I think one of the main stated differences between Protestants and Catholics is the notion of faith and works. From a Catholic perspective, are you in disagreement with the statement below:
"But in Christianity, good deeds are the necessary concomitant or outflow of sincere faith, not meritorious deeds done for the sake of salvation. Good deeds are the evidence of genuine, living faith, and in the absence of such deeds so-called faith is dead (
James 2.17).
A person who lives a life of immorality while confessing Christ is a hypocrite whose faith is dead and useless. Good deeds are a necessary condition of salvation in a logical sense, in that, necessarily, if someone has saving faith, then he will do good deeds"
Did you know that most Protestants do not believe in faith alone? If they did, there would by no need for them to do anything else. Just mouth the words Jesus is Lord and your saved no matter what you do ?
If my Catholic cousins will allow me, I might be able to help you, as Catholics and Orthodox, as do all of the Apostolic Churches, share the same beliefs regarding faith and works.
The pitfall of the statement you asked about is that it is -if even loosely- based on monergism. Monergism is more or less the Protestant idea that God causes a person to do good works as proof of their faith. This leaves the person in the position of waiting for God to move them to good works. But rather than being monergistic, Christianity is synergistic. A person through their own effort cooperates with the grace of God to do good works as a condition of their salvation. We initially enter into salvation by grace through faith, but it is our conduct afterwards that determines whether we remain in that salvation.
I see what you are saying and monergism is the failure of Faith alone, but the rest does not come from us. Sin does not participate in salvation, the sinner receives salvation by God’s grace.
Faith alone completely misses the point. As Paul says in Corinthians though I have faith to move mountains yet have not Charity, I am nothing, so it isn’t faith alone. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Preaching convicts is of sin, or displays our abject spiritual poverty, and the soul moved by God calls out for salvation. What does God do then?
He is faithful and just to forgive us or sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He begins the process by causing us to be born again and receive the gifts of Faith, Hope, and Charity
Faith to know that He is and is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Hope that He is faithful and true and will complete the work which He began in us, and Charity which fills us with a burning love for God and an overwhelming desire to please Him.
Some Protestants confuse Charity with love of neighbor. That is only partially right as it is the second commandment. The first is to love Gos with your whole heart whole mind and whole soul. A born again soul expresses his love for God and spiritual things, he does not seek popularity, as Jesus said they hated me, they will hate you also
The Gifts of Faith Hope and Charity are the Theological virtues which come from God alone by grace alone. The remaining heavenly virtues are prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude.
These require human effort to develop, and the soul infused with God’s grace begins the process of development of those virtues by the burning desire of Charity.
A born again soul that has Faith, Hope and Charity will put his faith into practice by prayer, fasting and almsgiving. He will have a desire to live a life of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Satan deceives a soul and promises him wealth, vain glory and pride. Look what a great Christian boy you are. You are rich, you have done so many good things for God, people love you.
Jesus tells us the path to life is through poverty, contempt, and humility. The born again soul filled with the Charity of God will take that path. It takes our cooperation, but only the ascent of our will. Yes Lord, be it done to me according to your word. The soul on that path will be enlightened by the Spirit of God to do the things according to His will. As His word says, if any man lacks let him ask God. If you ask God to put you in the path to life and you ask for poverty, contempt and humility, let me tell you, He will give it to you, along with the overwhelming blessings of grace