FAITH IS FULFILLED THROUGH CHARITY

This biblical passage became a focal point of dispute in the 1500s, during the Protestant Reformation. Specifically, in his opposition to the Catholic Church, Martin Luther (the Father of Protestantism) proclaimed that salvation is received by “faith alone,” excluding all charitable work. In other words, Martin Luther believed the Catholic Church taught that the execution of charitable work was co-equal to faith in causing our salvation. Because, he believed, that the Catholic Church relied on the Letter of James to support this teaching, Martin Luther argued that the Letter of James should be removed from the Bible! Many Christians today still misunderstand the relationship between faith and works.

The Letter of James does not mean that charitable work is co-equal to faith in causing our salvation. Rather, it means that charitable work is an integral aspect of faith. This means that faith which does not express itself in charitable work, is not true faith. Put another way, true faith is only completely fulfilled if it is expressed through charitable work.

We hope to reflect our Christian faith by our charitable work through our food ministry, our diaper ministry, and our toilet paper ministry, which serves Mexican day workers, poor mothers, Mexican orphans, and Haitian refugees, etc.