Ephesians 2:8 and salvation

[sparkly650]

I have a friend who uses Ephesians 2:8 as evidence for why they are already saved. “For it is by grace that you HAVE BEEN saved, through faith…” They think because of their faith, they HAVE BEEN saved, as this bible verse seems to state. What is the Catholic response to this?

 

[1Lord1Faith]

St Paul is referring to Jews who followed the Mosaic Law when he uses the word “works”.

In other words, St Paul is telling the Jews who are converting to Christianity that they have been saved by their faith in Jesus, not because they used to follow, or are still following, Mosaic Law.

 

[goout]

I have a friend who uses Ephesians 2:8 as evidence for why they are already saved. “For it is by grace that you HAVE BEEN saved, through faith…” They think because of their faith, they HAVE BEEN saved, as this bible verse seems to state. What is the Catholic response to this?

If someone throws a drowning man a life preserver, he probably says “thank you, you have saved me”. And he still has to grab the thing and go on cooperating. Or he could go out the next day and jump into the surf again, and drown.

Your friend sounds like he is literalist fundamentalist, where people insist on narrow and rigid interpretations of scripture.

 

[GospelOfMatthew]

”For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.“ - James 2:26

We are saved by faith but you can’t have faith without good works. Good works aren’t things we already have (like some predestination), thus the argument we are already saved or guaranteed Heaven makes no sense.

Jesus conquered death but we can still accept love and mercy or chose sin. Otherwise why don’t we all just sin and live lives of pleasure because hey, we’re already saved … illogical. If we are already saved, ‘living out the Gospel’ doesn’t matter

 

[MT1926]

I have a friend who uses Ephesians 2:8 as evidence for why they are already saved.

I would probably tell them you totally agree with what it says in this verse. However, as a Catholic you were taught to read the Bible as a whole and not just pick and choose the verses you like.

Tell them…

The Church teaches in agreement with Scripture that Christians:

"have been saved" through faith and baptism:

Mark 16:16

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God— 9 not because of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 6:3-4

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

they’re “being saved” through cooperation with grace:

1 Corinthians 1:18

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 15:1-3

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, 2 by which you are saved, if you hold it fast—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,

2 Corinthians 6:1

6 Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain.

and that they "shall be saved" if they persevere in the Faith:

Matthew 10:22

22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Romans 2:6-7

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;

Galatians 6:7-9

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.9 And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.

Hope this helps,

God Bless

 

[ahs]

Of course they “have been saved”. And now that they have been saved, they get to continue in that ongoing process of obedience (cf Jn 3:36; Rom 1:3-4, 16:25-27; 1Sam 15:22; , which faith demands, as they “work out [their] salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12).

 

[Latin]

Righteousness and Merit by James Akin​

Protestants who say this at least have a leg up on those who think Catholics believe we must do good works in order to become justified — a position which was explicitly condemned at Trent, which taught “nothing that precedes justification, whether faith or works, merits the grace of justification” ( Decree on Justification 8).

Catholic theology teaches we do not do good works in order to be justified, but that we are justified in order to do good works, as Paul says: “[W]e are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”(Ephesians 2:10).

Justification is the cause, not the consequence, of good works.

You don’t have to do a diddly-do-da thing after being justified by God in baptism in order to go to heaven.

There is no magic level of works one needs to achieve in order to go to heaven.

One is saved the moment one is initially justified. End quote

http://jimmyakin.com/righteousness-and-merit

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Might add, every elect irrevocably saved at their baptism, Infallible Protected by God’s special grace The Gift of Final Perseverance (DE FIDE).

In the above article Jimmy explains in fine details of the Catholics and Protestants misunderstanding on Justification, Sanctification, Righteousness and Merit.

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Of course we should do as much supernatural works as we possible can out of love for the Glory of God and out of love for others.

God determines our glory and positions in heaven according to the outcome of the judgment of our supernatural works. - Our judgment described in 1 Cor.3:12-15.
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God bless

 

[thebible]

Ephesians 2:8-9 means we can’t earn our way to God through works. But by grace through faith in Jesus.