Re: Question for our Catholic Friend

Catholics as a whole do not emphasize works. I don't know where you get this idea, but it's not true. Some do this, but the main emphasis in Catholicism in the liturgy. In Catholicism we differentiate between the active and the contemplative. The active being those doing acts, the contemplative meditating and praying to God. The ultimate being when a person can merge the contemplative with the active. IE a person doing daily chores like dishes and offering it to God at the same time. The Presence of the Practice of God by Brother Lawrence is a short classic on this that many denominations read. I highly recommend it.

Like you said earlier even the devil has faith in Jesus, but it doesn't mean he is saved. We need both faith and works. Faith and works are like two legs needed to walk to God, if one of those legs is gone... The person falls over. Faith without works is dead, and works without faith is also dead.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 is very beautiful. It is only by the grace of God we are saved. No matter how hard we work, we can never repay God for the sins we have made. Our works are like that of a little child who paints a picture for their parents, it doesn't really compensate them for their actions in raising the child. But it will melt their hearts. So no matter how troublesome the child is, the Parents forgive/forget everything when they get the picture. The works are acts of love, not payment to God who already has everything. So beautiful.