Posted on 03/08/2011 10:19:18 AM PST by NYer
Protestants say we’re saved by faith. Some Catholics say we’re saved by good works.
What does the Bible say?
This Sunday’s readings* are clear — it’s neither. And it’s both. At the very same time.
First, let’s define our terms. When St. Paul says “works” don’t save us, he is really referring to two things. First of all, he is speaking about the “works” of the Mosaic Law, which include everything from keeping dietary regulations to observing the Ten Commandments. Secondly, he means good actions performed by willpower, without any particular help from God. Paul had thought that rigorous observance of the Law, carrying out its prescribed works, was the key to making a person right with God. But his attempts to observe the law met with frustration (see Romans 7:15-24). The Law made him aware of God’s will but did not enable him to carry it out. “I cannot even understand my own actions. I do not do what I want to do but what I hate … what a wretched man I am!” His attempts at outward observance didn’t change his heart. In fact his heart was so far from God that he cruelly persecuted the followers of Jesus, looking on in approval as St. Stephen was stoned to death.
In Romans 3:23 St. Paul lays it out: We have all sinned seriously. None of us, on our own steam and by our own merits, can ever do enough to earn God’s favor. So God has fixed the problem — he gives us his favor as a free, undeserved gift in response to the sacrifice of Jesus, His son. We become pleasing to him, reconciled to him, not by our own efforts but by the cross of Christ. We receive this gift through the act of faith. So we are saved by faith, not by the works — at least not by the works of the Mosaic Law, done by our own strength.
So the faith camp wins? Not so fast. Let’s take a closer look at what the Bible means by faith.
Many people think that faith is belief. Belief that God exists … that Jesus is the son of God … that Jesus rose from the dead. Intellectual assent to all these truths is of course important, and is an indispensable part of the act of faith. Such belief often leads to religious actions — the hanging of crucifixes in our home, the wearing of medals, the recitation of prayers. These acts of piety are also good.
But Sunday’s Gospel says that mere belief and acts of piety are not enough to save us. Those rejected by God in Matt 7:21-23 clearly “believed” in Jesus; in fact, they prophesied and worked miracles in Jesus’ name. Perhaps they also said novenas in his name. But he said to them “out of my sight, you evil doers.” One of the strongest lines in the gospels provides an explanation: “None of those who cry out, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”
Biblical faith is not just belief. It is surrender. It is a complete entrusting of oneself to God in Christ and acceptance of his power, his will, and his plan. If we truly say yes to Him and let his grace into our hearts, we’ll never be the same. His love begins to work through us and change our lives. His Spirit takes up residence within us, giving us the strength to do what we could never do on our own, even to begin to love like He loves.
So true biblical faith is not passive. It is active, dynamic and alive. That’s why St. James says that faith without works is dead (James 2:24-26). Abraham believed that an unknown God was calling him to leave civilization and march into the desert to find a land that this God has promised him. Abraham did not sit and contemplate this call or set up a shrine to this God. He got up and began walking (Genesis 12).
So we are justified by faith, if we mean the authentic biblical faith that causes us to walk in God’s ways. And we are justified by works, if we mean the works of charity that can only flow from faith and grace.
So really, it’s not faith vs. works. It’s faith that works.
Nice, thatnks.
I would submit that we work for the Kingdom because we are Saved not to be Saved.
It is because we are Saved that we are willing to “work” as commanded.
No, I didn’t ignore your post - you are comparing apples to oranges. I don’t think it’s reasonable to compare our situation with Satan’s since he is a fallen angel, but neverless both Adam and Satan did have direct communion with God but were not indwelled by the Holy Spirit as a born again Christian is.
Ephesians 4:30 says “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
The Holy Spirit seals a Christian just as the Bible says.
And I suggest to you that we work to become that new creation. Baptism is our beginning and the work is our process. God could give all that every man needs (see the Garden of Eden) why then do so many have nothing? Why are there poor people in the world despite our efforts to raise them up? Christ said we would always have them... why? Because without the poor, we will never get to exercise charity. Without the lame, we will never get to exercise compassion. This work we do is for Christ's Kingdom, yes... but it is also for us and our own spiritual growth.
Once again, Christ's sacrifice on the Cross is not only sufficient for our salvation... it is so sufficient that it can be replicated in us.
How many good works are enough? How does a person know if they have committed enough good works to become that new creature? Doesn’t working in order to become a new creature directly contradict Ephesians 2:8-9?
No, all have fallen short of the Glory of God and all need forgiveness of sins... even those born again. And if we can still sin, we can still commit the very failures which caused our Fall in the first place. Your position is illogical.
All it takes is small change in perspective... Read Eph 2:4-7... we do not boast in our work and our work is not of our own doing. It is by the work God accomplishes through us that He is building us to maturity in the Spirit (Eph 4). We do not labor to achieve salvation... we labor to discipline our flesh in obedience to the Spirit. From here we will likely launch into a discussion of concupiscence where the fleshly appetites are still weak and we have to be diligent.
You are contradicting yourself and trying to have it both ways. You previously stated, “...Those are the works of a Christian and they are part of our salvation.” Now, you are saying, “We do not labor to achieve salvation....”
So which is it? Is salvation a free gift of grace which is obtained through faith as Ephesians 2 teaches, or is there an additional requirement of human effort on top of Christ’s atonement?
Wrong - and quite arrogant. You do not know the “heart”. God does. God deals with individuals, not “groups”. He saves individually. That’s what concerns me about the RCC. It tells people that as long as they are in the system and do all of these “actions”, they will be saved. Nothing Scriptural about that.
Talents - shared or otherwise - won’t get one into Heaven. Only God’s sacrifice, only His grace has that power.
Exactly right! What arrogance to believe we must “add” something to Christ’s sacrifice because the Almighty isn’t powerful enough to complete the job! Thank God I don’t serve an impotent God!
“No.
We work for the Kingdom because we are Saved by Grace, not to earn Salvation.
When our bodies fail, we have the privilege to join God Almighty for Eternity.”
AMEN and AMEN!! Thank GOD we don’t have to “earn” something we could never earn!! Sin is too powerful a blight in God’s eyes for us in our human flesh to be able to wash that stain away!! It’s why He sent His son.
No, I'm not. Salvation is God's free gift. However, it is a process God is working through us, not a single event. We are still sinners in need of forgiveness and it is ongoing as we live our lives.
Protestants like to tell us that we need to say the "sinner's prayer" and then we are "regenerated" into a new creation and it's "once saved, always saved." If a man should fail, well... he was never really regenerated to begin with. I say that Protestantism is contradicting itself with this view... is it a free gift? If so... why are some not truly gifted?
Rather, Christ didn't command us to say a "sinner's prayer"... He commanded us to baptize in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to make men sons and daughters of God. As sons and daughters, God is raising us up to know Him through the works He accomplishes through us. Refusing to cooperate with God is rejecting the salvation He gives.
“The thief didn’t need to be born again.”
“Verily, verily I say unto thee: Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Yes, even the thief needed saving. Everyone does. Hence, Christ’s sacrifice.
Added: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that that is born of the Spirit is spirit” John 3:6 - a clear deferentiation between the two.
Also John 3:15 - “That whosoever BELIEVETH in Him, should not perish but have eternal life.”
Here is another distinction between Catholics and Protestants... Protestants see Christ's sacrifice on the Cross as removing all sins... and yet, we still sin. Catholics see it for what it was... the sacrificial offering of the New Covenant. What was lost in Adam's obedience was restored by Christ on the Cross.
Some see Original Sin as a stain on one's soul. How is this stain passed from generation to generation? Beats me. Rather, the Church sees it better as something that was lost... our family relationship with God. In the Creation story, God rested on the seventh day... because He was tired? No. He sealed His creation with a covenant (Shiva--seven). A covenant is a family bond. Adam broke that bond in his disobedience. Just as the neighbor kids can't adopt themselves into my family, so we couldn't reforge that bond with God. Only God could make us family again and He did so by making the New Covenant with Christ as His sacrificial offering.
Original Sin wasn't a stain that was removed, it was a missing bond that was restored.
“...why are some not truly gifted?”
That, my FRiend, is a whole other question and deals with the doctrine of the elect. Better discussed on another thread.
In the meantime, salvation IS a free gift, and no, Protestants don’t say “all you have to do is say the sinner’s prayer”. I don’t know of ANY Protestant who says or has said such a silly thing. Clearly it is God who regenerates the heart. It is God’s work, not ours and nothing we can do to earn it or lose it. He does the work in us. He puts His Spirit into us (hence regeneration). Just because one does an action: be it Baptism, confession, Lord’s Supper/Communion, and yes, even recites the Sinner’s Prayer, doesn’t mean they are saved. God alone can save. We cannot save ourselves or hope to do so.
“The Holy Spirit seals a Christian just as the Bible says.”
AMEN!! And Thank God it is so!
Protestants don’t believe the atonement removed all sin. Instead, Jesus’ sacrifice removed the penalty of sin - that’s a big difference.
Christians have 2 natures. As Paul points out when one is born again, they are filled with the Holy Spirit, but the “old man” or flesh nature is still present in the believer at war with the Holy Spirit. Everyone still sins because we still have the flesh nature within us, which will remain until we get to Heaven.
Well said! The Parable of the Sower is not speaking of believers and those who are indwelt with the Holy Spirit when it speaks of those who “fall away”. A careful reading of that passage in context makes that clear.
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