Yes, but you're playing by fundamentalist Christian rules which is "Bible only". Not everything is found in the Bible, there are also sacred traditions and church teachings which you are choosing to ignore. On whose authority do you discard those teachings, and why?
On the same authority that the RCC claims their doctrines are based on; scripture; which they are not taking the scripture as a whole but on what Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews; thus out of context.
Simple, Catholics DON'T say they are saved. They say they HOPE to be saved, it is something they strive towards all their lives rather than pronouncing themselves "saved" after reading the sinner's prayer. Again, you should not be comparing fundamentalist teachings to traditional teachings.
Catholics are not Bible-only Christians. These rules apply to your brand of Christianity only.
Please start a thread asking Catholics of they believe they are saved now because I am getting different responses, brother.
What about James 2:17, which says that faith without works is dead?
So now you refer to scripture? Okay then.
That reference in the Book of James was not referring to the faith in Jesus Christ, but the abuse of practise by the church in applying faith in His Providence in getting out of helping the poor. That is what James had meant about how that kind of faith can not profit him norsave him as referring to the poor; not the church voicing that faith in His Providence. It is in the eyes of the poor, the church's faith in His Providence was dead.
That was the kind of faith James was talking about becaue he made that reference to Abraham.
James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Here is the reference in scripture of Abraham's faith in His Providence as scripture testify the naming of that place in that event of what that faith was about.
Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 24 And Abraham called the name of that place
Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
So James was never talking about the faith in Jesus Christ needing works with it for salvation. James was never in conflict with Paul's message as there is only one gospel.
Romans 4:1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
James was about how believers were not using faith in God's Providence rightly by not leading by example whereas Paul was talking about how we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ without works.
James was addressing the church's abuse of the poor by their applying faith in God's Providence in getting out of helping the poor. They were not justified in using faith in God's Providence in that way. That is why in the eyes of the poor, the church's faith in God's Providence was dead because they had the means to meet their immediate needs after service from the bounty collected and to apply God's faith to provide for the church tomorrow while meeting the immediate needs of the poor, but the church was not showing it by example.
Again, there is no need to do this, Catholics do not believe in sola scriptura.
But when the RCC want to dictate the authority of some of their doctrines, then the RCC goes to the scripture. You should find the irony in that.
The best I can do is go through the difference between someone trying to work his way into salvation and works of faith fueled by God's love. I think many people think these are the same things and they aren't.