In other words, the Samaritan's help to the man who had been robbed, would go unrewarded by God. Which brings me back to my original question; why bother? I'd be with the Levite. Carry on walking. I'm already saved.
Which makes a mockery of the words of Jesus who commended the "mercy" shown by the Samaritan and instructed his listeners to do likewise. Apparently, when we show mercy to others, it makes no difference to our relationship with God.
Was Jesus just jerking them around, then? Did he forget to say...."Oh by the way, this won't help you one iota to enter into paradise..."?
Interestingly (lurkers take note), immediately after the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke, we have the story of Martha and Mary. This is the other side of the coin. Martha runs around busy, busy and Jesus rebukes her for not first sitting at the his feet like Mary.
We take from these two episodes in Luke the teaching that first comes our relationship with Jesus (we sit at his feet) and from this springs our works. Our works are therefore testament to our faith and are proof that it is real.
So yes, works alone are not salvific, but neither is a faith that smugly thinks that it need not be put into action. See James. Anyone who thinks that all that is necessary to attain paradise is to maintain a gut feeling of being saved........or else damnation.......is deluded.
We would say if there is no behvior change your profession is questionable.
In other words, the Samaritan's help to the man who had been robbed, would go unrewarded by God.
So is that your motivation?!? "To be rewarded by God for all your "good" works? If that is one's motivation I would worry about the underlying issue of greed.....
As it is written: "So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Luke 17:10
No. There will be reward for those good works we walk in. What Catholics appear to be confused about is just what the reward is. The rewards for good works in not eternal life. We have that already by our faith in Christ. There are additional rewards for works done by those who are saved.
For those who are not saved, good works are meaningless in regard to salvation. Sure, they make life more pleasant for everyone involved, but they don't contribute to attaining salvation.
Although it may appear to be from the outside, that's not how it works with a born again Christian...
Apparently the salvific process for you guys includes the 'gut feeling' of getting saved while doing good works to add to your account...
A born again Christian knows that when we do good works, it is not us doing the works but Jesus Christ within us...