Law vs good works

[MarkRA]

what’s the difference between following the law of God and performing good works? is there a sharp distinction between the two? is following God’s law like not sinning because of faith in God, and then performing good works like doing good things to glorify God?

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

what’s the difference between following the law of God and performing good works? is there a sharp distinction between the two? is following God’s law like not sinning because of faith in God, and then performing good works like doing good things to glorify God?

You may gobeyond the call of duty.
Remember the rich boy who asked Jesus what to do?
Jesus told him to follow the law. And he said he did it.
Then, Jesus told hem, if you wnat better, sell everything and give the money to the poor and come and follow me.
But, though he followed the law, he could not go higher up.

 

[AlegreFe]

MarkRA;8539256:

what’s the difference between following the law of God and performing good works? is there a sharp distinction between the two? is following God’s law like not sinning because of faith in God, and then performing good works like doing good things to glorify God?

You may gobeyond the call of duty.
Remember the rich boy who asked Jesus what to do?
Jesus told him to follow the law. And he said he did it.
Then, Jesus told hem, if you wnat better, sell everything and give the money to the poor and come and follow me.
But, though he followed the law, he could not go higher up.

Wow Pfaffenhoffen, you clearly do not know. Jesus never said, “follow the law”. He said, “Keep my COMMANDMENTS” which are to love one another with all your heart and with all your strength

Mark, the “works of the law” are the OLD TESTAMENT Laws like circumcision and all the other “LAWS” kept by the Judaizers. The “Law” is not the same as “good works” as in what Jesus commands of us. Jesus said, to feed the poor, give drink to the thirsty, visit the imprisoned and the sick, etc. God gave us the TEN COMMANDMENTS which we are to keep.

In James 2:24 we are told that we are justified by WORKS and NOT by Faith alone. But those “works” are what we Catholics call “Good works” because God has prepared them for us so that we can walk in them (Eph 2:8-10). Those “works” mentioned in James 2:24 are NOT the “works of the law” as many protestants think we believe.

 

[James_Tyler]

There is a distinction made between following the law and following the spirit of the law. The spirit of the law is to love God completely and your neighbor as yourself. Hence a law like, don’t steal. But the law doesn’t cover every aspect of good will. It isn’t unlawful to withhold money from a beggar for instance. But for the sake of charity you could give something because look at him as yourself. He is in need. (We’ll take the example as in the case of a legitimate person in need and not a con man.) And there is the case where is might be lawful to do something but against the spirit of the law, as it was given by God. For instance, it was lawful to persecute the Jews in Nazi Germany, but against the spirit of the law which is to love others as oneself. So lawfulness doesn’t necessarily mean goodness. It depends on the law giver.