Need clarification on justification by work

[FrancisD]

Hi all,

I’ve been reading many articles on Salvation by faith and work (eg.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/RIGHTEOU.HTM)

and I just need a bit of clarification.

I’m aware that we need to be in sanctifying grace in order to be saved and we lose the grace if we commit mortal sins. We can be in the sanctifying grace once again if we repent and take part in confession.

In the above article, Jimmy Akin uses the term “initial justification” which means believing in Christ, repenting, and being baptized/going to confession and all we need is this to be saved at minimum.

Then, Jimmy talks about progressive justification in which our righteousness increases by doing good works with the grace of God. This increases our righteosness but it is not like the Sacrament of Baptism or Confession which has the ability to give us sanctifying grace.

Therefore, how can we say we are saved by faith and work? Is it more proper to say we are saved by faith and grow in righteousness by work?

Unless, you can lose the state of sanctifying grace by refusing to do good work and thus, we are maintaining our salvation (by the grace of God)… but this hardly seems to be practical. This would mean I have to help anyone and everyone in need that I am aware of right?

If anyone knows a great article on this, please let me know!

Thanks,

Francis

 

[guanophore]

Hi all,

I’ve been reading many articles on Salvation by faith and work (eg.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/RIGHTEOU.HTM)

and I just need a bit of clarification.

I’m aware that we need to be in sanctifying grace in order to be saved and we lose the grace if we commit mortal sins. We can be in the sanctifying grace once again if we repent and take part in confession.

In the above article, Jimmy Akin uses the term “initial justification” which means believing in Christ, repenting, and being baptized/going to confession and all we need is this to be saved at minimum.

Then, Jimmy talks about progressive justification in which our righteousness increases by doing good works with the grace of God. This increases our righteosness but it is not like the Sacrament of Baptism or Confession which has the ability to give us sanctifying grace.

Therefore, how can we say we are saved by faith and work? Is it more proper to say we are saved by faith and grow in righteousness by work?

Justification and righteousness both express the same concept of being in right relationship with God Through the sacraments, we are placed in right relationship to Him. When we cooperate with this grace that justifies us we become the righteousness of God in Christ.

Unless, you can lose the state of sanctifying grace by refusing to do good work and thus, we are maintaining our salvation (by the grace of God)… but this hardly seems to be practical. This would mean I have to help anyone and everyone in need that I am aware of right?

If anyone knows a great article on this, please let me know!

Thanks,

Francis

Another way to think of it is faith, working through love. None of the “work” that we do in faith comes from ourselves, but from the grace that is at work in us. When we cooperate with the grace of God, we grow more into His character.

Gal 5:6-7
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, **but faith working through love. **

We “work out” what is at work “in” us.

Phil 2:12-13

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

There is a world of difference between working “out” and working “on” our salvation. In the former, we apprehend the grace of God in which we were sealed at baptism to will and to do His good pleasure. In the latter, we can easily fall into thinking that we must save ourselves by doing good.

Eph 2:8-10
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. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We are not saved by faith at all but by grace. Faith is the avenue through which we access saving grace. The grace that saved us is the same grace that produces good works in us. That is why we cannot separate them. Saving faith is faith that works.

 

[JonNC]

Another way to think of it is faith, working through love. None of the “work” that we do in faith comes from ourselves, but from the grace that is at work in us. When we cooperate with the grace of God, we grow more into His character.

Gal 5:6-7
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, **but faith working through love. **

We “work out” what is at work “in” us.

Phil 2:12-13

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

There is a world of difference between working “out” and working “on” our salvation. In the former, we apprehend the grace of God in which we were sealed at baptism to will and to do His good pleasure. In the latter, we can easily fall into thinking that we must save ourselves by doing good.

Eph 2:8-10
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. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We are not saved by faith at all but by grace. Faith is the avenue through which we access saving grace. The grace that saved us is the same grace that produces good works in us. That is why we cannot separate them. Saving faith is faith that works.

Guan,

No argument from this Lutheran. One question, though.
When you say, “When we cooperate with the grace of God, we grow more into His character”, would you agree that even the ability to cooperate is a result (gift?) of grace?

Jon

 

[Bookcat]

Faith and Works in Paul (by Pope Benedict XVI)

From Year of Paul:

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081119_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081126_en.html

Older one: vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20061108_en.html

 

[JonNC]

Faith and Works in Paul (by Pope Benedict XVI)

From Year of Paul:

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081119_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081126_en.html

Older one: vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20061108_en.html

The wall as he says in his Letter to the Ephesians between Israel and the Gentiles, was no longer necessary: it is Christ who protects us from polytheism and all of its deviations; it is Christ who unites us with and in the one God; it is Christ who guarantees our true identity within the diversity of cultures. The wall is no longer necessary; our common identity within the diversity of cultures is Christ, and it is he who makes us just. Being just simply means being with Christ and in Christ. And this suffices. Further observances are no longer necessary. For this reason Luther’s phrase: “faith alone” is true, if it is not opposed to faith in charity, in love. Faith is looking at Christ, entrusting oneself to Christ, being united to Christ, conformed to Christ, to his life. And the form, the life of Christ, is love; hence to believe is to conform to Christ and to enter into his love. So it is that in the Letter to the Galatians in which he primarily developed his teaching on justification St Paul speaks of faith that works through love (cf. Gal 5: 14).

It is my fervent belief that Pope Benedict wrote this, knowing Luther perhaps better than any pope, with Luther’s commentary on Galatians 5:6 in mind.

Faith must of course be sincere. It must be a faith that performs good works through love. If faith lacks love it is not true faith. Thus the Apostle bars the way of hypocrites to the kingdom of Christ on all sides. He declares on the one hand, “In Christ Jesus circumcision availeth nothing,” i.e., works avail nothing, but faith alone, and that without any merit whatever, avails before God. On the other hand, the Apostle declares that without fruits faith serves no purpose. To think, “If faith justifies without works, let us work nothing,” is to despise the grace of God. Idle faith is not justifying faith. In this terse manner Paul presents the whole life of a Christian. Inwardly it consists in faith towards God, outwardly in love towards our fellow-men.

It is not a complete end to our disagreement over justification, but does signal, ISTM, a gradual closing.

Jon

 

[guanophore]

Guan,

No argument from this Lutheran. One question, though.
When you say, “When we cooperate with the grace of God, we grow more into His character”, would you agree that even the ability to cooperate is a result (gift?) of grace?

Jon

Indeed, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”.

 

[JonNC]

Indeed, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”.

Amen.

Jon

 

[fhansen]

Hi all,

I’ve been reading many articles on Salvation by faith and work (eg.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/RIGHTEOU.HTM)

and I just need a bit of clarification.

I’m aware that we need to be in sanctifying grace in order to be saved and we lose the grace if we commit mortal sins. We can be in the sanctifying grace once again if we repent and take part in confession.

In the above article, Jimmy Akin uses the term “initial justification” which means believing in Christ, repenting, and being baptized/going to confession and all we need is this to be saved at minimum.

Then, Jimmy talks about progressive justification in which our righteousness increases by doing good works with the grace of God. This increases our righteosness but it is not like the Sacrament of Baptism or Confession which has the ability to give us sanctifying grace.

Therefore, how can we say we are saved by faith and work? Is it more proper to say we are saved by faith and grow in righteousness by work?

Unless, you can lose the state of sanctifying grace by refusing to do good work and thus, we are maintaining our salvation (by the grace of God)… but this hardly seems to be practical. This would mean I have to help anyone and everyone in need that I am aware of right?

If anyone knows a great article on this, please let me know!

Thanks,

Francis

It simply means that faith/baptism isn’t enough, by itself, for anyone who continues to live for much time after that initial justification. This is because we’re not guaranteed salvation, any more than Adam was, if we choose to return to sin, turning away from God again as Adam originally did. We struggle against sin as we struggle with the tendency to sin, known as concupiscence.

This concupiscence continues to face us with a challenge, with a question: do we love wealth, possessions, pleasure, power, pride, ourselves, more than God and neighbor? Ultimately our love is the measure of our justification, and our love is what we’ll be judged on. We’re expected to do the best we can with what we’re given: grace, revelation, time, etc. That’s the meaning of the Parable of the Talents.