Protestant Works vis-a-vis Catholic Works

[Chomoki]

Protestant theology and piety teaches works is an outward showing of faith. However, the what works are to be validated as evidence of of one’s faith? Protestants would argue (at least the reformed) keeping and observing the moral law in one application is evidence of works. Others such as mainstream (non-reformed) Protestants have no concept of keeping the law of God to showcase love and affection for the Lord Jesus Christ. The reformed would also argue good works are only to be executed in the light of Scripture. In other words Christians are only obligated to exercise good works only what is declared in Scripture.

My question what is the position of the Catholic Church and its interpretation of James’ admonition?

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

James 2:14-18

What works according to Catholic tradition and interpretation constitute works as evidence of one’s faith in Christ?

Thank you.

 

[ignatius777]

Protestant theology and piety teaches works is an outward showing of faith. However, the what works are to be validated as evidence of of one’s faith? Protestants would argue (at least the reformed) keeping and observing the moral law in one application is evidence of works. Others such as mainstream (non-reformed) Protestants have no concept of keeping the law of God to showcase love and affection for the Lord Jesus Christ. The reformed would also argue good works are only to be executed in the light of Scripture. In other words Christians are only obligated to exercise good works only what is declared in Scripture.

My question what is the position of the Catholic Church and its interpretation of James’ admonition?

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

James 2:14-18

What works according to Catholic tradition and interpretation constitute works as evidence of one’s faith in Christ?

Thank you.

Are your expecting a laundry list of things (works) that are approved as proof of one’s faith in Christ. Jesus washed the feet of his disiciples. Have you washed anyones feet lately? Jesus died on the cross for sins He didnt commit. Have you taken responsibility for the sins of others?

Jesus expected us to follow His example. To think of and serve others before ourselves. I think the prayer of St Francis says it best of all:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

 

[zach_dunn]

What works according to Catholic tradition and interpretation constitute works as evidence of one’s faith in Christ?

This is the first issue I believe Catholics and Protestants have to plow through before anything else. Catholics believe that works and faith both have a part to play in salvation. To Catholics, works are not simply evidence of the faith we have, they help us toward salvation in conjunction with works.

I believe this is what James taught, too:

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

Here it seems James is saying that works and faith each play their own part and both give evidence of each other. That’s where I think this conversation needs to start.

 

[srferdave]

It is possible to have faith without works. Even satan believes.

It is necessary to have both. If one says that ones faith is not real faith without works to prove it, then they are essentially saying that they need both. Just in a different way.

 

[Publisher]

It is possible to have faith without works. Even satan believes.

It is necessary to have both. If one says that ones faith is not real faith without works to prove it, then they are essentially saying that they need both. Just in a different way.

“Satan” doesn’t have “faith” he has “knowledge”…he has seen…we have not.

“Faith” is not simply “believing”…it carries with it a whole gambit of qualities “satan” exhibits none of the following when it comes to “faith”…“trust in”…“rely on”…’’'cling to"…

Faith is a quality of how we live our lives…it is trusting that the God of our understanding has everything in control…we rely on Him…in Him we “live and move and have our being”…this is Faith…it is not intellectual believeing…but “believing” in such a way that our belief has a profound impact on our lives as we walk with God and trust in Christ.

 

[srferdave]

“Satan” doesn’t have “faith” he has “knowledge”…he has seen…we have not.

“Faith” is not simply “believing”…it carries with it a whole gambit of qualities “satan”…“trust in”…“rely on”…’’'cling to"…

Faith is a quality of how we live our lives…it is trusting that the God of our understanding has everything in control…we rely on Him…in Him we “live and move and have our being”…this is Faith…it is not intellectual believeing…but “believing” in such a way that our belief has a profound impact on our lives as we walk with God and trust in Christ.

Most protestants I talk to say that the faith they have is not a saving faith unless they have works. At the end of the day isn’t that saying that works are necessary?

 

[valentino]

chomoki: Works is doing any charitable act.Keeping moral laws is not works.By not committing adultery I havent performed any good works.There are many good works one can do that arent mentioned in the bible.If I see an elderly woman drop her groceries and I help her pick them up Ive preformed a good work.

 

[Publisher]

Most protestants I talk to say that the faith they have is not a saving faith unless they have works. At the end of the day isn’t that saying that works are necessary?

Are we saved by our works? No…but by the grace and mercy of God alone through our trust in Him. We are “new creations” when we are “in Christ”…being “in Christ” means living our Faith…not just mouthing the words.

We have been prepared for good works…we do good works not for our salvation…but because good works are the TRUE repsonse of Faith. “We love him, because he first loved us.”

 

[James_Trevor]

“Satan” doesn’t have “faith” he has “knowledge”…he has seen…we have not.

“Faith” is not simply “believing”…it carries with it a whole gambit of qualities “satan” exhibits none of the following when it comes to “faith”…“trust in”…“rely on”…’’'cling to"…

Faith is a quality of how we live our lives…it is trusting that the God of our understanding has everything in control…we rely on Him…in Him we “live and move and have our being”…this is Faith…it is not intellectual believeing…but “believing” in such a way that our belief has a profound impact on our lives as we walk with God and trust in Christ.

It seems to me that we basically believe the same thing, Protestants and Catholics. But we put emphasis on “works” is actually living out your faith and Protestants tend to argue that there is no differentiation. A quote that we like to use -
Mt 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven

 

[Cristiano]

Protestant theology and piety teaches works is an outward showing of faith. However, the what works are to be validated as evidence of of one’s faith? Protestants would argue (at least the reformed) keeping and observing the moral law in one application is evidence of works. Others such as mainstream (non-reformed) Protestants have no concept of keeping the law of God to showcase love and affection for the Lord Jesus Christ. The reformed would also argue good works are only to be executed in the light of Scripture. In other words Christians are only obligated to exercise good works only what is declared in Scripture.

My question what is the position of the Catholic Church and its interpretation of James’ admonition?

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

James 2:14-18

What works according to Catholic tradition and interpretation constitute works as evidence of one’s faith in Christ?

Thank you.

I think that some protestants (and some Catholics too) can be confused about the concept of works. We will not be saved by our works but by our faith. Now the issue is with what our faith is about. A lot of protestants see faith only as in Jesus the Savior and that is wrong. We have to see faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. If we believe God to be our Lord then we automatically accept that works must be done because it is is will as Lord. When we truly believe in the Lord we come to accept that His law is only for our good and as obedient children we follow the law and do the works.

There is a great passage by Peter Kreeft that I will try to paraphrase. God seeks people with a special character and that character is true only when the person has specific behaviors (or does works). As a Father He wants us to have that specific character and we have to form it through the virtues that are developed by works.

Works by themselves are necessary for salvation but are not sufficient, they are just a path on which we can build our holiness. Only by the grace of God we can have the faith to stay on that virtuous path.

 

[ignatius777]

Most protestants I talk to say that the faith they have is not a saving faith unless they have works. At the end of the day isn’t that saying that works are necessary?

Yes they are necessary but protestants take that to mean that catholics believe works by themsleves are sufficient for salvation which of course they are not. Protestant bristle against the thought that works are included with faith in any way even though they cant say faith without works can save since thats unbiblical. What they struggle with is the concepts of whats necessary and/or sufficient for salvation. They say they believe that faith is sufficient for salvation but when pressed with scripture that says otherwise they say works come FROM faith so since it all comes from faith then faith alone is sufficient for salvation.