Faith Without Works Produces Scandals

Last updated on: September 26, 2018 at 4:04 am by Henry Karlson

Faith Without Works Produces Scandals 2018-09-26T04:04:43-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

One of the appalling factors in modern Christian life, Catholic or otherwise, is the great disconnect between faith and action. Christian leaders find all kinds of reason to excuse themselves, and their friends or political allies, from the mode of conduct which they demand from others. The words of St. Salvian the Presbyter, written during a time of upheaval and the collapse of the Roman Empire, could be said today. Christians, not non-Christians, are creating terrible scandals which serve as justifications for non-Christians to ignore the Christian message; Christians are causing God to be blasphemed:

As I have said, this evil is peculiar only to Christians, because through them only, in a way, is God blasphemed. They learn good and do evil who, it is written, confess God by words and deny Him by deeds. They, as the same Apostle says, repose in the Law and know its intent and approve of those things that are the more profitable. They have the form of knowledge and of truth in the Law. They preach that they must not steal, yet they do steal. They read that they must not commit adultery, yet they commit it. They glory in the Law, but by transgression of the Law they dishonor God. Therefore, for this very reason, Christians are worse because they should be better. [1]

Christians, because they know better, or at least they say they know better, will be judged much more severely when they commit offenses which cry up to God. Ignoring the plight of the oppressed, supporting the rich over the poor, laughing away the sins of youth as “boys will be boys,” and the like will be judged and condemned harshly when the light of truth shines on these and other evil acts.

Without charity, Christianity is nothing (cf. 1 Cor. 13:2). For God is love, and those who do not know love do not now God (cf. 1 Jn. 4:8). Truth without charity is not the truth. It is only a simulacrum of the truth, an idol which is used for the sake of personal gain. Those who speak of the law but do not live it use it only as a bludgeon to harm others. They might be using words which are true; they might even have a sense of authority, which cannot be denied, but they have cut themselves off from the truth, and so are in a way thieves who have nothing of their own, but only the elements of truth which they have taken from others. They preach do not steal, but the command itself is not theirs to give: they have stolen it from God. They preach do not commit adultery, and yet they shame many men, women, and children who suffer the consequences of sexual abuses, even as others have adulterated themselves by promoting sexual deviants as men of God who deserve positions of authority.

As James indicated, we are all called to be doers of the word:

Therefore put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like (James 1:21-24 RSV).

When Christianity is riddled with hearers of the word who do not act upon what they heard, Christianity is graced, and those Christians who avoid right action produce great scandal in the world. Who would believe in the transformative power of Christ when Christians themselves do not care to be transformed, to be the light of the world, the salt which preserves and purifies the world?

It is easy to understand why people begin to doubt the Christian faith when they see what goes on under the mantle of Christ. Those who flee, either their own chosen faith tradition, or the whole of the Christian faith, because of the evils they have experienced as a Christian, are not to be won back by harsh judgment and condemnation. Such reactions only serve to send them farther away. And yet, even as they flee the faith, they are often truer to themselves and the faith which they believed than those who scandalized them, because they want the truth manifested in love. They flee, not in rejection of Christ, but for his sake: they reject what is said and done in his name, while they seek the way of truth and justice. They might subjectively reject Christ because of what they have seen, but find themselves like those in the parable of the last judgment, fleeing towards Christ in his objective reality and truth, where they will be welcomed by him with love. Those who are so blinded from the wounds given to them by Christians in the name of Christ might subjectively be incapable of hearing the Christian faith until they come face to face with Christ himself and see beyond the shame and hurt they have experienced. [2] Christians need to witness to them, not by judgment, or arguing difficult matters of faith with them, but by love and respect, letting them be while being willing to be there for them if ever asked. Only by such love will the truth be made manifest. Their fate is not ours to judge. Christ, and many saints, have often made it clear that such people could be one with us in truth despite all appearances otherwise.

Yet, for those of us who remain where we are at, despite all the suffering and confusion around us, despite whatever grievances we might have with other Christians, especially with those in leadership positions in our churches, we must remain humble and true to the faith. We must be doers of the word. We must listen to God. We must hear what he says for us to do. Then we must do it. We cannot control others. But we can work to control ourselves. We must truly break free from any disconnect between faith and works in our lives and tie them together as one. Yes, we will slip up and sin. Yes, we will need grace. But we must remember what we believe and remember ourselves as the first among sinners. Then we will realize that the compassion and charity we want for ourselves should be given to all. If Christians truly lived this out, they would begin to reveal the truth of the faith once again, in a way far more credible, far more enticing, than those found in theological and philosophical debates.

[IMG=Jesus, Merciful Father, Good Herdsman [Creative Commons CC0] via maxpixel.net]

[1] St. Salvian, “The Governance of God” in The Writings of Salvian the Presbyter. Trans. Jeremiah F. O’Sullivan, PhD (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 1962),123.

[2] That is, it is possible that “invincible ignorance” applies to them. Invincible ignorance is not about someone being uneducated or lacking of intelligence, but rather, it is about someone’s personal context creating a barrier between themselves and the fullness of the Christian faith which cannot be overcome by any normal means.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook

Previous Post

September 24, 2018

Mystical Theology of Dionysius: Transcendental God-Talk. Chapter Five. Part Fourteen

Next Post

September 28, 2018 The Babylonian Exile and the Church

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz