Michael Brooks
The Catholic Church teaches that both faith and good works are necessary for salvation. Catholics believe that good works are a necessary part of the process of salvation, as a means of justification of faith and sanctification of the believer. This is in contrast to Protestants, who believe in faith alone, and that good works are not necessary for justification. The Bible teaches that salvation is by grace alone and through Christ alone, and that good works alone do not merit salvation. However, the Bible also teaches that faith without works is dead, and that our salvation depends on charity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholic belief on salvation | Salvation is a free gift from God, but God empowers people to freely accept or reject that gift through the choices (works) they make in their lives. |
| Works | Works are necessary for salvation, but they do not earn salvation. |
| Faith | Faith is important for salvation, but it is not enough on its own. |
| Justification | Justification is not the reward for works, but a gift of grace. |
| St. Paul's teachings | St. Paul taught that people are justified by faith, not by works of law. |
| The Bible | The Bible teaches that salvation is by grace alone and through Christ alone. |
| Protestant belief | Protestants believe in "faith alone", meaning that faith in Jesus Christ is all that is needed for salvation. |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics believe in faith and works
Catholics believe that faith and good works are necessary for salvation. While salvation is a free gift from God, God also empowers individuals to freely accept or reject that gift through their choices and actions (works) on Earth.
The Catholic Church has never taught that humans can “earn" their salvation. Instead, salvation is an inheritance freely given to anyone who becomes a child of God, so long as they remain that way.
According to St. Paul, good works are necessary for eternal life. In Ephesians 2:10, he writes:
> For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Paul also writes in Philippians 2:13:
> God is the one, who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.
Paul's words indicate that Christians are not just expected to desire righteousness, but to actively work towards it.
The Bible also tells us that we must have faith in order to be saved (Hebrews 11:6). However, faith is more than just belief and trust. Searching the Scriptures, we see that faith involves assent to God's truth (1 Thessalonians 2:13), obedience to Him (Romans 1:5, 16:26), and it must be working in love (Galatians 5:6).
Jesus himself also emphasized the importance of works, stating that our thoughts, words, and actions will be rewarded or punished (Matthew 15:18-20, James 3:6-12, Matthew 25:31-46).
The Catholic Church's position on faith and works differs from that of Protestants, who believe in "faith alone." This belief in "faith alone" is based on the interpretation that the only requirement for salvation is faith in Jesus Christ, and that no additional works are necessary.
However, it is important to note that within Christianity, there are differing interpretations of the role of good works in salvation, with some groups contending that good works are necessary for justification, while others believe that good works are a consequence of salvation and not its justification.
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Protestants believe in faith alone
Protestants believe in "justification by faith alone", also known as "sola fide". This belief is based on the interpretation of certain passages in the Bible, particularly Romans 3:28, which states:
> "For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law."
This interpretation holds that salvation is a gift from God, and that it is not something that can be earned through good works or deeds. According to this view, good works are the result of faith and salvation, rather than a requirement for it. As St. Paul writes 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 a result of works, so that no one may boast."
This is a key distinction between Protestant and Catholic theology. While Catholics believe that salvation is initiated by God's grace, they also believe that humans have free will to accept or reject that grace through their actions or "works". In other words, Catholics believe in "faith plus works", while Protestants believe in "faith alone".
It is important to note that not all Protestants interpret "sola fide" in the same way. Some believe that a Christian can lose their salvation if they fail to do good works or avoid bad works. However, others argue that salvation is secure and cannot be lost due to bad works, but only if one stops having faith in Christ.
Furthermore, it should be clarified that Protestants do not reject the importance of good works entirely. They recognise that good works are a natural result of having faith and that they are necessary for sanctification and freedom from sin. However, they maintain that good works are not a requirement for initial justification or salvation.
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Works are necessary for salvation
The Catholic Church teaches that both faith and good works are necessary for salvation. While salvation is a free gift from God, God also empowers individuals to freely accept or reject that gift through the choices (works) they make in their lives.
According to the Bible, Abraham was "declared righteous" (Genesis 15:6) because of his faith, not by faith "working in love" (Galatians 5:6). However, this does not mean that good works are unnecessary. Paul is condemning the Old Covenant sacrifices and rituals which couldn't justify and pointing to better things in the New Covenant (Hebrews 7-10). A close examination of Abraham's life reveals a man of God who did something.
St. Paul also emphasizes that we can only perform salvific acts in Christ. When the Judaizers insisted on a return to the Old Covenant as necessary for salvation, they were, in essence, rejecting Jesus Christ and the New Covenant. St. Paul did not eliminate works as necessary for salvation; he specified the "works of law" because these were the works without which the Judaizers claimed a person "cannot be saved."
The Catholic Church has never taught that works alone can obtain salvation and has constantly condemned the notion that man can earn his salvation. Instead, the Church teaches the biblical doctrine of justification. Catholics are expected to seek to obey the commandments, participate in the sacraments, go to church, do penance, give alms, and recite prayers, among other things, in order to merit salvation.
The concept of good works is linked to the theological belief in salvation through faith, and there is theological disagreement between different Christian groups about the role of good works in salvation. Some groups, like Lutherans, argue that good works are not necessary for justification, which occurs by faith alone, while Catholics maintain that good works are a necessary part of the process of salvation and justification of the faith.
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Works of law cannot save
The Catholic Church has never taught that works can obtain salvation, nor has it ever taught that man can earn his salvation. Salvation is a free gift from God, and God empowers humans to freely accept or reject that gift through the choices they make in their lives.
St. Paul's words in Philippians 2:13 presuppose that a faithful Christian is actively working towards righteousness. However, this does not contradict the notion that salvation is by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8) and through Christ alone (Acts 4:12).
Paul's statement in Romans 3:28, "For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law", is often used to support the idea that works of law cannot save. However, Paul was not eliminating works as necessary for salvation. He specified the "works of law" because these were the works that the Judaizers claimed were necessary for salvation.
Paul clarified that the "works of law" he was referring to were the Old Covenant sacrifices and rituals which could not justify, and he pointed to better things in the New Covenant (Hebrews 7-10). He emphasized that one does not need to obey the Mosaic Law or become a Jew to be saved (Galatians 2:1–10, 5:2-6).
In conclusion, while works of law cannot save, the Catholic Church teaches that salvation is a gift from God, and good works done in Christ are necessary for eternal life.
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Good works are a consequence of salvation
The Catholic Church teaches that both faith and good works are necessary for salvation. While salvation is a free gift from God, God empowers individuals to freely accept or reject that gift through the choices (works) they make. The Bible also teaches that good works are necessary for salvation.
The concept of good works is linked to the theological belief in salvation through faith. There is theological disagreement between different Christian groups about the role of good works in salvation. Some groups, such as Catholics, argue that good works are a necessary part of the process of salvation, together with faith. Other groups, such as Lutherans, argue that good works are not necessary for justification, which occurs by faith alone, although they agree that good works are a necessary fruit of faith.
St. Paul emphasizes that we can only perform salvific acts in Christ. 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." According to Paul, good works are not the basis of a believer's acceptance before God. The blood and righteousness of Jesus are the only basis for the believer's justification.
The Catholic Church has never taught that works alone can obtain salvation and has constantly condemned the notion that man can earn his salvation. Salvation is an inheritance, freely given to anyone who becomes a child of God, so long as they remain that way.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Church teaches that both faith and good works are necessary for salvation. Catholics believe that good works are a means of justification of faith and sanctification of the believer.
The Bible teaches that salvation is a free gift from God, and that God empowers humans to freely accept or reject that gift through the choices (works) they make. It also teaches that salvation is by grace alone and through Christ alone.
Catholics believe in faith and works. They believe that faith is important but that good works are also necessary to merit eternal life.
Examples of good works according to the Bible include seeking glory, honour, and immortality (Romans 2:6-7), obeying God (Romans 1:5, 16:26), and working in love (Galatians 5:6).
Protestants believe in faith alone, which means that in order to come to God, be forgiven, and be declared righteous, one only needs to have faith in Jesus Christ.
