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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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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.

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.

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.