Catholic/Protestant Dialogue: Are We Justified by Faith Alone?

Is a Christian justified "by faith alone?" Is Baptism necessary for salvation? What role do works play in our salvation? In this episode, I have a dialogue with Reformed Baptist Pastor, Justin Rumley, on the doctrine of Sola Fide, or justification by faith alone.

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[The_Crucible]

Sean, I just ran across this new upload of our full discussion the other day. Just wanted to say once again, THANK YOU for the privilege of being on your show. I have nothing but respect for you. I am very much looking forward to our possible future discussion on the Eucharist as well! Feel free to reach out whenever you would like to schedule that. I am also looking forward to watching your discussion with Tim Staples. Hope you and the family are doing well and Merry Christmas to all the Husseys!

[rowlandr]

Read Jimmy Akin's book,
The Drama of Salvation.

[rowlandr]

Jimmy Akin gives a very good explanation of this. Faith and works(good works, not Law works) go hand in hand. James 2:24.
But Tim Staples says there are 20 plus Bible verses that show this. Our final judgment will be based on our works.

[ABb-xwjy]

Sean- great video.. I love that this video was made… Can you please explain the anniversary death mass?? My mother in law does a mass for her husband now 30years.. they can’t really explain why.. I want to know the biblical reason behind this tradition

[czardilla]

Fantastic discussion. Thank you for making these.

[ABB-]

The Catholic dude seems super nice while the Protestant dude is super passionate! I want to learn more about this topic but a lot of what they're saying is going over my head. (Gotta study more). Still, I'm really grateful content like this exists!

[taylorj.]

I think what's really helpful is leveling up our understanding of the gospel. The gospel contains "Jesus died for my sins" (1 Cor 15:1-8) but that isn't the whole gospel. That's a truncated gospel.

The full gospel is the story of Yeshua from his preexistence with God the father all the way to his present enthronement as king of the universe (Rom. 1:1-5, 2 Tim. 2:8, Phil. 2:6-11). If the gospel was only "Jesus died for sins" then a response of mental assent may make sense. But the gospel is more than that! It is that Jesus preexisted with the father, came into human existence through the promised seed of David, died and was buried, rose again, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY is enthroned as king of heaven and earth present tense (Heb. 1:1-4, Matt. 28:18-20, and more). This means that the appropriate response is allegiance (which includes both mental assent and embodied loyalty) and this is why both Paul and Yeshua (Romans 1:5, Matt. 28:18-20) say that the mission of Christians is to make obedient disciples. We are to bring all nations under the banner of King Yeshua so that they give intellectual trust AND embodied loyalty!

This is a severely shortened version, but hopefully it excites further study.

[byronlewis]

Great video Sean! So pleased to see Catholics engaged with our distant brothers and sisters for the truth of the Faith. Also it was great to see the civil and friendly discussion you had and the tact you had of not to totally pull apart this reformed pastor's theology and biblical exegesis.

[Vivi-uyhr]

Sean, great job on explaining the catholic view/belief on justification of faith. Our faith is active in charity and good works.

[freedominweeks]

catholics seem to see faith totally seperate from action even to the degree of accepting is seperate from faith whereas protestants seem to view faith as having some action included in and of itself like acceptance and possibly more

[kevinrtres]

So the short answer from the catholics is : NO, we are NOT justified by faith alone. We need to perform good works as part of our justification. That is so confusing.
Maybe it should be stated another way:
Step 1: One is justified instantaneously and FOREVER when one repents and puts one's trust in Jesus and in him alone and gets sanctified in God's sight.
Step 2: From that same instant, the process of SANCTIFICATION (repentance from known and unknown sins and performance of good works) starts and is a lifelong process until
Step 3: Glorification when taken up to meet Jesus in the air.
People must stop arguing about James' statement of "Faith without works is dead". Of course it is! Good works are the *_result_* of life-giving faith, an outflow of our gratitude for receiving the gift of everlasting life. Good works are the fruit of the faith thru which one is justified, i.e. saved. As for baptism, it is the sign and public profession of one's TRUST in what Jesus did on the cross, it does NOT convey eternal life, contrary to what so many like to profess (including the catholics!). YMMV.

[jvlp]

My understanding of "Justification by Faith Alone (Sola Fide)" means thru the Grace of God, "FAITH" (not work) must come FIRST "alone" before "GOOD WORKS" (Charity of Love/Deeds) that are pleasing in the sight of God, begins/starts...

It can not be WORK alone first before FAITH or both Faith and Work thru Grace justifies us at "the same time"... Our Faith Alone in God must come "FIRST" to each individual, then through our Faith in God... the FRUITS of Good Works (Charity of Love/Deeds) will manifest or reflect on us thru the grace of God in Christ Jesus as "EVIDENCE" to our Faith... Yes, it is true... the Bible said, "FAITH without WORK is a dead faith"... but it did not say, ... "WORK without FAITH is a dead work."... Christ said, No works/deeds of man can be justified in the sight of God unless Faith thru Grace of God must come first to man... and that Faith is thru HIs Son, Christ Jesus... after that, our Charity of Love/Deeds begins/starts throughout our life in Christ and that is where our DEEDS/WORKS will be judged by God on His Judgement Day (Rev. 20:12 / Roman 2:6/14:10-12)...

Therefore, FAITH "alone" must come FIRST before Good Works (Charity of Love/Deeds) begins/starts for those who truly repented and believe in God... Can not be the other way around... Amen.

[susanabad]

Yes God's gift of free will is dignity of choice actually in proper discernment for us to follow God's commandments; we really have no choice but to humbly obey Him; being faithful is faith and good works (like kindness is faith in action) holding hands for our salvation.. thank you for my personal discernment ..thank you for the wonderful discussion!

[ABb-xwjy]

Why do u need to fight / defend Catholicism ? God doesn’t need anyone to defend him.

[matthewbroderick]

Sean, Awesome defense of Catholic Truth! Even if one has ALL FAITH, but does not love. It is useless! ( 1 Corinthians 13:2). Jesus Christ warns those who HAVE FAITH in Him, that if they do not bear fruit, they shall be taken away, ( John 15:2). Plus, if we do not forgive others, neither shall we be forgiven, ( Matthew 6:14).
Paul teaches God shall render to everyone according to one's works, or lack of works, ( Roman's 2:6-8, Matthew 25:35-42, John 5:29, 1 Peter 1:17, Matthew 16:27). Peace always in Jesus Christ our Great and Kind God and Savior, He whose Flesh is true food and Blood true drink

[voxangeli]

NO!
IT SHOULD BE WORKING THROUGH LOVE!!!
(GALATIANS 5:6)

[allenedmon]

I know I sound rude to question to this Protestant but I'm just confused how he can say one thing yet ignore the rest how the disciples used faith or baptism to be necessary. I listened to all it and I wanted to comment every section of Protestant partial biblical teaching but I think you Shwan Catholic did great anyway. I'm not angry by the way, I'm just sounding like one with the way I speak as middle eastern Christian Catholic. I do speak rude some times to those that start interpret or ignore history and yet want to use ou4 Early Church Father's and claim bible alone and then take a lot of Jesus literal words as metaphors but will want me to take their only private understanding literally.

[cmac]

I don't understand how protestants can believe this stuff when it practically makes void everything else Jesus or the apostle say? Why not just have said "accept Jesus and your Lord and be saved", why all the worry about sin?

[allenedmon]

So Protestant thinks that Catholics aren't doing the sacraments in faith alone or what or who does he thinks we got faith in other than Jesus? To Protestant sounds he takes faith so literally but doesn't want to take the body blood and divinity that Christ Jesus himself says it's His literally His flesh (I know Protestant will use a verse to refute Jesus’ words with other words that he wants to use). If you're going with bible alone then please practice it literally just you take it as it is. Protestant use our early church father's writing only partially to justify his point which is pretty hypocritical because you going to accept and agree their faith alone then accept their main believes they professed that were always been infallible based on scripture and not just works.

[allenedmon]

So it's all right for Protestant to be saved no matter how many times they will sin both morally and venial but it's a problem for Catholic who goes to mass thousands of times and commits some moral sin is somehow not the same? Hypocrisy and leaving those astray to death of the soul to the damned. Just take look how the West has become immortal with being redefined in thoughts of how one is to live as many will think of themselves as "saved” because of accepting faith as to been elected or chosen, for example, many Protestants (as Catholics of course but at least the Catholic Church is clear to correct them) are living in fornication, same sex, marriage in secular courts rather than a sacrament in Christ’ bride.