Help! Salvation through works?

Well, everybody performs works, even people who don't believe in works. Good works are called "good works", and bad works are called "sins".

The Catholic Church teaches that works and faith go hand-in-hand. If you are saved, then you will want to please God by doing good works; you cannot just sit on your backside and do nothing, because as James says, "Faith without works is dead". On the other hand, works without faith are equally dead.

What it boils down to is that when you are in an unsaved state, your works are either bad (sins), or neutral; Christ regenerates you, and enables you to perform good works. You go from being lost and not caring one way or the other, to being saved and wanted to dedicate every action, thought, and word to God. Faith gives rise to the works, and works show the faith.

Catholics do not believe in "salvation by works". Works without faith are dead. On the other hand, how you live your life will in large part determine your eternal outcome; you can live for God and perform good works, or you can ignore God and commit sins. There are a boatload of Scriptures which corroborate this, which I have listed below; I hope this helps.

Matt 7:21

Matt 19:16-17

John 14:21

Rom 2:2-8

2 Cor 5:10

2 Cor 11:15

Eph 2:8-10

Col 3:24-25

Phil 2:12-13

James 2:14-24

1 Pet 1:17

Rev 20:12-13.

I'll let someone else give an authoritative response on the Catholic position of works verses faith ... but I wanted to share the following, if you don't mind

Your question falls under the "once saved always saved" and "once saved not always saved" topic.

Read James 2:14-26 ... works verses faith.

Also Philippians 2:12 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling ...."

Ask yourself the following questions ...

Why is faith without works dead?
How is living faith demonstrated?
How do some people rationalized inactive faith?
Why is mere belief in God not enought? (note James 2:19)
What steps can you take to practice true Christianity?

Note also Hebrews 6:9 "we really expect better things from you that will lead to your salvation"

And ... Hebrews 6:11 "go on with the same hard work all your lives so you will surely get what you hope for"

Yes, we are saved by our faith in the atoning sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ... but it doesn't stop there ... saved by grace does not mean that we stop and sit in the stands cheering our side in the battle between good and evil ... we are actually to be on the frontline in the battlefield - working out our salvation ... fighting ... even though the victory is assured and already won on the Cross.

Hope that makes sense

Excellent timing!!!

s0uljah, you make choices everyday. This will be the most serious one you can make. Choose wisely, I wish not to bias your desicion in any way. I chose, and you must too.

If you wish to hear our response on why we belive that only Jesus Christ can save, than please post your concerns at the salvation thread. God bless.

At the very core, we believe that all that matters if faith working through love. Everything else is just an expression of this idea.

God bless,

Neal

We believe that Christ is both our Saviour and Lord, and therefore He requires our submission, both Physical and Mental. By sinning we believe we can reject Christ, even though we may have fooled ourselves into believing we still were faithful.

Neal

Originally posted by s0uljah

Implies that I am not saved just by believing in Christ, correct?

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That depends on what you mean by "believing in Christ". If you believe in him, that would seem to indicate that you will also want to follow his teachings. In that case, works is no problem because they follow naturally from the faith.

I really think this is a semantic difference and that Protestants and Catholics have the same belief in this respect.

-Chris

So, it is only through faith and works, that I may be saved, right?

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A faith working through love Yes.

I am posting a little behind you, sorry

Neal

If you are confused, please post the rest of your concerns about salvation at the salvation thread you started.

If you would like us to show you why we believe that only Jesus saves.

I have tendencies to anger, or to lust, etc, but I want to to good and fight them off, so I am still saved, right?

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I'm no judge, but I'd say yes You are fighting the good fight. No one expects you to be perfect, just trying to be. It's when we stop trying to follow God and we directly follow our will that the trouble begins. It is a cross to bear and we will drop it from time to time, but that is when Christ picks it up for us and comes to our aid. He won't let His faithful fall.

Praise be to His Holy Name!

Neal

This all tells me that I can have faith and do good, but in the end, Jesus will judge me, and I will never know if I am really going to heaven until that day.

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Paul called it his hope. You will be judged, as will each of us, but Jesus saves! He won't cast away someone who tries to follow Him but falls at times. I don't like it when someone says, "Well then, they obviously aren't Christian." We have each been given a different measure of faith. Some will fall more often, others less, but they are each God's children, saved by Christ on Calvary.

One of the most important things I have ever read was Christ's words which Pope John Paul II has spoken so often to the flock, "Be Not Afraid!"

God Bless,

Neal