A question about works

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themattman

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For starters, i am in RCIA classes, so I’m not really sure about most the doctrines of the Catholic faith.
So, the other day, a friend of mine was talking about how free he was and was glad that he wasn’t under the law that Catholics are under do to all the works that we feel that need to be done.
Can you help me understand for starters what kind of works are we expected to do? and how to do counter his statement with a Biblical view. He will only understand and agree with it, if i can show him in the bible.
Thanks
Matthew
 
themattman said:
For starters, i am in RCIA classes, so I’m not really sure about most the doctrines of the Catholic faith.
So, the other day, a friend of mine was talking about how free he was and was glad that he wasn’t under the law that Catholics are under do to all the works that we feel that need to be done.
Can you help me understand for starters what kind of works are we expected to do? and how to do counter his statement with a Biblical view. He will only understand and agree with it, if i can show him in the bible.
Thanks
Matthew
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Works can be summed up with one sentence. Love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:31 If your neighbor needs food provide food or any help provide the help you can. Works should just be a natural part of your life and we should never expect anything in return for doing them. That is from the neighbor you help or from the Lord.
Works will grow out of your love for the Lord, naturally.

My 2 cents.
 
Matthew, get a copy of Catholicism for Dummies. It is an excellent resource in which you may easily find the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church, as well as the reasons behind them. Your friend believes in a very new concept of Christianity, one which was never believed for at least the first 1,500 years of the Church. He really needs to read the Epistle of James. Your love is evident only through the works which naturally follow from it.
 
themattman said:
For starters, i am in RCIA classes, so I’m not really sure about most the doctrines of the Catholic faith.
So, the other day, a friend of mine was talking about how free he was and was glad that he wasn’t under the law that Catholics are under do to all the works that we feel that need to be done.
Can you help me understand for starters what kind of works are we expected to do? and how to do counter his statement with a Biblical view. He will only understand and agree with it, if i can show him in the bible.
Thanks
Matthew
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The book of James Chapter 2 verses 14-22 are perfect for this as well as Matthew Ch25.

JAMES CH2

*14
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?i
15
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day,
16
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?j
17
So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18
Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
19
You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble.
20
Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?
21
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?k
22
You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works.
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

MATTHEW CH25
*
35
h For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
36
naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’
37
Then the righteous* will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
40
i And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42
k For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43
a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
44
  • Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’
    45
    He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’
 
themattman said:
For starters, i am in RCIA classes, so I’m not really sure about most the doctrines of the Catholic faith.
So, the other day, a friend of mine was talking about how free he was and was glad that he wasn’t under the law that Catholics are under do to all the works that we feel that need to be done.
Can you help me understand for starters what kind of works are we expected to do? and how to do counter his statement with a Biblical view. He will only understand and agree with it, if i can show him in the bible.
Thanks
Matthew
Click to expand...
In addition to the Scripture I provided above. I don’t think this a stumbling block, it’s a pretty basic concept. Your actions reflect your faith or lack of. Your friend probably already believes that faith is reflected by works, he’s just hung up on the misconception that Catholics believe ‘works alone’ is enough. We don’t think that, we think faith alone is NOT enough. Catholics are works + faith people. That is basically it in a nutshell.
 
Everything the posters said is true-one thing I try to remember is to keep a humble heart also while performing your works. Nothing except for the work itself. No self promoting etc.the intention of the work to love your neighbor etc. Works of mercy are a beautiful thing.
 
For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

15

Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.

19

All these quotes are from the Epistle of St james.
🙂
 
themattman said:
For starters, i am in RCIA classes, so I’m not really sure about most the doctrines of the Catholic faith.
So, the other day, a friend of mine was talking about how free he was and was glad that he wasn’t under the law that Catholics are under do to all the works that we feel that need to be done.
Can you help me understand for starters what kind of works are we expected to do? and how to do counter his statement with a Biblical view. He will only understand and agree with it, if i can show him in the bible.
Thanks
Matthew
Click to expand...
The above answers are very good but I would suggest that it is first it is necessary to find out from your friend what he means by “works” and what “law” he sees us as being under.

Many of the more fundamental Christians see things like the “Sunday obligation”, the mass itself, and certain other “rituals” (sometimes called by them “empty” ritual)as being “works” of the type abolished by the new covenant.
If this is the case, then there may be less of a need to find “biblical support”, but rather to understand the “ritual” and to explain it’s meaning…So that he understands it is not “empty” ritual.
I get a sense from the way you pose his comment that this may be what he is referring to. For instance, one of the things he might see as a “work”, is (what he thinks is) re-sacrificing Jesus every Sunday in the mass.

The other generally negative and common protestant view of works is the myth that the Catholics teach a “Works based salvation”…This is a view that is false on two fronts…
  1. It falsely separates faith from works, which, Holy Scripture says cannot be done (the above referenced to James, to Mt 25 as well as others…
  2. It falsely represents Catholic teaching by intimating that we believe we can be saved without faith…This is inherent in the comment, “works based”. This of course is not true…our faith is wholly based on faith and in Christ.
Sorry if this is a bit off from what you are actually asking…and certainly I support all of the answers and suggestions given above. However, I think you might be best served in asking him some more questions…allowing him to explain more fully what the means.
This will allow you to more clearly focus your response.

Peace
James
 
Since he probably values Paul above the other writers, have him ponder:

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 4:12
to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
 
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