Reject Faith Alone and Work for Salvation

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. What part of Sola Fide don't you understand? 

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+