Faith initially justifies us, but good works done in grace perfect and complete our justification. Faith is a starting point, without which we can never hope to please God (Heb 11:6). It increases by the measure of our ‘obedience’ to the will of God (2 Cor 10:15). If this were not so, then Paul would have no reason to exhort us to examine our conscience for the sake of making sure that we are living up to our faith in our conduct ( 2 Cor 13:15). Good works done in grace are a cause, not an effect or demonstration, of our justification. Faith does not lead to works. The two are distinct from each other in their own right (Jas 2:18). Thus faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. Both must act together in order for us to be fully justified before God (Jas 2:17, 26).
Even the failure on our part to do a good work in grace (a corporal work of mercy) is a sin of ommission that affects our justification. (Jas 4:17). Faith alone cannot save us, for our salvation comes from God before whom we are justified (Jas 2:14). And the absolute truth is that God will judge us according to our works (Rev 20: 12-13). If good works done in grace were merely an effect or demonstration of our faith through grace alone without any meritorious cooperation on our part, then there would be no justice in God’s final judgment of us. We should then be judged according to our faith as meted out to us as a free undeserved gift, a corollary of the false Protestant doctrine of Double Predestination.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 7, 21 {NAB}
According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that there is, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire.
1 Corinthians 3, 10-15 {NAB}
Paul is reminding all Christians that they will be judged for their works done in cooperation with God’s grace. He is referring to those who have avoided eternal damnation and been saved, but still await final judgment and further purification in order to be deemed worthy of entering the kingdom of heaven. The “loss” these Christians have incurred does not refer to their salvation per se but to the suffering associated with the consuming fire’s purification of them from the works they did which were not worthy of Christ, and of which they hadn’t fully repented by finally overcoming. These Christians who are to be ultimately saved will be held accountable for their works, which follow them after death to the Day of Judgment. Sinful works, unworthy of Christ, will be purged from them by a consuming fire, which does not destroy, so that they are cleansed and made fit in God’s judgment to enter heaven (Rev 21: 27).
If Christians haven’t ‘completely’ turned away from sin once and for all, notwithstanding a contrite heart, and renounced all attachment to sin and sinful desires, not allowing God’s grace to thoroughly sanctify them before death, then upon death they will not be worthy to enter heaven until they are purified and made clean by the consuming fire. The flames shall complete the purification that Christians failed to complete before death by their refusal to cooperate with God’s grace and rejection of it. Grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit; it is something freely given and freely received upon acceptance. Paul is speaking of the Church Penitent, the souls in Purgatory who must endure the consuming fire of purification before they can finally enter heaven. We shall be judged according to our works.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the ‘deeds’ of the body, you will live.
Romans 8, 13 {NAB}
Very few Christians, if any, have completely “put to death the deeds of the body”. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” Jesus tells us. But God in his mercy has not damned us for our sins provided we are sorry for them. Nonetheless, these sins which we may have committed and are struggling with render us unclean and unworthy of heaven. They have yet to be purged from us so that we are completely sanctified by the Spirit. There is no hope after death for those who have “lived according to the flesh” and have not even tried to “put to death the deeds of the body” with no thought given to the need for repentance.
“You are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5, 48
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