Q. Do Catholics believe you have to "work " your way into heaven? (James 2:24)
**Q. Aren’t we saved by faith alone? **
One of the two basic tenets of the Protestant Reformation (Revolt) was sola fide (faith alone), the other being sola scriptura (only Scripture). Sola scriptura was addressed in the chapter titled “THE BIBLE.”
What has been called “works righteousness” (earning a place in heaven) has been condemned as heresy by the Church. One cannot “work” their way into heaven, but neither is one saved by faith alone. One is saved by faith living in love. James 2:24 says:
“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (KJV). What this means is that, like Abram (Abraham), one must live out the faith they have in God. In Genesis 15:6 we are told that Abram “believed in the Lord; and he credited it to him for righteousness” (KJV), but this is not when Abram’s faith first manifests itself: Abram has been doing whatever God has asked of him since Genesis 12:1 (some 10 years earlier).
In Luke 8:16, Jesus tells us in a parable about faith:
“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light” (NIV).
Likewise, we are to live out our faith so that it shines forth and enables others to come to the light of truth. Also, in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) we are told of the fate of one who fails to put God’s gifts to work; he is cast out. No one “earns” their way into heaven; to do so would be to put God under an obligation to bestow a gift that is His to give as He sees fit. But no one who consciously fails to put their faith to work will enter heaven either. The “works” which one does in living out their faith are works of love, not obligation. See Matthew 7:21-23 and Ephesians 2:10:
**Q. Why is the Baptist belief that “Once saved, you’re always saved” a heresy? **
This belief isn’t unique only to Baptists, many evangelicals and “nondenominational” groups also harbor this belief. The belief is not heretical, but it is mistaken and if taken to the extreme, could result in a sin against the Holy Spirit (see the chapter titled “SIN”) as it takes God for granted. Referring back to the definitions in the first question in this chapter, the non-Catholic believes that they are saved when they climb aboard the ark of salvation. Unfortunately, people fall off boats all the time. Some climb back on, and others drown. Our secular world is full of temptations which can lure us off the boat and into the sea of sin. Since nothing impure can enter heaven (Revelation 21:27), those who have not fully repented of their sins and gained God’s forgiveness will not be able to disembark when the ark reaches its final destination (even though they may have swum alongside the whole way). One never has absolute assurance of their salvation until they arrive at the pearly gates and hear the message “well-done good and faithful servant” instead of “Away from me you evildoer.”
**Q. Please explain justification. **
Justification is the process by which a person is made righteous, holy and pure before God. This is accomplished by the grace of the Holy Spirit working within us; empowering us to recognize and repent for our sins and avoid sins in the future. The grace working within us causes an interior conversion to take place so that we no longer desire things which we now recognize as sinful. In the Catholic tradition, our justification comes about through our faith in Christ and in a life of good works which are a response to God’s invitation to believe.
St. Paul condemns claims that salvation comes through the “works of the law” (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; 3:10) but “works of the law” are different from the life of good works described above. Those who depended upon the “works of the law” were the Jews (like the pharisees for example) who depended upon performing all the rituals prescribed in the Book of the Law. Such rituals were circumcision, ritual washing, temple sacrifices, avoiding certain foods, etc. (they had enumerated 613 laws which, if observed perfectly, made the individual righteous). The life of good works which the Catholic Christian lives is the life one lives because of their love for God and their fellow man. It is the life through which their faith enables them to radiate their hope and love. God has given every person unique gifts and abilities; how we use these talents in our everyday lives are the good works upon which we will be judged (John 5:28-29).
From St. Charles Borromeo Church’s
“Glad You Asked”
scborromeo.org/index2.htm
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I was raised Protestant, and I was always told that if you just believed you were saved, and that was all there was to it. I am looking at the article you recommended right now, but it is still sort of unclear to me how we get salvation in the first place.
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