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Note St James II 

Forum: Theological Expressions
Re: Ok Justification on Faith and works and merits. (Emmanuel)
Re: Question Ok but please let's define more ok ? (Bill Roth)
Date: 2001, Aug 06
From: Emmanuel

Dear brothers,
             Strict merit is the type in which a thing is earned by the exchange of something of equal value. For example, when I work, I merit my salary in the strict sense, because I have given my employers something of equal value. Thus, my employers are obligated to pay me because I have given them a work product having a value equal to my salary.

When Protestants think of “merit,” this is usually the type of merit they have in mind. So when they hear Catholics speak of gaining merit with God, they naturally think that these Catholics are talking about earning spiritual goods by performing deeds that are intrinsically valuable, and for which God is therefore obligated to repay them. Protestants often have the idea that Catholics believe they can even earn their own salvation by “being good.” But that is not what Catholics believe. On the contrary, the Catholic Church teaches that only Christ can merit anything in the strict sense. No one else can “earn” anything from God, for “who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” (Rom. 11:35). According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “With regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on the part of man. Between God and us there is an immeasurable inequality, for we have received everything from him, our Creator."

When Catholics speak of merit, they have in mind one of the two other types of merit:

II.Congruent Merit

Congruent merit is the type in which we perform an action that may be rewarded, but there is no obligation to reward it. For example, when Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, God rewarded Abraham, saying,

1.(Gen. 22:16-18).

God chose to reward Abraham for his faith-filled action, but He was under no moral obligation to do so, because He had not promised Abraham that He would do so. There are many other examples in the Bible where God rewards someone for doing something that pleases Him, and for which He had not expressly promised a reward. For example, in 2 Kings 10:30, we read: “The LORD said to Jehu, ‘Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.’” Obviously, the concept of “congruent merit,” being expressly biblical, is not a concept to which Protestants would object, though they generally don’t use the word “merit” to describe such a situation.

       The second merit is mention in last posting. Have you seen what I emphasized so far? Lots of people maybe left out or not really dig into a small part of the NT, Letter of James.


In His Glory,

Emmanuel

( When I used Catholic and Protestants, please don't be provoked as I mean no bias against all, but only helps in the difference in treating doctrines only, please I seek your pardon and His. Thankyou. Emmanuel)

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Messages Inline: 1 All Outline: 1 2 3

1. Ok Merits by Bill Roth, 2001, Aug 06
1. Question On Faith by Emmanuel, 2001, Aug 06
1. Feedback Faith without works ........ by Bill Roth, 2001, Aug 06
(_ Feedback Yes, quite right by Interested , 2001, Aug 06
(_ Note Justification by Emmanuel, 2001, Aug 07
2. Feedback Ah ha! by Emmanuel, 2001, Aug 06
1. Ok Emmanuel by Bill Roth, 2001, Aug 06
(_ Ok Oh Bill! by Emmanuel, 2001, Aug 06

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