Zone1 Are We Saved by Works? | Jimmy Akin

[Votar Roja]

Are We Saved by Works?
Jimmy Akin | Catholic Answers Live

Catholic teaching on faith and works, and the role they play in salvation, is misunderstood by many Protestants and even some Catholics. Catholic apologist Jimmy Akin gives an overview on what the Bible and the Church actually teach about salvation.

 

[ninja007]

we are saved by grace not by works.

 

[Votar Roja]

we are saved by grace not by works.

We are saved by grace AND by works.
“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).




.

 

[Votar Roja]

We Can Work It Out

James 2:24 is remarkably clear: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Yet millions of Christians teach the opposite: Th...

www.catholic.com

James 2:24 is remarkably clear: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Yet millions of Christians teach the opposite: They claim that we are “justified by faith alone”—saying good works are unnecessary for Christians in the process of justification.
This misconception is rooted in the misinterpretation of a few key texts, such as Romans 3:28: “For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.” Romans 4:5 is another: “And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.” On the surface, St. Paul seems to be saying works are not necessary for our justification or salvation in any sense, but that is not the case when we examine the context of these passages. Not only would this interpretation contradict the words of James 2, but it would also contradict Paul himself.

Work in Christ​

Paul made very clear in Romans 2:6-8 that good works are necessary for attaining eternal life, at least for those capable of performing them: “For he 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; but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.”

So what about the fact that Paul also said we are “justified by faith apart from works of law?” He was writing to a church in Rome struggling with a very prominent first-century heretical sect known today as the “Judaizers.” These heretics taught that belief in Christ and obedience to the New Covenant was not enough to be saved. A man also had to keep the Mosaic Law (which, according to Hebrews 7:11-12, has been superseded in Christ) and be circumcised in order to be saved (cf. Acts 15:1-2). Paul gave us one clue—among many—that he had this sect in mind when he wrote 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 . . . ” Paul told us in Colossians 2:11-12 that this true “circumcision of Christ” is baptism.

It is in this context that Paul says we are “justified by faith apart from works of law.” He did not in any sense say that works are unnecessary. He specified works of law because these were the works without which the Judaizers were claiming one “cannot be saved.”

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 

[Votar Roja]

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith

AMEN! I agree. But it does not say through faith alone

 

[Votar Roja]

Faith Alone Is Not Enough​

Faith Alone Is Not Enough

What would Jesus have to say to get folks to believe “we are justified by works, and not by faith alone” . . . other than to speak the exact words he did?

www.catholic.com

When I was Protestant, I knew just how I was going to respond to any Catholic who used what I thought was going to be his go-to verse on justification: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). My response: “St. James is not saying works actually contribute to justification in any way. He is merely saying works demonstrate that you have already been justified!”

Now I can admit how weak that argument was, because whatever you say about James 2:24, you really can’t say works do not contribute to justification constitutively in his teaching. In verse 21, he says works “perfect” faith. If that is not contributing to the essence of what makes faith faith, then nothing is. Moreover, in verse 26, James says, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.” Would anybody say “the spirit” or “the soul” in man does not contribute constitutively to what makes a man a man? Of course not! That is St. James’s point. Works contribute to faith by keeping it alive. If works fail, the faith “dies.”

Arguments about James 2:24 aside, there are manifold other texts of Scripture that are just as clear as that one about the nature of works in relation to salvation. Perhaps more so. One example of this is found in the Gospel reading from today, the eleventh week of Ordinary Time.

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:43-45).

The inspired author here quotes Jesus Christ as using a purpose clause in Greek—hotos genesthe huioi tou patros humon to en ouranois—“in order that you may be made sons of your Father in heaven.” That means, in simple terms, you have to do this (love your enemies and pray for your persecutors) in order for that (being made sons of your Father) to become a reality. It really doesn’t get any plainer than that.
We believe that Jesus is speaking of being “sons of God” in a final sense, at the end of our lives, so we can go to heaven. That is clear from the entire context of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is basically giving his faithful his how to get to heaven discourse (see Matt. 5:1-12,19-20,21-26,27-30, etc.).

When Jesus spoke to the rich young man, he was equally clear that it is not enough to believe in him (Christ) to have eternal life. That is part of it (John 3:16). But Jesus says it is also necessary to “keep the commandments” and “sell what you possess . . . and follow” him.

And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” And he said to him… If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “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.” The young man said to him, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions (Matt. 19:16-22).

Notice that after the young man walks away, this is the impetus for Jesus to clarify that his commandment to give everything and follow him is for everyone and necessary for salvation:

And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:23-26).

And in Matthew 5:48 and Revelation 3:1-5, Jesus makes it even more clear that this commandment to be perfect applies to everyone, not just this young man:

You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead. Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.”

Not everyone is called to literally “sell everything” he possesses and follow Jesus, though we have a couple thousand years now of examples of folks who do just that—for example, members of various religious orders throughout the world. But everyone is called to recognize that everything he “owns” ultimately belongs to the Lord.

In conclusion, I suppose I should ask: what would Jesus and the New Testament have to say to get folks to believe “we are justified by works, and not by faith alone”; that we must “keep the commandments of God”; and that we must “love our enemies” in order to have eternal life . . . other than to speak and write the exact words he did?

 

[ninja007]

We are saved by grace AND by works.
“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).




.

you take one verse out of context- the entire book of Romans refutes you.

 

[ninja007]

We are saved by grace AND by works.
“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).




.

how many works?

 

[ninja007]

We are saved by grace AND by works.
“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).




.

In Romans, we are justified by faith before God. In James, we are justified by works before people (James 2:18).

James 2 is about justification before people, not God​

“But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works,” (James 2:18).


Verse 18 clearly states that James is speaking about showing one another their faith by their works. This is not salvation by faith and works. It is a demonstration that faith and works go together – before people.


Then he gives an example of the type of faith that isn’t much different from the faith of demons (verse 19). Finally, he gives examples of a living faith by showing Abraham and Rahab as the type of people who demonstrated their faith by their deeds.


James is examining two kinds of faith: one that leads to godly works and one that does not. One is true, and the other is false. One is dead, the other alive; hence, “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:20).


This is why in the middle of his section on faith and works, he says in verse 19, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” James says this because the demons believe in God; that is, they have faith, but the faith they have is useless. It does not result in appropriate works. Their faith is only a mental acknowledgment of God’s existence.

 

[onefour1]

We are saved by Grace through faith. Faith without works is dead. It is true that we are all saved by the grace of God but God requires faith before he will grant the grace which saves.

Matthew 7:21
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

What do you think the will of our Father in Heaven is? Does He wish for us to repent and keep His commandments? Does He wish for us to be baptized and to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost? Does He wish for us to love one another and to do good works for one another? God requires that we do good works before we can receive the saving grace which does the saving. Doing good works is part of having a true faith.

James 2:14-26
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

We cannot have a true abiding faith without good works. No, faith and works are not the saving force behind salvation but they are required before we can receive the grace of God to be saved. Works don't save us but they are required before the Lord will grant his grace upon us to be saved in his kingdom. Often the following verse is quoted by those who teach against good works:

Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Here we read that the saving force is grace. This grace comes to us through faith (which includes good works). We are not saved in and of ourselves. The grace of God is a gift from God.

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The works, although required, are not what saves us even though they are required. Thus we should not believe that our works are what saves us and boast of our good works. However they are required to have a true faith and they are the will of God that we do them.

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

Here it is spelled out that we were created in Christ Jesus unto good works. God himself has ordained that we should walk in the path of good works. They are not the power that saves us but we cannot have a true faith without them and God requires that we do his will before he will grant the grace sufficient to save us into his kingdom.

 

[Votar Roja]

you take one verse out of context- the entire book of Romans refutes you.

One or two? LOL. You are a pathetic LIAR. I posted an entire article.

 

[Votar Roja]

 

[Votar Roja]

 

[nomadic5]

we are saved by grace not by works.

But if one does no good works, only lives for him/herself

That's not the Narrow Way Jesus spoke of. Not doing good works means, by default, doing bad ones.

And you can't get to Heaven doing bad ones, which should be obvious