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DOCTRINE OF SALVATION BY WORKS Eph 2:9
Bible study notes | 1993 | R. B. Thieme, Jr.

Posted on 06/15/2015 2:49:32 AM PDT by Cvengr

DOCTRINE OF SALVATION BY WORKS

Eph 2:8-10

(8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

(9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

(10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

  1. Definition.
    1. Salvation by works is a false doctrine which rejects God's grace policy in the provision of eternal salvation for the human race.
    2. Salvation by works rejects the total helplessness of mankind under real spiritual death. Real spiritual death not only means separation from God at birth and total depravity, but it also means helplessness to do anything about our status quo.
    3. Salvation by works makes the distinction between Christianity and religion.
      1. In Christianity, mankind is eternally saved through the work of God. God the Father planned it, God the Son executed it on the cross, and God the Holy Spirit reveals it.
      2. However in religion, man seeks to gain the approbation of God through some category of human works, self-sacrifice, personality, or energy of the flesh. Christianity is not a religion. In Christianity, God does the work and man is the beneficiary apart from any merit or any works.
    4. There are at least seven categories of salvation by works rejected by the Word of God, as in Eph 2:9, "It is not by works."



TOPICS: Apologetics; Evangelical Christian; Theology
KEYWORDS: lordship; salvation; works
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  1. Verbal Works.
    1. "Repent and believe." Repent means to change your mind about Christ, as occurs under the Holy Spirit's ministry of common grace. This word has been misinterpreted. No one is saved by feeling sorry for his sins.
    2. Confession of sins: this is only for the believer in rebound.
    3. Begging God to save you. This is ridiculous, coming from one who is spiritually dead.
    4. "Inviting Christ into your heart" is total nonsense and blasphemy. A spiritually dead person cannot invite eternal God, the Lord Jesus Christ anywhere! Not into his heart, his home or his life. This is stupidity, asininity, emotion, and works. You believe in Christ! Do what the Bible says, not what some jackass evangelist says.
    5. "Acknowledge Christ publicly." This is not effectual for salvation. This is a distortion of Rom 10:9-10 which is about cause and effect: the cause is faith; the result, as the believer matures, is to witness, to acknowledge Christ. But you're saved only by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
    6. All this can be called the "magic word" system. People are very superstitious, and look for the magic word, e.g., "plead the blood of Christ." Nor do you ever "pray for strength." You receive strength by combining spiritual self-esteem with providential preventative suffering. There's no such thing as good or bad luck. This is a myth in the mind of imbeciles. So we carry our superstitions into the Christian life by trying to be saved by the "magic word."

  2. Ritual Works.
    1. Circumcision was the favorite of the Jews. Galatians was written to correct this. The Galatians were typical Gaelic people. They were very excited about Paul's ministry and responded and became believer. But after Paul left, the Judaizers counteracted, telling these new believers they could not be saved until they were also circumcised. These Gentile believers swallowed this. So Paul wrote Galatians, a letter telling them they'd gone astray from the Gospel. Not only that, but Paul likened them to the priests who had mutilated themselves to impress God, and it didn't work.
    2. Salvation by baptism is prominent with us today. This was started by the Lutherans in the Reformation, copied from the Catholics; a heresy that has always existed in the Church Age. Baptism was a testimony to retroactive positional truth and current positional truth before the completion of the Canon.
    3. Muttering such repetitious words or phrases as, "O God, O God, O God save me!" or "Hail Mary" do not impress God.
    4. Partaking of the Eucharist.

  3. Psychological Works.
    1. "Come forward" in an invitation at the end of a service.
    2. "Raise your hand" during prayer.
    3. Walking down the isle.
    4. Give public testimony to your faith in Christ.
    5. These are jumping through psychological hoops; it's psychology and not salvation. These make an issue of yourself and call attention to yourself. But salvation is designed to call attention to Jesus Christ!
  4. Corporate Works.

    1. Join the church; if you don't join, you're not saved.
    2. Tithe. This was commanded in the Mosaic Law as a 10% income tax for the client nation Israel. Tithing has no spiritual connotation, either for salvation or blessing. Giving is a matter of the privacy of your own priesthood. The amount you give is based on your own self-determination and has nothing to do with any blessing.
    3. Church-related works. Just work faithfully around the church and God will save you. This becomes more popular at certain times.
  5. Religious Works.

    1. Religion is the devil's ace trump. Satan counterfeits Christianity through religion. Religion is one of the greatest systems of both moral and immoral degeneration.
    2. Keep the Mosaic Law. This is a result of the Reformation. It started out with justification by faith, but it gradually moved to the works of keeping the Law and eventually developed into the Galatian compromise: First you have to believe in Christ; then you have to keep the Law.
    3. Do penance.
    4. Practice the "Lordship of Christ." This refers to the false doctrine taught by the stupid that "if Christ is not Lord of all He's not Lord at all." This is a failure to understand one of the forty things done for us at the moment of salvation. By the baptism of the Holy Spirit entering us into union with Christ, He is our Lord at the very moment of our salvation. Whether we recognize this or not is a matter of cognition of pertinent doctrine. But you do not have to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord for salvation. It's believe in Christ only.
    5. Practice asceticism. What you give up at any time is inconsequential! People want to take what they have given up in their lives and compare it with the work of Cross! But the work of salvation was provided en toto on the Cross.
    6. Self-denial.
    7. Maintain a healthy body. To associate salvation or spirituality with health foods and vitamins is ludicrous!
  6. Behavioral Works.

    1. Salvation by morality. Morality has to do with establishment; it is not the Christian life. The Protocol Plan of God is higher than morality. Moral degeneracy is very prominent today, where Christians in their arrogance self-righteousness are trying to straighten everyone out, to superimpose Christian laws and standards on everyone.
    2. Salvation by personality change. Although a change in your personality may be desirable, is not the means of salvation.
    3. Salvation by keeping taboos. Many think you can't really be saved if you drink, smoke, dance, wear makeup, swim in mixed company.
  7. Emotional Works.

    1. Salvation by ecstatics.
    2. Salvation by speaking in tongues. No one has legitimately spoken in tongues since August of 70 A.D. The gift of tongues was a temporary spiritual gift at the beginning of the Church Age to evangelize Jews in Gentile languages, as prophesied in Isa 28, a warning of the fifth cycle of discipline to come. Where people allege that speaking in tongues, or the "second blessing" is necessary for salvation, they are either very emotional or demon possessed.
    3. Salvation through "feeling" saved, having the "rosy glow" experience, singing "Do Lord" until you're flushed and excited.
    4. Salvation through weeping tears at the altar.
    5. Faith has nothing to do with emotion. Rom 3:20-28 summarizes, "Therefore by the works of the Law no human being shall be justified in His presence, for through the Law is a knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being confirmed by the Old Testament Scriptures [Law and the prophets], that is, the righteousness of God which comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe; for there is no racial difference between Jew and Gentile. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, receiving justification without payment by means of grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God the Father has publicly displayed by His blood as the mercy seat, [the One who satisfied the righteousness of the Father], through faith, for a demonstration of His integrity because of the passing over of the previously committed sins, because of clemency from God; for the demonstration of His integrity at the present time of crisis, in order that He might be just even when He justifies anyone who has faith in Christ. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what principle? That of works? Definitely not! But by the principle of faith. Therefore, we conclude that man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law."
  8. Salvation by Invitation.

    1. We don't invite Christ anywhere. He doesn't come to us; we come to Him by believing in Him.
    2. Remember our Lord's invitation in Mt 11:28, "Come unto Me, all you who are laboring and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."
    3. Jn 6:35, "Jesus said to them, `I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'"
    4. Jn 6:37, "Him that comes unto Me, I will in no wise cast out."
    5. Jn 6:47 explains what it means to come to Christ: "Truly, truly, I say unto you, he who believes in Me has eternal life."
    6. So always in the salvation invitation, you go to Jesus Christ; He does not come to you.
    7. Therefore, note there are two blasphemous invitations. We do not invite Christ to come to us. Rev 3:20 is addressed to believers. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man will open, I will come in to him and sup with him." That is a rebound verse and has nothing to do with salvation.
      1. Inviting Christ into your heart is wrong.
      2. Inviting Christ into your life is wrong.
      3. Jer 17:9 teaches about our heart. "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?" We do not invite Christ into a garbage dump.
      4. Rom 5:12 teaches about our life. "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death by sin, so death passed upon all men for all have sinned."
      5. The unbeliever is under spiritual death, which means total depravity, being completely cut off from God. You don't invite Jesus Christ into the state of total depravity. You do not invite Jesus Christ into spiritual death.
    8. In salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, He invites you outside of total depravity and spiritual death. Rom 6:23, "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
    9. We make no invitations to Jesus Christ! If that's all you've ever done, you better believe in Jesus Christ or you will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire!
    10. In salvation through faith in Christ, He invites you to come to Him; we don't invite Him to come to us.
    11. In conclusion, inviting Christ into your heart or into your life is not the way of salvation, but an emotional form of legalism. Salvation is by faith in Christ, tantamount to coming to Christ, not Christ going to you.
  9. Commitment salvation.

    1. This is closely related to verbal works. It is putting the cart before the horse.
    2. Commitment confuses the salvation work of Jesus Christ on the cross with the believer's dedication, noted in Rom 12:1. Therefore, it makes Rom 12:1 and similar commitment passages a condition for salvation.
    3. Actually, commitment is a function that occurs after salvation.
    4. So distinction must be made between the mandate for salvation, which is faith in Jesus Christ, and commitment, which is actually a number of post-salvation decisions.
    5. When commitment is added to faith, there is no salvation. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in efficacious grace does not make commitment effective for salvation.
  10. Lordship Salvation.

    1. This is actually another verbal work, in which recognizing the lordship of Christ is added to faith.
    2. This false system of salvation uses an false epigram that says, "If Christ is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all."
    3. This statement ignores completely the Lordship of Christ as a result of the baptism of the Spirit.
      1. Jesus Christ was Lord in eternity past, is Lord now, and always will be Lord.
      2. The moment we believe in Christ, the baptism of the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. Therefore, we share in His Lordship, and therefore He is our Lord. Whether we know it or not is not the issue. He is our Lord whether we know it or not.
    4. You do not make a commitment of lordship for salvation; that cancels your salvation.
    5. No one can make Christ Lord; only God the Holy Spirit can do that; and it is accomplished by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit must never be confused with the salvation ministry of the Holy Spirit in efficacious grace. Logically, efficacious grace comes first.
    6. Lordship salvation is salvation by works, and therefore is not salvation. The spiritually dead person does not have the ability to make Christ Lord of anything. All he can do is believe in Christ, and then the Holy Spirit makes his faith effectual for salvation.
    7. The volition of the spiritually dead person cannot make Christ Lord or make any commitment.
  11. Works are arrogance.

    1. Why is salvation by grace through faith and not by works (Eph 2:8-9), apart from the fact that God is perfect and His perfection demands He do all the work? And because salvation by grace eliminates arrogance.
    2. Arrogance and grace cannot coexist.

1 posted on 06/15/2015 2:49:32 AM PDT by Cvengr
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To: Cvengr

While many of the above works might be good works, reliance upon those works for salvation is blasphemy.

This is one of the greatest doctrinal errors with many believers, because our souls are still scarred from when we were unbelievers. We tend to use our prior worldly and fleshly problem solving mechanisms in our relationships, instead of reliance upon what God Provides.

In His Provision, we have the greatest resources available to us of any generation in humanity, through the sanctifying ministry of God the Holy Spirit indwelling us.


2 posted on 06/15/2015 2:54:05 AM PDT by Cvengr ( Adversity in life & death is inevitable; Stress is optional through faith in Christ.)
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To: Cvengr

Boy I’m sure glad you and Thieme came along to set things straight! What a bunch of grimey little idiots the rest of the world is! From now on I’m going to listen to you guys; you know everything!


3 posted on 06/15/2015 3:08:25 AM PDT by Torahman (Remember the Maccabees!)
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To: Torahman

Just focusing on what Christ provided on the Cross. It did set the rest of the world on the right path, through grace.


4 posted on 06/15/2015 3:14:04 AM PDT by Cvengr ( Adversity in life & death is inevitable; Stress is optional through faith in Christ.)
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To: Cvengr

Consider this question and answer:;

From Catholic answers: http://www.catholic.com/video/is-evangelization-a-good-work

Is Evangelization a “Good Work?”


5 posted on 06/15/2015 3:22:32 AM PDT by ADSUM
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To: Torahman

BTW, instead of listening to us, we all have somebody much better to follow, namely God Himself. God the Holy Spirit now indwells every believer and makes a fellowship with God available to every human.

You are correct,...we all are grimey little people (but generally not idiots, as the idiots are not held accountable for their inability to comprehend) prior to becoming believers through faith in Christ. Part of that griminess, is the baggage we bring along with us, as be slowly learn Bible doctrine and how to remain in fellowship with God, through faith in Christ.

God’s brilliant Plan allows us to be condemned before we are saved. We are saved only by His grace, not by our works, thereby removing arrogance from the eternal state.


6 posted on 06/15/2015 3:25:56 AM PDT by Cvengr ( Adversity in life & death is inevitable; Stress is optional through faith in Christ.)
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To: ADSUM

Independently of God? No.

Through faith alone in Christ alone? Yes.


7 posted on 06/15/2015 3:28:46 AM PDT by Cvengr ( Adversity in life & death is inevitable; Stress is optional through faith in Christ.)
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To: Cvengr

What is the role of good works in salvation?

http://www.catholic.com/video/what-role-do-good-works-play-in-our-salvation

How do we express our Love of God and our neighbor?


8 posted on 06/15/2015 3:34:47 AM PDT by ADSUM
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To: Cvengr

From Catholic answers:
http://www.catholic.com/blog/tim-staples/are-good-works-necessary-for-salvation

Are Good Works Necessary for Salvation?
Tim Staples
April 30, 2015 | 75 comments

How can Catholics claim “works” are necessary for salvation for Christians who have reached the age of accountability when Romans 3:28 says:

For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.

Romans 4:5 says:

And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.

And Ephesians 2:8-9 says:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God — not because of works, lest any man should boast.

On the surface, these texts may sound problematic, but once we examine their respective contexts, the problems go away rather quickly. First, let’s take a look at the context surrounding Romans 3:28. St. Paul had already made very clear in Romans 2:6-7 that good works are necessary for eternal life, at least in one sense:

For [God] will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life...

One of the problems in Rome St. Paul was dealing with was a very prominent heresy known to us today as the “Judaizer” heresy. Those attached to this sect taught belief in Christ and obedience to the New Covenant was not enough to be saved. One had to keep the Law of Moses, especially circumcision, in order to merit heaven.

The problem with this teaching, of course, is, among other things, according to Hebrews 7:11-12, the old law has passed away in Christ:

Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further needtwould there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchiz’edek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.

According to this text, the law of Moses had passed away with the advent of Christ. Moreover, according to St. Paul, Christians are under the new law, or “the law of Christ,” not the old.

To those outside the law I became as one outside the law — not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ — that I might win those outside the law (I Cor. 9:21).

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

This is not to say that we have now exchanged one list of rules for another and if we follow a list of rules, apart from grace, we can be saved. Absolutely not! Following the letter of the law, even the new law, cannot save because as St. Paul says in II Cor. 3:6:

[God] has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life.

We are bound to follow “the law of Christ” as St. Paul said in I Cor. 9:21, but we must understand that we are saved by grace through the instruments of faith and obedience. That obedience includes keeping the Ten Commandments, but the keeping of the commandments is an instrument—a necessary instrument—through which the grace of God flows and keeps us in Christ, the principle of reward for us. Thus, we have to keep the commandments to be saved, but we understand it is only through grace that we can do so.

At any rate, there is a great description of what was happening in the early church with these “Judaizers” in Acts 15:1-2:

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

Notice the emphasis on “circumcision” and the law of Moses? St. Paul’s epistle to the Romans is steeped in responses to the positions of these same “Judaizers.” It becomes obvious St. Paul has them in mind when he says in Romans 2:28-29:

For he is not a real Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal...

It is very interesting to note that this same St. Paul would tell us that the true “circumcision of Christ” is New Covenant baptism in Colossians 2:11-12.

At any rate, it is in the context of dealing with the “Judaizers” that St. Paul says we are “justified by faith apart from the works of law.” He did not eliminate works as necessary for salvation in any sense. He specified the works of law because these were the very works without which the Judaizers were claiming a person “cannot be saved.”

Objection!

At this point our Protestant friends may point out that Romans 4:5 does not specify “works of law.” It simply says, “to him who does not work, but believes…” And even more, what do you do with Romans 7:6-7 where St. Paul uses the ninth and tenth commandments as his example of “the law” that has passed away and cannot save? This is talking about “the Ten Commandments!” Would the Catholic Church say the Ten Commandments have passed away with the advent of Christ?

But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit. What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have known sin. I should not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

How do we respond? First, it is true that St. Paul does not say works of law in Romans 4:5. But the context makes it very clear that St. Paul was referring to circumcision in particular and the same “works of law” he was referring to in Romans 3:28. Romans 3:28 down to Romans 4:5 represents one continuous thought in answering the Judaizers and their insistence upon circumcision and keeping the Old Covenant in order to be saved.

When it comes to Romans 7:6-7, we need to go a bit deeper in our response. St. Paul does use the ninth and tenth commandments as examples of “law” that cannot save us. St. Paul is using the example of the “Judaizers” to teach all of us a deeper truth about the nature of justification and works. The works that justify us (as we saw in Romans 2:6-7) are works done in Christ. When the “Judaizers” were insisting a return to the Old Covenant was necessary for salvation, they were, in essence, saying Christ and the New Covenant are not enough. And in so doing, they were ipso facto rejecting Jesus Christ and the New Covenant.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” The “Judaizers” were attempting to be justified apart from Christ. St. Paul’s main emphasis is that we can only perform salvific acts in Christ! If we are not “in Christ”, even our outwardly “righteous deeds” will never and can never merit eternal life.

In other words, the law, whether old or new, cannot save us apart from the grace of Christ. In fact, St. Paul goes beyond declaring the keeping of the law alone cannot save us. He even says, in I Cor. 13:3:

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Sola Gratia

The truth is, it is the grace of Christ alone that saves us by our cooperating with that grace in fulfilling the “law of Christ.” This is precisely what St. Paul teaches in Galatians 3:2-3, 5:2-6. And take note how he writes concerning these same “Judaizers:”

Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh… (5:2) Now I Paul say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness (Gr. dikaiosune—justification). For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.

Notice St. Paul’s emphasis on our being in grace and our working through the Spirit and in Christ in order to remain in Christ. Back in Romans, St. Paul said very similarly.

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

In Romans 6:16, St. Paul goes on to tell us that after baptism (cf. Romans 6:3-4) obedience to Christ (that means good works!) leads us to justification while sin (that means bad works!) will lead us to death:

Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to any one as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death (Gr.—eis thanaton, “unto death”), or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (Gr.—eis dikaiosunen—unto justification).

Notice: St. Paul makes it very clear. Obedience leads to justification and eternal life while sin leads to eternal death (see also Romans 6:23). Thus, St. Paul’s emphasis is not just on works, but works done in and through the power of Christ. In Romans 8:1-14, St. Paul tells us in no uncertain terms that we must be in Christ and continuing to live our lives in Christ in order to do works that please God.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit… and those who are in the flesh cannot please God… So, then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh – 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. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.

The key, again, is to remember St. Paul is emphasizing our continuing in Christ, or, in his grace or “kindness.” In Romans 11:22, he says it this way:

Note then the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.

Just so no one would get the wrong idea of what St. Paul was saying, it seems, he put it plain and simple in Galatians 5:19-21 and 6:7-9. There is no way we can get “justification by faith alone” that excludes works as necessary for justification in any and every sense if we read these texts carefully. St. Paul makes clear that if Christians allow themselves to be dominated by their “flesh,” or lower nature, they will not make it to heaven.

Now the works of the flesh are plain: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God... (6:7) Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption (eternal death); but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.

Here St. Paul teaches that through good works, or continuing to “sow to the Spirit,” we will be rewarded with eternal life, but only if we persevere.

Works in Ephesians 2:8-9:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works, lest any man should boast.

Once again, context is going to be key. In verses 4-6 St. Paul had just said:

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ… and raised us up with him…

Here St. Paul is talking about the initial grace of salvation or justification by which we Christians were raised from death unto life. The Catholic Church teaches in agreement with Scripture that this initial grace of salvation is entirely and absolutely unmerited.

My heavens, the Catholic Church baptizes babies! What more could she do to demonstrate this truth! What kind of works could a newborn baby have done to merit anything?

However, once that baby grows up and reaches the age of accountability, he must begin to “work out [his] own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in [him], both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). Or, as St. Paul says in Ephesians 2:10—the very next verse after Eph. 2:8-9:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

St. Paul is in no way eliminating works in any sense, to be necessary for salvation; he is simply pointing out what the Catholic Church has taught for 2,000 years: there is nothing anyone can do before they enter into Christ that can justify them. But once a person enters into Christ... it’s a whole new ballgame (see Phil. 4:13; Rom. 2:6-7; Gal. 6:7-9, etc.).

In the final analysis, I believe the text that is about as plain as any text could be concerning works and justification is James 2:24—that is, it is about as plain as can be in telling us both that “faith alone” is insufficient for our justification, and that “works” are indeed necessary. Are we justified by faith? Certainly! By faith alone? No way! It’s both faith and works, according to Scripture.

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Jesus says it similarly. Are we saved by faith in Jesus? Certainly! John 11:25:

I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.

Are we saved by faith alone? No way! As we saw before, in Matthew 19:16-19, Jesus himself said to a rich young man who had asked him what he needed to do to have eternal life:

… If you would enter life, keep the commandments… You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Or, how about Matthew 12:36-37? Here, Jesus says:

I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

That sounds like there is more to this justification thing than faith alone.

Tim Staples is Director of Apologetics and Evangelization here at Catholic Answers, but he was not always Catholic. Tim was raised a Southern Baptist. Although he fell away from the faith of his childhood, Tim came back to faith in Christ during his late teen years through the witness of Christian...
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9 posted on 06/15/2015 3:53:30 AM PDT by ADSUM
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To: Cvengr

Are we saved by faith alone?

http://www.catholic.com/video/are-we-saved-by-faith-alone-0


10 posted on 06/15/2015 4:08:32 AM PDT by ADSUM
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To: Torahman
Judging by your name I think this verse should help you:

Psa_130:3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

11 posted on 06/15/2015 4:27:25 AM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Cvengr
May the Lord have mercy on us all. Do not all belong to Christ?

Do you Sola Scriptura types bother to read the bible?

Try this one: James 2:18

No, I will not quote it. If you know the Word of God half as well as you profess, you should already understand.

Peace, brother.

12 posted on 06/15/2015 4:31:34 AM PDT by beancounter13
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To: beancounter13; Cvengr
Try this one: James 2:18

Problem is, Protestants (i.e. "Sola Scriptura types') CAN and DO read the Bible... Problem seems to be that Roman Catholic Cultists cannot read the Bible in CONTEXT.

You alluded to James 2:18. Did you read v. 17? Did you read the whole chapter in context?

Had that been done, you would see James is saying that Faith without fruits of Faith (i.e. "works") is a dead Faith... or a nonexistent or non-saving Faith.

Faith ALONE saves. Saving Faith GENERATES good works. They are the result of salvation, not the cause of it.

And since we're directing folks to verses, try these:
Ephesians 2:8-10
Romans 3:20
Romans 3:28
Titus 3:5

Context is your friend. Get to know him.

Hoss

13 posted on 06/15/2015 4:54:45 AM PDT by HossB86 (Christ, and Him alone.)
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To: HossB86

But you quickly make the assumption that Catholics somehow believe they can ‘earn’ their way into heaven. I do not think that is the case. I have never seen such a point being proposed. Catholics merely point out that salvation can be lost if your faith does not bear fruit.

It’s time to release your holier-than-thou attitude and focus your attention on the non-Christians who need our prayers.


14 posted on 06/15/2015 5:05:45 AM PDT by beancounter13
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To: HossB86

-— Faith ALONE saves. Saving Faith GENERATES good works. They are the result of salvation, not the cause of it. -—

That’s pretty much the Catholic position. The trouble in this debate is that Catholics and Protestants use the same terms differently, so terms should be clearly defined.

Even the demons believe, and shudder. Faith and works are two sides of the same coin. Even a simple confession of faith is an action or work.

Faith without works is dead. A man is saved by what he does and not by faith alone.


15 posted on 06/15/2015 5:10:34 AM PDT by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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To: ADSUM; All
One of the problems in Rome St. Paul was dealing with was a very prominent heresy known to us today as the “Judaizer” heresy. Those attached to this sect taught belief in Christ and obedience to the New Covenant was not enough to be saved. One had to keep the Law of Moses, especially circumcision, in order to merit heaven.

Claiming that these verses only have to do with keeping the law of Moses just doesn't hold water when the actual list of sins include (from Romans chapter 3:11-19):

1) Not understanding nor even bothering to seek God.

2) Being deceptive and venomous with our speech.

3) Having a mouth full of cursing and bitterness.

4) Being destructive and the cause of misery.

5) Having no fear of God.

After going through this the Apostle denies the possibility of salvation by works, affirms the universality of guilt (which, at the beginning of the chapter, includes both Jews and Gentiles, the latter of which was never under the law of Moses), and affirms salvation by the righteousness of faith:

"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Rom 3:19-23)

The claim, therefore, that Paul is merely referring to not having to keep Jewish ritual laws, and not rather that Paul finds both Jews and Gentiles universally guilty under the moral law, is thoroughly refuted with this.

To emphasize the point, again, read the beginning of the chapter. It reads "both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin." If Paul speaks only of the law of Moses, then the Gentiles cannot be condemned by the law in verse 19-23. The law meant, therefore, is the universal moral law, and not the law of Moses only.

St. Paul had already made very clear in Romans 2:6-7 that good works are necessary for eternal life, at least in one sense: For [God] will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life...

First, it is necessary to point out that both chapters 1 and 2 are actually used by Paul not to prove that anyone can be saved by works, but to prove the universality of guilt:

"What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" (Rom 3:9-10)

Note that he says that it was "before proved" that all are under sin. Where? In Romans 1 and 2. The first chapter showing the guilt of the Gentiles, and the second being a rebuke against the Jews. The verses this website of yours cite are an argument spurning the Jews sense of specialness, for many of them believed that the Gentiles were something like animals, and that they had no hope. Paul proves here that God is no respecter of persons, that He will reward everyone justly, regardless of who they are, and that is how Paul concludes that section:

"For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;" (Rom 2:11-12)

While it is absolutely true that God would reward good works and punish bad ones, it is evident from the rest of the chapter that both Jews and Gentiles are guilty under the law, the Jews by the law of Moses, and the Gentiles by the law written on their hearts. Since God does not ignore your sins if you do good works, but takes account of your sins and consequently judges you for them.

We are bound to follow “the law of Christ” as St. Paul said in I Cor. 9:21, but we must understand that we are saved by grace through the instruments of faith and obedience. That obedience includes keeping the Ten Commandments, but the keeping of the commandments is an instrument—a necessary instrument—through which the grace of God flows and keeps us in Christ, the principle of reward for us. Thus, we have to keep the commandments to be saved, but we understand it is only through grace that we can do so.

This is a great deal of sophistry, because the Papist here understands and feels that the scripture clearly teaches that we cannot be saved by our merits, but by grace only. However, he also wants to assert that we are saved by merits. So how do they overcome this? By saying that we are saved by grace, because grace grants us the merits enough to be saved. IOW, I am saved by my works, but my works were given to me by grace. But this is revealed to be deception if you consider this one question in light of all the other things Romanists teach:

Supposing you have two people who both receive the same grace to be saved, but one goes to heaven and the other hell, what is it that makes the one person going to heaven differ from the one going to hell?

Keep in mind that Papists believe 1) Grace is universal. 2) Grace can be lost.

Clearly, in such a case, Grace does not save anyone, but rather one person's obedience, or faith, or submission, or some qualitative difference, that causes the person going to heaven to be accepted and the one going to hell to not be.

Thus the Papist cannot really believe that he is saved by grace, because he does not believe that salvation really depends entirely on grace. His salvation depends on him meeting God's mercy part way. But this is a palpable contradiction of many scriptures.

I will also add another matter, the fact that Paul directly speaks on this matter, and places justification-- that is, righteousness in the sight of God, being accepted by Him-- prior to good works:

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:" (Rom 4:4-11)

Note how Paul makes circumcision-- which was an obedience to the law-- a seal of that righteousness of faith that Abraham "had yet" in uncircumcision. Further, note that it is explicitly said, that we are justified by the righteousness of faith, the imputed righteousness of Christ, "without works." But according to the Papist conception, we are not justified until works complete faith. In these verses, however, we can only conclude that good works are the demonstration of a living faith.

The works that justify us (as we saw in Romans 2:6-7) are works done in Christ.

Another problem to point out here is that: the works that the Jews did were, by definition, "works done in Christ," or rather, works done in the hope of a promised Messiah. When Paul speaks of the Jews, he does not speak of Jews who obey the law apart from faith. Their faith and works are also bound all at once. To speak in this way implies that the Jews were atheists who only believed in good works.

The problem was, these Jews were rejecting Christ, and, furthermore, believed that their acceptance with God depended on their good works towards Him, and not rather by the mercy of God. But Christ and all the New Testament make clear that salvation has no part with works (though works are commanded and expected), but with mercy only:

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." (Luk 18:11-14)

Now the Papist would expect you to believe that as long as the Papist feels himself humble, he can yet perform good works and earn his salvation. But to be humble requires an admission that we cannot be saved by our works. "Be merciful to me a sinner." It is a contradiction to think that a man may be saved by his works joining to his faith, but provided he doesn't brag about it, he can still get to heaven! That is clearly not the case. The publican goes to heaven because he feels that his sin is weightier than any of his good works, and thus cannot be saved except by mercy. But if it is by mercy, it is not by merit or debt that God might owe you of any kind for anything you do:

Rom_9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

In Romans 6:16, St. Paul goes on to tell us that after baptism (cf. Romans 6:3-4) obedience to Christ (that means good works!) leads us to justification while sin (that means bad works!) will lead us to death:

First, those particular verses say no such thing. Secondly, after the reader kindly looks up the verses, we have to complete the argument with its ultimate conclusion in Romans 7. Paul speaks of us as having newness in life after conversion. Indeed, we are born again, given a new heart of flesh, and God places His law into our hearts, and causes us to walk in them. This is sanctification, and it follows justification. However, this does not mean: 1) That we are then re-justified by our works. 2) This does not mean that we can be righteous enough afterwards to be justified by our works if that is indeed the case.

And this is provable by this simple conclusion by St. Paul himself, a man who is certainly more righteous (as regards obedience) than any of us, but yet has this to say of himself, when discussing the newness of his heart fighting with the sin that is yet in his flesh:

"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Rom 7:21-25)

Note the very key phrase: "O wretched man that I am!"

Now, quite clearly, no wretched man can ever merit heaven. It is clear, with these words, that Paul does not consider himself worthy of heaven based on his own merits, but sees himself as wicked under the law. Thus, none of us can hope to be saved by our own righteousness, but only by the righteousness of faith, and that also is the gift of God.

I'm getting tired so I'll cut it from there.

16 posted on 06/15/2015 5:17:21 AM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: HossB86
Faith ALONE saves. Saving Faith GENERATES good works. They are the result of salvation, not the cause of it.

It is Catholic dogma that only a "saved" person (one in the state of grace) can perform works that are "good," in the sense that they are both objectively pleasing to God and able to add to the person's eventual glory in heaven. So, yes, that kind of work is definitely the result of salvation.

As to how one gets into that state of grace, it's also Catholic dogma that the only meritorious cause of anyone's salvation is the grace won by Christ on the Cross. The instrumental cause may be baptism, but don't confuse the wage earner (Christ) with the person who merely cashes the paycheck (the person being baptized).

But if saving faith always produces good works, then it's not "alone" any more, is it?

The whole argument over "faith alone" (at least the Protestant vs. Catholic argument; there are still groups that are full-blown believers in "works righteousness") is kind of silly unless we first define "faith".

If by "faith" you mean the kind of filial faith that says "I am yours, God, do with me what you will," or, as Mary put it, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord: let it be done to me according to your word" then of course that kind of faith, if lived out and not just a one-time sentiment, saves. But it won't be "alone," because by its nature, it submits to God in all things and does His will.

If by "faith" you mean just a really strong conviction that Christ saved me personally, as Luther seems to say, I'm not impressed. I don't think God is either. Really strong convictions of anything can just mean you're badly deceived. As Scripture says, "the human heart is deceitful above all things". (Jer 17:9)

Still worse is the "faith" that consists merely of doctrinal assent to a set of theological points. As Scripture says, "Even the demons believe, and tremble." Orthodoxy is a fine thing, but orthodoxy without love will get you to hell.

17 posted on 06/15/2015 5:28:02 AM PDT by Campion
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To: beancounter13
May the Lord have mercy on us all. Do not all belong to Christ? Do you Sola Scriptura types bother to read the bible?

Try this one: James 2:18

No, I will not quote it. If you know the Word of God half as well as you profess, you should already understand.

And what is the context of James in this passage? Compare it to Paul.

Context is key to understanding the Word.....something catholics neglect.

18 posted on 06/15/2015 5:31:24 AM PDT by ealgeone
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To: beancounter13
Th Catholic Church plays this little game: Faith saves, but to ensure your salvation, write nice big checks, follow all our doctrine, go to confession, buy indulgences, blah, blah, blah.

If you deny this is true, you are lying.

19 posted on 06/15/2015 5:51:53 AM PDT by Dr. Thorne (The night is far spent, the day is at hand.- Romans 13:12)
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To: Cvengr

“...Reliance upon those works for salvation is blasphemy ...”

Pelagianism has always been firmly condemned, officially at thh Council Of Carthage in 411, A.D.

St. Augustine’s proper (same as the Church’s position today) explanation of Original Sin precludes the idea that we can save ourselves ever through works.

St. Augustine (and the Church today) teaches this doctrine:

As a direct result of original sin, the human race is a “massa damnata” UTTERLY INCAPABLE OF SAVING ITSELF, but not without hope.

The Church still teaches this and has not changed.

With the necessity of original sin comes the necessity of baptism. Without baptism no one can be saved.

St. Augustine: Against 2 letters of the pelagians:

“Baptism washes away all, absolutely all our sins, whether of deed, word or thought, whether sins original or added, whether knowingly or unknowlingly contracted.”

St. Augustine: Forgiveness and the Just Deserts of Sin, and the Baptism of Infants:

“According to Apostolic Tradition the Church of Christ holds inherently that without baptism and participation at the table of the Lord (eucharist)it is impossible for any man to attain either the kingdom of God or to salvation and life eternal”.

See Matthew 16:24-27

We are placed in the state of grace by baptism and must remain there by our deeds. Otherwise there would be no need for judgment and the bible makes clear that we will be judged.


20 posted on 06/15/2015 6:06:13 AM PDT by stonehouse01
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