assisted by God's grace to strive for holiness, we are fulfilling our justification. I understand you would not agree with that premise, but I think when you read Trent from that perspective it at least is logically coherent.
Just as while I would disagree with the premises of Calvinism, I have to agree that it is logically coherent. All the pieces fit together.
God bless you too
I know what the Council of Trent said regarding "private interpretation". But I have studied the Greek behind this subject.
The same Greek word for is used for both "righteous" and "justify". It goes back to the Old Testament work "tsadag" as used in the Torah. Judges are admonished to judge fair and in righteousness.
This also shows that since we do not have anymore judges from the OT, it applies to judges in court to day, but also in the sense that there are only 2 judges that have the inherent right to judge righteously because they are righteous.
In the New Testament, in every place where "righteous" is mentioned, you could substitute "justify/justified" in its place and vice versa.
Yes, at the point of salvation, God has declared me both "righteous" and "justified".
What is left for me to do?
Now, if I have both Christ's righteousness and justification imputed to me, what else is lacking?
The difference between what you see as James telling us to "work for justification" is set against what Paul teaches.
If James and Paul contradict each other, that also means the scriptures contradict each other. And that cannot happen.
When Paul says Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. You must understand, what Abraham has faith in and what Paul is using as his example is Genesis 15, where God promises Abraham "seed".
Then what James says is when Abraham was willing to offer up Isaac.
Both men use Abraham as their example. Paul uses Abraham early on. Abraham was seventy-five years old when he believed God in
Genesis 15. However, Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. (cf. Gen. 22:6) Tradition has it that Isaac was around twenty-five when Abraham took him to the mountain for the sacrifice. If the Catholics and Arminians are correct, then it logically means that Abraham had to wait fifty years in order to actually be justified! No! We merely point out that the offering of his son, gave evidence to Abraham’s faith in God.
What James is saying is that if call yourself a "Christian" and you don't have "works" to prove it, your just like what Paul said, a tinkling cymbal, or sounding brass".
Professing to be a Christian when one is not may secure a standing before men, it may improve his moral and social prestige, he may be able to join a church, and help promote his commercial interests, but can it save him? What is the use to fein to be charitable when works of charity are withheld? What good does it bring to calling oneself a Christian when empty stomachs are met with good words? How can a person claim to be a Christian and clothe the naked by good wishes? What does it profit to profess to be a believer when there is no true piety?
Neither can a person be saved by a mere empty hollow confession of the Gospel. To say that I am a Christian and am unable to appeal to any good works and spiritual fruits as proof of it, profits neither the person nor those who listen. Without the essential element of “faith worketh by love” (cf. Gal. 5:6), no matter how much reading or studying, no amount of head knowledge, no amount of preaching and teaching one can do, they are no more than “sounding brass and tinkling symbol.” Without love, those professors will be the ones pleading their works but will be told: “Depart, I never knew ye.”
And like I said, at the point f salvation, I have judicial decree from the righteous One above, I don't have to work at that anymore.
God Bless
Till all are one.
