Another attack on the Teachings of the Catholic Church which attempts to distract from the Truth is Sola Fide. One of the problems with making a statement in the manner Ron learned from his Protestant teachers is when you start with an attack like, “I believe we are saved only by our Faith in Christ. (Sola Fide)” Or any statement like that, the assumption is that the other party does not believe that Faith in Christ is necessary

Many Protestants claim that the Catholic Church does not teach that we are saved by Faith in Christ, but that we add our own works to the mix, the Sola Fide is counter to what the Scriptures really teach. They can’t show where in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it teaches that we can “work” our way into Heaven? They can’t, because it doesn’t. The Catholic Church does not now, nor has it ever, taught a doctrine of salvation by works…that we can “work” our way into Heaven.

Second, if asked to show where in the Bible does it teach that we are saved by “faith alone.” They can’t, because it doesn’t. The only place in all of Scripture where the phrase “Faith Alone” appears, is in James…James 2:24, where it says that we are not justified (or saved) by faith alone.

So, one of the two main pillars of Protestantism…the doctrine of salvation by faith alone…not only doesn’t appear in the Bible, but the Bible actually says the exact opposite – that we are not saved by faith alone.

Third, if works have nothing to do with our salvation…then how come every passage in the N.T. that I know of that talks about judgment says we will be judged by our works, not by whether or not we have faith alone? We see this in Rom 2, Matthew 15 and 16, 1 Peter 1, Rev 20 and 22, 2 Cor 5, and many, many more verses.

Fourth, if we are saved by faith alone, why does 1 Cor 13:13 say that love is greater than faith? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

As Catholics we believe that we are saved by God’s grace alone. We can do nothing, apart from God’s grace, to receive the free gift of salvation. We also believe, however, that we have to respond to God’s grace. Protestants believe that, too. However, many Protestants believe that the only response necessary is his or her own claiming of Jesus by faith; whereas, Catholics believe a response of faith and works is necessary…or, as the Bible puts it in Galatians 5:6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumsion is of any avail, but faith working through love…faith working through love…just as the Church teaches.