The argument used is that the Catholic Church teaches that faith is not
enough for salvation, that you have to work for it. The Bible proves that the Catholic Church is wrong. You cannot
earn your salvation with works, in fact Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches that all you
need is faith.
First, Catholics do not think that you have to
work your way into Heaven. We do not think you can earn your salvation by working for it. We know that salvation is a gift freely given to us that we cannot earn. Works come through faith, because of faith. Loving God, loving your neighbour,
praying, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, these are all things that a
person does. They are not apart from faith, they are because of faith. However, the Bible actually says that works are what we must do.
What about Ephesians 2:8-9 mentioned earlier? We will look at that in just a little bit. First
I need to answer the big question; what are works? Works are something that you do.
When you pray you are doing a work. Then there is feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the
sick, giving drink to the thirsty. Hmm, that sounds familiar, where have I heard
that before? Let’s find out from Matthew exactly what Jesus said about it.
Matthew 25:35 For I was an hungered,
and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and
ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I
was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him,
saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave
thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and
clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as
ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it
unto me.
I thought you might recognize it. Jesus says that if you do
not do these things for those that need it, you have not done these things for
Him. You will be judged likewise.
What are other examples of works? Remember, works are things
that you do. So, what are things that you do within the context of your faith?
You pray, you read the Bible, you say your Rosary, you help teach RCIA classes,
you go to church, you invite others to church, you tell people about Jesus,
maybe you sing or play an instrument in the choir, maybe you read during the Mass, maybe you help with charity
events, maybe you participate in the Walk for Life by walking or donating
money. These are all good works that you do because of your faith. If you say
“I believe in Jesus and no one or nothing else matters”, your faith means
nothing because Jesus says you must love your neighbour.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these
two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Loving God and loving your neighbour are things that you do
(works). Keeping the Commandments are things that you do (more works). What
does the Bible say about keeping the Commandments?
1 John 2:1 My little children,
these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his
commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is
a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him
verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
Pretty strong words there. If you say you know God but do
not keep His commandments, you are a liar and the love of God is not in you. I would read that as, if you say that you have faith and you are going to do nothing other than believe then your faith is useless and you are a liar. We all know what God thinks about liars...
So now we get to Ephesians 2:8-9, the go to verse used to
'prove' "faith alone", let's look at what it says.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not
of works, lest any man should boast.
Looks pretty convincing right? It says you are not saved by
works, however, it does not say you are saved by “faith alone.”
The Catholic Church does teach that faith is a grace that we
cannot earn. We received that grace because Jesus died on the cross for our
sins. But back to Ephesians 2:8-9. You cannot stop at verse 9 and use that as
‘Proof Text’ because that only gives part of the meaning. You must go further
to get the context of what was really said. So, let’s look at the next two
verses.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them. 11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time
past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is
called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
“…created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them.” We are created unto good works
that we should walk in them. What are the works spoken of in verse 9? “…the
Circumcision in the flesh made by hands.” Circumcision is the works being
spoken of here, Paul is saying you are not saved by works of the old law. This
is because there was some conflict on whether followers of Jesus needed to be
circumcised. Paul is clearing up this confusion with this statement. Works of
the old law are not required but as Paul said in verse 10, “good works” are.
Want more? You got it, more Bible!
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth
faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
This verse puts charity above faith because if you do not
have charity, your faith is useless.
1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I
have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and
though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not
charity, I am nothing.
Again charity is placed above faith. It is also put above
prophecy, understanding, and knowledge.
Charity is an example of the good works that are required.
Good works alone do not merit salvation faith is important and it is the death
and resurrection of Jesus on the cross that gives us the chance of eternal
life. If you have real faith and know that Jesus is the reason for your
salvation, these good works will come as a result of that faith.
James 2:14 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?
Faith without works is dead. You can know a man’s faith by
his works. You can see that with Abraham in the Old Testament works were an
important part of faith. Abraham was
justified by his works.
James 2:24 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.
So, according to James; "Ye see then how that by works
a man is justified, and not by faith only." Not by faith only is the same
as not by faith alone. So, "as the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without works is dead also". This cannot be reasonably explained
away no matter how hard anyone tries. Again in the Old Testament Rahab was justified
by her works.
So if you go by the teaching of the "Bible alone",
which is not in the Bible, you cannot go by the teaching of "faith
alone" because not only is it not in the Bible, it is actually
contradicted in the Bible.
What are yo going to do now?
+JMJ+
