First of all, I have never said that our Church was easy-believism.
Where did I say that you said it was? Try to only respond to what was said/argued, not what was not. What I said in this regard was that you are defending a church which teaches easy-believism, even if Rome is not your church, you do not defend her easy-believism, which can hardly be denied. But since unlike me you are defending Rome then you must deal with her embrace of Teddy K Catholics.
Believing is sometimes very hard work. Very hard. And that IS one of the works that will bring us to heaven, as we have to work at our belief.
Now you are contrary to the language of Scripture, which makes a clear distinction btwn faith and works, though the former effects the latter. But faith is not "work."
For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath
whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, (Romans 4:2-6)
Thus salvation is promised to those who believe:
He that believeth [continuous sense] on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believethnot the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)
Yet because faith effects works (everything we do is a result of what we truly believe, at least at the moment), thus salvation is promised to those who manifest the fruit of faith. Thus the meek shall inherit the earth, not because being meek earns you the earth, or feeding the hungry earns you salvation, but because these fruits are characteristics of true faith, confirming one is a believer. Thus while Paul clearly excludes works as the actual basis of justification, yet he also affirms the doers of the law shall be justified, since works shows these are true believers, versus mere hearers.
For not the hearers of the law
are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (Romans 2:13)
The difference is that the effects of faith are not the cause of justification before God, though they justify one as being a true believer.
"Faith cometh by hearing..." So there is a long time of hearing and listening to the Good News before you can believe in it, and then there is the actual work of DOING what God wants of you. Listening, hearing, making a decision, and doing what God wants are all WORKS that are necessary for getting into heaven.
Only in the sense that saving faith is an obedient faith, not that the works actually make one good enough to be with God, which is false gospel.
Simply believing fits the description of your easy believism much more than my definition. "Just believe..." BALDERDASH!
Why is it that you cannot seem to comprehend English well? I proceed to define "simply believing" as meaning a life characterized by , following the Lord Jesus, (Jn. 10:27,28) doing righteousness, and repenting when convicted of failing to do so. Are you so desperate to win a debating point that you must misconstrue things I say?
How many times did you hear the Gospel preached BEFORE you were able to believe? And then how long after you had heard the Gospel did you dither around before taking the plunge? And after that, how long did you play around in the kiddie pool before making a rational decision to cooperate with Jesus?
I did not know much about being born again, having been devoutly raised Catholic which imagines that ritually sprinkling an infant, who cannot repent and believe as the Scripture requires for baptism. But though I was raised devout and believe in God, there was simply no conversion event as seen in Scripture. When souls are born again there is both an immediate as well as progressive change in their life.
But I became depressed and knew i was separated from God due to sin, and that the judgment train was coming. And having moral parents I knew repentance meant you intended to never do the sins you repented from any more, and so I actually put off my repentance until I felt i could keep my commitment. And then i tearfully confessed a priest of being away from God (though i had been going to mass regularly) and my repentance, and began to live a very moral life, yet go to confession constantly after that and live a very moral life. For my conscience convicted me of sins even of thoughts, I did not understand salvation by grace thru faith, not because I was good enough, but that on Christ's account I was accepted in the Beloved.
But an evangelical radio station came on the air locally and as soon as I heard that of salvation by grace thru faith then i confirmed to God that i trusted Christ for salvation, not my works. I had such an earnest ongoing hunger to know how to please God according to the Bible that (as a truck driver) I would listen to that station day and night, and sometimes even speed up going under long bridges do as to not miss any words.
And though i was raised in a rural area, even nature had become new to me. Thus God effected changes in my heart and life that went beyond what I knew. And though i remained a weekly mass and every holy day Catholic for about 6 years after my conversion, I realized the profound difference btwn mere religion and regeneration.
I looked for the fellowship of the Spirit in Catholicism, seeking others who had realized these changes and new life, but that almost nonexistent. So I went to Catholic charismatic meetings, in which i found some life, but the hierarchy linked them up with the liberal nuns "peace and justice commission, and i was never the same.
I would also try to witness to others about Jesus, and was even being challenged by God to do some difficult things by myself, like telling people to repent who were going into bad places. There are a few stories here to tell. But being in a Catholic ears i did not know of an evangelical church, but when i sincerely prayed to God "if it by thy Will to go to different church, I trust you will show me," then He quickly did, which led me into evangelical fellowship, thanks be to God.
And the more I study the Bible then they more i see the contrasts btwn Rome and the NT church. As well as how short I come and overall the church today.
However, most conversions in Scripture were immediate, yet the fact that there is preparatory work leading to conversion does not mean one must actually, practically becomes good in this life or in purgatory enough to be with God. Which is the main issue.
A quickie decision and a trip to the altar mean nothing.
Unless we are talking about powerless preaching, then this also is contrary to Scripture, which you seem to ignore overall. One the day of Pentecost approx. 3,000 convicted (key issue) souls essentially were given in altar call, as was the household Cornelius and others. An altar call can be given after gospel preaching which is to convict souls of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment, (John 16:8) and the altar call, which sometimes does get abused or perfunctory, is an effectual means of bringing souls to meet with God about their heart burdens.
What does mean something, is to decide to really cooperate with God when He calls you to do something, and that can be done at home, or in a crowded party, or anywhere else, as long as, at that time, you realize that you are giving your whole life to God, and not just an hour on Sunday; that your whole life, and not just a little bit is God's and you have to follow along. You have to give God control on whether to marry or not. On whether you take a job offer or not, and so on.
This is true, though as seen in the preaching of Acts, in conversion there is a basic repentance according to the light they had, not a intensive course of the details of the Christian life, but once they were born again, their consecration is to keep pace with the revelation God progressively gives.
But today gospel preaching too weak and superficial.
Look what William Booth counseled seeks to do.
No, I don't believe that He cares whether you use steel nail clippers or gold plated ones. I don't think that He minds what color car to buy, although He might want you to go to a different dealer than what you planned.
No, God does care, and can lead a born again believer in even the most mundane things.
You see? Making a decision an then living it out are two different things. The Catholic Churches, along with Orthodox, Coptic, Syrian, and so on give you the tools to actually cooperate with God, and not just flap lips.
That is what is BALDERDASH, since (having been there, done that) it is largely form, and what is basically taught in Catholicism is that you became a Christian via the act of baptism, which is false, and thus they are treated as such all their lives, and never hear a message calling them to personal repentance and faith so that may have a Biblical "day of salvation."
And "The Church" fosters faith in itself as able to get souls into Heaven, however liberal or nominal, as long as they die as Catholics, and thus never having been converted/born they sadly end up in Hell fire, to their eternal horror!
