Eastern Orthodox View of the Merits of Works

[abacabb3]

Question in brief: Do Orthodox affirm that they are save by faith alone, but not that a faith that is alone for true faith includes works?

Background: I am trying to work through the role of works, if any, in justification. Being that I come from a Reformed background, much of our view of works and merit is predicated upon, and contrasted with, the Roman view.

Canon 24 of the Council of Trent reject the premise of the question in brief:

If anyone says that the justice received is not preserved and also not increased before God through good works, but that those works are merely the fruits and signs of justification obtained, but not the cause of its increase, let him be anathema.

Canon 32 of the Council of Trent makes clear that works merit/deserve salvation on behalf of the believer:

If anyone says that the good works of the one justified are in such manner the gifts of God that they are not also the good merits of him justified; or that the one justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit an increase of grace, eternal life, and in case he dies in grace, the attainment of eternal life itself and also an increase of glory, let him be anathema.

Eastern Orthodoxy never has hammered out an official statement on the issue. I have found the following in my research, and I want to make sure I am not misunderstanding them:

Jeremias II

"good works are not separate from, but necessary for, true faith. One should not trust in works nor be boastful in a Pharisaic manner."

One should not boast of them [works] nor depend on them, for that would be sinful; but as much as you are able, fulfill the works which are the result of faith and are necessary.

Therefore, wherever religious awe of divine things and obedience to the words of the Holy Fathers are abandoned, there no good works can be built up, nor the true faith which proves itself by good works.

Father John Beck of OCA.org

[T]hrough the action of the indwelling Spirit, enables us finally to share in Christ’s own resurrection and glorification, attaining what the Greek Fathers call theôsis or “deification” (which means existential participation in God’s life, and not ontological confusion between God and His human creatures).Good works should thus be understood to be a response rather than a means to salvation.

Now, it sounds to me that Orthodoxy teaches that faith alone saves, but faith by definition is not merely an intellectual assent, but rather a conviction by necessary consequence given time results in works. God blesses good works, and gives us the ability to good works, and commends us to do good works, but good works are not given to us by God in order to merit salvation as the Roman view asserts.

I also have found the statements of several Fathers that appears to teach the same:

Oecuminus:

It is not enough to believe in a purely intellectual sense. There has to be some practical application for this belief. What James is saying here does not contradict the apostle Paul, who understood that both belief and action were a part of what he called “faith”

(p. 28).

Cyril of Alexandria:

What can we say to those who insist that Abraham was justified by works because he was ready to sacrifice his son Isaac at the altar?…Abraham piously believed that all things are possible with God and so exercised this faith…So even if Abraham was also justified by his willingness to sacrifice Isaac, this must be regarded as an

evident demonstration of a faith which was already very strong.

Clement:

Abraham, who was called the friend of God [James 2:23], was found faithful, inasmuch as he rendered obedience to the words of God…and in the exercise of obedience, he offered him as a sacrifice to God on one of the mountains which He showed him (1 Clement, Chapters 10).

For what reason was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because he wrought righteousness and truth through faith? Isaac, with perfect confidence, as if knowingwhat was to happen, cheerfully yielded himself as a sacrifice (1 Clement, Chapter 31)

not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men (1 Clement, Chapter 32).

Bede:

Although the apostle Paul preached that we are justified by faith without works, those who understand by this that it does not matter whether they live evil lives or do wicked and terrible things, as long as they believe in Christ, because salvation is through faith, have made a great mistake. James here expounds how Paul’s words ought to be understood. This is why he uses the example of Abraham, whom Paul also used as an example of faith, to show that the patriarch performed good works in light of his faith. It is therefore wrong to interpret Paul in such a way as to suggest that it did not matter whether Abraham put his faith into practice or not. What Paul meant was that no one obtains the gift of justification on the basis of merit derived from works performed beforehand, because the gift of justification comes only from faith

Thank you for your help.

 

[abacabb3]

I forgot to add, how should I understand the following: "The first of these has been accomplished by Christ entirely. The second depends upon ourselves, although it is accomplished by the activity of the grace of Christ in the Holy Spirit."

 

[FireDragon76]

"Merit" is a Latin/Western category, being associated with Tertullian, Cyprian of Carthage, Augustine, Jerome, etc. You have to consider that when interacting with Eastern Orthodox sources, the view of anthropology and salvation is not western/augustinian.

The Eastern view of salvation is mystical and sacramental. You are going to find a variety of different emphases, however, depending on the priest, theologian, or writer you are interacting with.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I'm sure someone will come along later who can explain more fully. I'm sure they are all in Church. I did not expect to be sick again this morning. (Otherwise I would not be posting either )

Most definitely we have no real concept of "merit". We do not and cannot do anything at all to "earn" our salvation.

I would go so far as to say that sometimes, the emphasis by SOME denominations/persons on such things as faith/belief or even baptism approach "works" by the way they view them. Faith is especially so ... sometimes people think if they just believe hard enough or perfectly enough, drumming up that intellectual state will "save" them.

I do not mean to say faith/belief or even baptism are unnecessary. Faith/belief is absolutely necessary for Christians as it is the opening of the door and beginning of our relationship with God. And baptism in the normal means through which one is placed in the Body (I will also say that God is not constrained ... He CAN "save" a person who has not been baptized, for example.)

But salvation is not something we DO or something that is even done to us. In the end, really, salvation is what we ARE. We do not say that God views us through Christ-tinted glasses, no longer able to see us for what/who we really are, but only seeing Christ now, because we appropriate Him somehow. It is not a fictitious state.

No, we actually become more and more like Christ. This is accomplished by the grace of God, working in us, while we cooperate with Him. In a sense, our "works" (which include many things - prayer, receiving the Sacraments, taking thoughts captive to Christ, resisting sin, fasting, giving alms to the poor, service to the Church/Body, participating in the Liturgy, participating in the community of faith, etc.) ... these things all change us, through the grace of God, and we become more and more Christ-like. Not a pretend "when God looks at us, He only sees Christ" but really becoming more like Christ.

Of course, we struggle, and fail. I'm not saying we ARE EXACTLY like Christ in this life. But that is the purpose of works - they actively form us more into His likeness, with help from the grace of God. I'm saying that this is the normal Christian life, our "reasonable sacrifice", and that it has actual effect on who we are, and makes our faith a living faith.

No, no merit. The irony is that the closer one gets to becoming more like Christ, the lesser such a person sees himself. The experience of it is the opposite of merit.

I think others might emphasize things differently for you. And I appreciate any correction from my Orthodox brothers and sisters if I've said anything poorly and given a wrong impression. You know, becoming Orthodox, words like "grace" become charged with so much more meaning, sometimes we are saying more than we realize, and certainly more than we heard in those words as Protestants.

But as someone with a background somewhat similar to yours, I've tried to emphasize a particular aspect to your question here. I hope it helps. And I do ask correction, again, if needed.

God be with you.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Btw, if you are really interested in what I wrote, there's a great podcast series here -

Imputed Righteousness

It comes in a lot of short bites, so even though there are many parts, it is in total between 2-3 hours I think. I've probably gone through the series three times now - it's really so good in explaining all of this and more, and was very helpful to me. In case you are interested.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Now, it sounds to me that Orthodoxy teaches that faith alone saves, but faith by definition is not merely an intellectual assent, but rather a conviction by necessary consequence given time results in works. God blesses good works, and gives us the ability to good works, and commends us to do good works, but good works are not given to us by God in order to merit salvation as the Roman view asserts.

I think you summed it up well here. although I would add that God does tell us to do good works as well. works are not a suggestion from Him, but a command, and the natural outflow of True Faith. I think one of the reasons this is so dicey is that it was never either/or in the early Church, but faith and works are the two halves of belief in a God Who is love. and we don't oppose the two, but take them as one whole.

 

[abacabb3]

I think you summed it up well here. although I would add that God does tell us to do good works as well. works are not a suggestion from Him, but a command, and the natural outflow of True Faith. I think one of the reasons this is so dicey is that it was never either/or in the early Church, but faith and works are the two halves of belief in a God Who is love. and we don't oppose the two, but take them as one whole.

I forget, are you going to seminary? I just want to make sure my understanding is accurate so that I can give an accurate account, which I will be asked for by my wife/Elders/friends/etc.

 

[abacabb3]

Btw, if you are really interested in what I wrote, there's a great podcast series here -

Imputed Righteousness

It comes in a lot of short bites, so even though there are many parts, it is in total between 2-3 hours I think. I've probably gone through the series three times now - it's really so good in explaining all of this and more, and was very helpful to me. In case you are interested.

Listening, I will report back.

 

[abacabb3]

I think you summed it up well here. although I would add that God does tell us to do good works as well. works are not a suggestion from Him, but a command, and the natural outflow of True Faith. I think one of the reasons this is so dicey is that it was never either/or in the early Church, but faith and works are the two halves of belief in a God Who is love. and we don't oppose the two, but take them as one whole.

May I add, good works don't merit salvation, but they are a participation in salvation?

 

[truefiction1]

Well, here is an excerpt from a newly translated (into English) book "The Field", regarding the place of faith in salvation and how faith relates to keeping Christ's commandments.
“Repent, and believe in the gospel”, we are told by the Gospel. What a simple, true, and holy command! We must repent, leave behind our sinful life, before we become capable of approaching the Gospels. In order to accept the Gospel, we have to believe in it.

The Apostle Paul considered the essence of the preaching of Christ to be the message of repentance and faith. He testified to everyone, both Jew and Gentiles of, “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Gospel, as the revelation of God, is higher than any achievement, remaining inconceivable for fallen human reason. The inconceivable wisdom of God is only conceived by faith, because faith can accept everything that is impossible for reason and that even contradicts reason. Only the soul that willfully rejects sin and directs all of its willpower and strength to divine good is capable of faith.

“I have come as a light into the world,” said the Lord. This light came to the Jews clothed in flesh; before us, he stands clothed in the Gospels.

This light comes before us, “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already.”

Who does not believe in the Son of God? Not only he who openly, assuredly rejects Him but also he who, while calling himself a Christian, leads a sinful life, rushes around after pleasures of the world, whose god is his stomach, whose god is gold and silver, whose god is earthly glory, who honors earthly wisdom, antagonistic to God, as god himself. “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God”

Without self-denial a person is not capable of faith; his fallen reason fights against faith, demanding an answer of God in all His actions and proof of His revealed truths. The fallen heart wants to live the life of the fallen, which faith strives to mortify. Flesh and blood, ignoring the constant presence of death all around it, wants to live its own life – the life of death and sin.

This is why the Lord told all who desire to follow Him with living faith: “If any one desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

The fall has become so assimilated to the essence of all mankind that rejection of the fall has become tantamount to rejection of our very life. Without such self-denial it is impossible to acquire faith, which is the pledge of eternal, blessed, spiritual life. Whoever wants to enliven the passions of his heart or body and to gain pleasure from them, whoever wants to enliven his fallen reason, he will fall away from faith.

Living faith is walking into the spiritual world, the world of God. It cannot exist in a person who is nailed to the cross of the world, ruled by flesh and sin.

Faith is the door to God. There is no other door to him: “without faith it is impossible to please [God].” This door opens only slowly before the one who purifies himself with constant repentance; it is open widely only before the pure heart; it is shut for the lover of sin.

Only through faith can one approach Christ; only through faith can one follow Christ.

Faith is a natural quality of the human soul, planted in man at the creation by the merciful God. This natural quality is chosen by God during the course of redemption as the branch through which to graft grace back onto fallen man.

God wisely chose faith as the tool of mankind’s salvation, for we perished by believing the flattery of the enemy of God and mankind. A long time ago, the noise of his evil words was heard in Eden, and our forefathers listened and believed, and were cast out of Eden. Now, in the land of our exile, their descendants hear the voice of the Word of God, the Gospels, and once again those who listen and believe in it can enter paradise.

You who do not believe! Turn away from your lack of faith! Sinner! Reject your sinful life! Wise man! Deny your false wisdom! Turn to God! With your goodness and lack of evil, you will become like children, and with childlike simplicity you will believe in the Gospel.

Dead faith, or confessing Christ merely out of unwilling necessity, is something that the demons are capable of! Such a faith will only add to a person’s greater condemnation at the judgment of Christ. The unclean spirit cried out to the Lord: “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God!” Faith in the Gospels must be living; one must believe with the mind and the heart, confess the faith with one’s lips, and express and prove it with one’s life. “Show me your faith without your works!” Thus, the Apostle James addresses the one who boasts of his dead faith, with only the bare knowledge of the existence of God.

“Faith”, said St Simeon the New Theologian, “in the full sense of this word contains in itself all of the divine commandments of Christ. It is stamped with the assuredness, that there is not a single part of the commandments that has no meaning, that all of them, until the very last iota, are the life and reason for eternal life.” -- St Ignatius Brianchaninov

 

[ArmyMatt]

I forget, are you going to seminary? I just want to make sure my understanding is accurate so that I can give an accurate account, which I will be asked for by my wife/Elders/friends/etc.

indeed I am.

May I add, good works don't merit salvation, but they are a participation in salvation?

exactly. good works merit us nothing on their own. they open us up to participate in God's grace, and to participate in His grace is to participate in salvation. God is love and God is good, and both of those are active relational qualities, they presuppose work

 

[abacabb3]

ArmyMatt, have you listened to the MP3s Anastasia has linked to? I am just wondering how to square some of what he says with what I am reading here. I'll ask more pointed questions if you have, if not I'll ask more general questions later.

 

[~Anastasia~]

ArmyMatt, have you listened to the MP3s Anastasia has linked to? I am just wondering how to square some of what he says with what I am reading here. I'll ask more pointed questions if you have, if not I'll ask more general questions later.

I'd love to see your questions if you have them. I've managed to develop something of an Orthodox filter (not bragging, it's just the result of many many hours of listening, and a credit to God's grace, the teachers, or the Church, but not my doing). But anyway, I notice that it sometimes causes me to interpret things in a way I know the Church teaches, even though sometimes I know that's not what is meant.

The risk there is that I could recommend something without realizing how an outsider might interpret it. I'm usually very good at seeing through someone else's interpretation when I'm talking to them, but I don't have that "filter" on when I'm listening to podcasts.

 

[ArmyMatt]

ArmyMatt, have you listened to the MP3s Anastasia has linked to? I am just wondering how to square some of what he says with what I am reading here. I'll ask more pointed questions if you have, if not I'll ask more general questions later.

no I haven't. feel free to ask away. often in Orthodoxy, since we embrace paradoxy a LOT, stuff seems contradictory when it isn't.

but ask me anything

 

[abacabb3]

In Lecture 10 he makes the statement, "Faith is the beginning of the journey, but obedience is the path...Obedience alone touches God’s face and enters His heart. Obedience alone makes us one with Him."
Imputed Righteousness 10 - Pilgrims from Paradise | Ancient Faith Ministries

I find his emphasis on works seemingly contradictory than the emphasis on faith that we can read from Jeremias II, the Fathers, etc. I though truth faith manifests itself in obedience. It appears he is presenting them as mutually exclusive. Help!

 

[abacabb3]

I am speaking with a Roman Catholic and he says:

"works are rewarded with more participation in divinity, ie more righteousness, ie more salvation." Do EO confirm or deny this?

Also, can anyone respond to the following from the Catholic Catechism?

2006 The term "merit" refers in general to the recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members, experienced either as beneficial or harmful, deserving reward or punishment. Merit is relative to the virtue of justice, in conformity with the principle of equality which governs it.

2009 Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God's gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us "co-heirs" with Christ and worthy of obtaining "the promised inheritance of eternal life."60 The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness.61 "Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due. . . . Our merits are God's gifts."62

2010 Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God's wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

Do EOs confirm or deny the underlined? Why or why not? It seems to say that good works after conversion, because they are accomplished by God, earn/owe the recompense of greater participation in salvation (i.e. a higher degree of theosis.)

___

SOrry for the tall order, I am immensely thankful.

 

[ArmyMatt]

In Lecture 10 he makes the statement, "Faith is the beginning of the journey, but obedience is the path...Obedience alone touches God’s face and enters His heart. Obedience alone makes us one with Him."
Imputed Righteousness 10 - Pilgrims from Paradise | Ancient Faith Ministries

I find his emphasis on works seemingly contradictory than the emphasis on faith that we can read from Jeremias II, the Fathers, etc. I though truth faith manifests itself in obedience. It appears he is presenting them as mutually exclusive. Help!

well, I think from what you posted that faith is the beginning of the journey, and obedience is the path, but each step on the journey is a new beginning requiring faith. obedience does make us one with Him, but that presupposes faith in the God that you are becoming one with.

 

[ArmyMatt]

2006 The term "merit" refers in general to the recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members, experienced either as beneficial or harmful, deserving reward or punishment. Merit is relative to the virtue of justice, in conformity with the principle of equality which governs it.

2009 Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God's gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us "co-heirs" with Christ and worthy of obtaining "the promised inheritance of eternal life."60 The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness.61 "Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due. . . . Our merits are God's gifts."62

2010 Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God's wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

I think part of the problem is when Rome speaks of grace, grace is created, whereas for us, grace is God's uncreated energy. so we cannot merit anything from God since God owes us nothing. He acts out of love for us.

 

[AJTruth]

Question in brief: Do Orthodox affirm that they are save by faith alone, but not that a faith that is alone for true faith includes works?

Background: I am trying to work through the role of works, if any, in justification. Being that I come from a Reformed background, much of our view of works and merit is predicated upon, and contrasted with, the Roman view.

Canon 24 of the Council of Trent reject the premise of the question in brief:



Canon 32 of the Council of Trent makes clear that works merit/deserve salvation on behalf of the believer:



Eastern Orthodoxy never has hammered out an official statement on the issue. I have found the following in my research, and I want to make sure I am not misunderstanding them:

Jeremias II







Father John Beck of OCA.org



Now, it sounds to me that Orthodoxy teaches that faith alone saves, but faith by definition is not merely an intellectual assent, but rather a conviction by necessary consequence given time results in works. God blesses good works, and gives us the ability to good works, and commends us to do good works, but good works are not given to us by God in order to merit salvation as the Roman view asserts.

I also have found the statements of several Fathers that appears to teach the same:

Oecuminus:
(p. 28).

Cyril of Alexandria:


Clement:


Bede:


Thank you for your help.

Abrahams Faith Paul vs Abrahams Obedience James

Parsing:

The two writers reference different time frames & statements in Abraham's life:

Pauls, recorded event is from Gen 15:6 "believed"

James, recorded event is from Gen 22:18 "obeyed"

Now, Contrast the word "believed" in Gen. 15:6 and the word "obeyed" in Gen. 22:18

(Gen:15) Pauls speaks of a time 30-40 years before the time James refers to

In Pauls reference in Gen 15:6 It's Abrahams FAITH that obtains Him Righteousness.

In James reference in Gen 22:18 (30-40 YEARS LATER) Abrahams obedience seen here, is a result of his Faith. Which he abtained 30-40 years earlier.

Romans 1 (NIV)
5 """Through him we received grace""" & apostleship """to call all the Gentiles to the obedience"""
""that comes from faith""" for his name’s sake.
(Thru Him Gentiles receive Faith, that leads to obedience)

Romans 16: 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, """so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience""" """that comes from faith"""
(Gentiles are brought to obedience thru Faith)

We as did Abraham: Obtain Righteousness/Justification:

Eph 2:
8 "By grace" are ye saved" "through faith" "not of yourselves" it is the "gift" of God

9 "Not of works" (NOT BY OUR WORKS), "lest any man should boast"

The Fruit That Faith Produces, Is Obedience!

 

[abacabb3]

I think part of the problem is when Rome speaks of grace, grace is created, whereas for us, grace is God's uncreated energy. so we cannot merit anything from God since God owes us nothing. He acts out of love for us.

Would you be able to tell me what is specifically wrong with the underlined from the EO perspective?