What about faith vs works?

[MarcieM]

Council of Trent
Canon 24. If anyone says that the justice (righteousness) received is not preserved and also not increased before God through good works but that those works are merely the fruits and signs of justification obtained, but not the cause of the increase, let him be anathema.

Canon 30. If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened, let him be anathema.

Canon 32. If anyone says that the good works of the one justified are in such manner the gifts of God that they are not also the good merits of him justified; or that the one justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ (of whom one is a living member), the justified does not truly merit an increase of grace, and eternal life, provided that one dies in the state of grace, the attainment of this eternal life, as well as an increase in glory, let him be anathema.

This seems to be in stark contrast to what the catechism currently teaches. Help.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

I grant you that the style of the above sounds rather somber. But one must put it in context. Luther was saying that we are so corrupt that we can’t do anything good, of ourselves. Even with grace we are as dung that is covered with snow. So the Catholic Church is emphasizing the fact that we are weakened by the fall, but are still basically good and are capable of good acts. In fact, we are EXPECTED to do good works. The Catholic Church teaches that the sanctity of the Christian is the result of the COMBINATION of grace and free will.

One of the inevitable results of teaching that we can only be saved by grace and can do nothing to advance ourselves spiritually is called “eternal security” or “once saved, always saved.” Once we have accepted Jesus into our hearts and are saved, then we can’t do anything to lose our salvation, no matter how badly we act. This flies in the face of so much Scripture:“but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved” Mt 24:13, “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my heavenly Father” Mt. 7:21. Something IS expected of us and such is good works!

Fr. Vincent Serpa,