Bible Verses regarding the importance of works

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Most Protestants disagree with the Catholic teaching that our works play a role in salvation. Can someone suggest some strong verses that support the importance of works?
 
The epistle of St. James is full of Justification by works and Faith without works is dead statements.
 
Then the angel called the two of them privately and said to them: “Praise God and give thanks to him; exalt him and give thanks to him in the presence of all the living for what he has done for you. It is good to praise God and to exalt his name, worthily declaring the works of God. Do not be slow to give him thanks. It is good to guard the secret of a king, but gloriously to reveal the works of God. Do good, and evil will not overtake you. Prayer is good when accompanied by fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to treasure up gold. For almsgiving delivers from death, and it will purge away every sin. Those who perform deeds of charity and of righteousness will have fullness of life; but those who commit sin are the enemies of their own lives. Tobit 12:6-10
 
MATTHEW 25:31-46 31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
34 Then the King
will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
35 for I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36
I was naked and you clothed me,
I was sick and you visited me,
I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37
Then the righteous will answer him,
‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40 And
the King will answer them,
‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ 41
Then he will say to those at his left hand,
‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42
for I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43
I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me,
sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44
Then they also will answer,
‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ 45
Then he will answer them,
‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ 46
And they will go away into eternal punishment,
but the righteous into eternal life.”
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Minor format changes mine.

 
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NOT MATTHEW 25:31-46 31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
34 Then the King
will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
35 for I was hungry and you had only faith,
I was thirsty and you had only faith,
I was a stranger and you had only faith, 36
I was naked and you had only faith,
I was sick and you had only faith,
I was in prison and you had only faith.’ 37
Then the righteous will answer him,
‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40 And
the King will answer them,
‘Truly, I say to you, you had only faith and that’s what gets you to heaven all by itself
41 Then he will say to those at his left hand,
‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42
for I was hungry and you had no faith,
I was thirsty and you had no faith, 43
I was a stranger and you had no faith,
naked and you had no faith,
sick and in prison and you had no faith.’ 44
Then they also will answer,
‘LORD (notice they address Jesus as their “LORD”),
when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ 45
Then he will answer them,
It is irrelevant what you did or did not DO.
You have no faith!
But you are our LORD! Surely that is evidence of SOME “faith” LORD!
Enough! You had no faith! 46
And they will go away into eternal punishment,
but the righteous into eternal life.”
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Romans 2:13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Romans 2:6 For he will render to every man according to his works:
7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
8but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.

Justification is an important and why 2:13 is significant. Protestants and Catholics both agree that there is nothing you can do to gain initial justification, however as Catholics we believe it is only the beginning, not the end. Also significant is the compartmentalizing of justification and sanctification for Protestants whereas Catholics understand them as part of the same process, symbiotic, if you will. The same as we see our union with Jesus through the Eucharist “without me you can do nothing”

Peace and God Bless
Nicene
 
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Revelation 14:13 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)​

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”
 
Favorite OT book, by a large margin. However, bible Christians have probably never heard of that book.

As to good works, the writings of Paul are filled with them - but bible Christians generally do not look for that.
 
Dlee said:

Revelation 14:13 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)​

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”
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“…and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
(See Revelation 20:12)

“…Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.”
(See Revelation 2:23)
 
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Romans 2:5-8

5 By your stubbornness and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God,
6 who will repay everyone according to his works:
7 eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works,
8 but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness.
 
Exactly, because becoming a Christian doesn’t guarantee your salvation. Even St. Paul instructed us to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”.
 
Jrp72.

There are what I term three different classifications of “works”.

The Cathoholic classification scheme (ha ha).
  1. Old Covenant “works”. These are apart from Christ living in you and through you.
  2. New Covenant “works” apart from grace. (Sowing to his own flesh)
  3. New Covenant works with Christ at WORK IN YOU. (Sowing to the Spirit)
It is 3. Christ at work in you that is salvific.

Our salvation is not a mere moment ALONE, but a moment followed by a process. A lifelong process of justification.

You must be saved, then you must KEEP BEING saved. That’s WHY Revelation 22:11 can say . . . “he who is justified, let him be justified further still.”

(This Rev. 22 is quoted and exemplified in this manner in the Trent documents session 6 too.)

So you cannot merit your initial justification.
That is Christ alone.

And Christ Jesus MUST make the first move towards mankind too
(that is called, “God’s prevenient grace”).

When the Son of Man was lifted up, He drew all men to Himself (John 12:32).

Old Covenant works of law such as cicumcision (discussed in Romans 3 and 4) are NOT salvific.

New Covenant works apart from Christ or before you are united to Christ (discussed in Ephesians 2:8-9) are not salvific.

But once you are saved, once you are a child of God, once you have the Spirit of Truth living IN YOU, than you not only CAN, but MUST work in faith and hope.

To whom much is given (the Spirit of God is MUCH), much will be REQUIRED (Luke 12:48).
Not merely “desired” but “required”.

Do not be deceived. When the Spirit of God dwells IN YOU, you can and MUST sow works unto eternal life not on your own, but WITH GOD!
GALATIANS 6:7-8 7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption;
but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
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Justification by faith alone (if “faith” is reduced to a mere intellectual event and charitable works and/or hope are ignored), is a tradition of men that makes void the commandments of God.
 
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