Essays for Lent: Justification

Justification

by Sebastian R. Fama

In Romans 1:17, Paul tells us that, "The just shall live by faith." The Catholic Church is in full agreement with this statement. However, she does not agree with the way some would define faith. The Church speaks of faith in the biblical sense. While Paul says, "the just shall live by faith," he also says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6). He further states, "If I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing… And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:2, 13). Why is the greatest of these love? Because without love there is no faith. So then, how is love manifested? Well, in Romans 12:9-13 Paul says, “Let love be genuine, hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good, love one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality." Elsewhere Paul speaks of "the obedience of faith" (Romans 1:5). So for Paul, to have faith meant to take action. That is why James tells us that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:17).

But didn’t Paul say: “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1)? Yes he did. But he also said: “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). That’s why Christ Himself said: “Remain in Me and I will remain in you (John 15:4). Once again the absence of works is a clear indication that there is no saving faith.

When the Philippian jailer asked Paul, "Men, what must I do to be saved?" Paul said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" (Acts 16:30-31). Some take this to mean intellectual assent, but the Biblical concept of believing means to act in accordance with. Jesus tells us in John 3:36, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; He who does not obey the Son shall not see life." So not obeying is not believing. Notice how Jesus answers the rich young man who asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said, "You know the commandments…sell what you have and give to the poor" (Mark 10:17-22). In Matthew 25:32-46, Jesus characterizes the saved as those who feed and clothe the poor and visit those in prison. He also characterizes the damned as those who refrain from such activities. In Revelation 20:12 and 2 Corinthians 5:10 we are told that we will be judged by our deeds. Was the Apostle John in error when he wrote, "And by this we may be sure that we know Him, if we keep His Commandments? He who says 'I know him' but disobeys His Commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in Him" (1 John 2:3-5). Finally, we are told in 1 John 3:23, "And this is His commandment, that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us."

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." Reject your neighbor, and you reject Jesus! Does this mean that your good works will earn you salvation? No, not at all. All that we do, we do by the grace of God. Indeed we can not even say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). So our good works are actually accomplished by God working through us.

For the Christian there is no excuse for serious deliberate sin. "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 12:13). Also, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). They are not burdensome because He enables us to obey them with His grace. As we are told in Hebrews 4:15-16, "For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses…Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Jesus Himself says as much in John 14:15-16: "If you love me you will keep my Commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Councilor, to be with you forever." In other words, you can keep the Commandments, because He is sending another Councilor (the Holy Spirit) who will give you the grace to do it. This grace was the reason why Paul could say, "I can do all things in Him who strengthens me" (Phillipians 4:13). Certainly avoiding serious sin is included in all things.

So a failure to do good works is not a failure to earn one's salvation, but a rejection of grace which is ultimately a denial of the power of the Holy Spirit, and that is the "unforgivable sin" (Mark 3:28). It is unforgivable because it is a rejection of Christ. Good works are not something in addition to faith, but the proof that faith exists. The good works in question do not constitute "works salvation" because they were not produced by something within the individual but were in fact accomplished by the grace of God, which is a gift. There is nothing to boast about but much to be thankful for.

Clement, the fourth Bishop of Rome, writing around the year 95, taught about the connection between grace and works and the need for our cooperation with grace. He wrote, "Let us therefore join with those to whom grace is given by God. Let us clothe ourselves in concord, being humble and self-controlled, keeping ourselves far from all backbiting and slander, being justified by works and not by words…Why was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because of his deeds of justice and truth, wrought in faith?… So we, having been called through His will in Christ Jesus, were not justified through ourselves or through our own wisdom or understanding or piety or works which we wrought in holiness of heart, but through faith, whereby the almighty God justified all men" (1 Clement 30:3, 31:2, 32:3-4).

As for the sacraments, they are occasions of grace and not rituals that must be performed to earn salvation. The grace received enables us to accept our salvation and to live the Christian life. This is reflected in Jesus' statement concerning the Eucharist in John 6:56. He said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." It is only by the grace of God that we accept Christ in the first place and it is only by the grace of God that we remain in Him. This is what the Church calls Sanctifying Grace. Besides Sanctifying Grace, every sacrament produces Sacramental Grace. Sacramental grace is a special grace that helps in the fulfillment of the duties related to a particular sacrament. For example, in the sacrament of Matrimony, the Sacramental Grace received can enable the couple to be the husband and wife that God would have them be.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Titus 3:3-7 speak of salvation as an inheritance. An inheritance cannot be earned, but it can be lost. Despite what some may claim, Christians can lose their salvation. Paul affirms this when writing the church at Corinth, "but you yourselves wrong and defraud, and that even your own brethren. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor the idolaters, nor the adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:8-10).

Paul does not even claim that he is saved. He tells us in 1 Corinthians 4:2-5, "It is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then every man will receive his commendation from God." And again in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, "Every athlete exercises self control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air, but I pommel my body and subdue it lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

The reason why you can lose your salvation is because even after accepting Christ a person is still capable of sinning and remaining unrepentant. And repentance is necessary for forgiveness. Scripture is very clear on this point. Listen to Paul’s warning to the Church at Rome: “Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you hold his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). Jesus Himself warns the Church at Ephesus. He says: “Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place, unless you repent (Revelation 2:5).

There is further evidence from the early Church. The epistle of Barnabas was written around the year 130. In chapter four we read, "So no assumption that we are among the called must ever tempt us to relax our efforts, or fall asleep in our sins, otherwise the prince of evil will obtain control over us, and oust us from the kingdom of the Lord."

When we give our lives to Jesus our free will is not taken away. We do not become robots compelled to feed the poor or avoid sin. We must submit to Christ on a daily basis. As the Scripture says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God" (James 4:6-7).

If the Catholic Church's teaching on justification is wrong, then so is the Bible and so were the early Christians.

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