What is works salvation and why will it send people to hell?

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I think it means you can justify yourself before God without the grace of Jesus Christ. Because this can’t be done, trying to do so will leave you unjustified and damned in the end.
 
I think it essentially boils down to pride, believing that anything you do could possibly compare to what Jesus has already done.
 
Genesis315 said:
I think it means you can justify yourself before God without the grace of Jesus Christ. Because this can’t be done, trying to do so will leave you unjustified and damned in the end.
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OK, so how does one engaged in “works salvation” avoid or reject the grace of Christ? Is that the work involved, the work of rejecting Christ?
 
VociMike said:
OK, so how does one engaged in “works salvation” avoid or reject the grace of Christ? Is that the work involved, the work of rejecting Christ?
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For example, you could figure you’re good enough already and trust your own wisdom rather than putting your faith in God’s word and approaching the grace of God in the waters of Holy Baptism.
 
OnlyAmbrose said:
A “works alone” salvation would mean something more along the lines of “we don’t think we need God.”
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OK, so anybody who thinks they do need God cannot possibly be guilty of works (alone) salvation? Seems reasonable.
 
Genesis315 said:
For example, you could figure you’re good enough already and trust your own wisdom rather than putting your faith in God’s word and approaching the grace of God in the waters of Holy Baptism.
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Ah, so anybody who has faith in God and is baptized cannot be guilty of “works salvation”?
 
So when other Christians accuse us of believing in works, this is what they mean…we think we can attain our own salvation without Christ? Oh. Now I get it. We don’t do that.

I couldn’t figure out what they had against doing nice stuff. Feed the poor sounds like a good work to me, and I didn’t think I should go to hell for doing it.

I’m finding out more and more that I don’t have a clue about non-Catholic Christians.
 
C’mon, all you people who actually claim that Catholicism teaches “works salvation,” educate me. 🙂
 
What is works salvation? A heresy called Pelagianism which was condemned by the Catholic Church in the 5th century.
 
Gamera said:
What is works salvation? A heresy called Pelagianism which was condemned by the Catholic Church in the 5th century.
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That makes me think some people have been sleeping through their history classes. For about 500 years.
 
VociMike said:
Thread title asks it all.
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It means different things to different Protestants. Martin Luther condemned “works salvation”, but he believed in baptismal regeneration. However, many Protestants claim that believing in baptismal regeneration is “works salvation.” Calvinists claim that believing in free will is believing in “works salvation” since anything done by humans to gain salvation - even faith - is a “work.” All Armianians believe in justification by faith alone. But OSAS Arminians accuse Arminians who don’t believe in OSAS of believing in “works salvation.” If you can lose salvation through sin - a bad “work” - then you don’t really believe in justification by faith alone. 🤷

God bless,
Michael
 
mikeledes said:
It means different things to different Protestants. Martin Luther condemned “works salvation”, but he believed in baptismal regeneration. However, many Protestants claim that believing in baptismal regeneration is “works salvation.” Calvinists claim that believing in free will is believing in “works salvation” since anything done by humans to gain salvation - even faith - is a “work.” All Armianians believe in justification by faith alone. But OSAS Arminians accuse Arminians who don’t believe in OSAS of believing in “works salvation.” If you can lose salvation through sin - a bad “work” - then you don’t really believe in justification by faith alone. 🤷
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So it sounds like just about everybody is guilty then. 🙂

But why would having the wrong theology condemn one to hell? Is there an theological entrance exam to heaven?
 
VociMike said:
Thread title asks it all.
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I think there are two things to distinguish in “works salvation”.

(1) St Paul said the Mosaic Law does not save NOT because it is too hard and that since we are fallen we cant keep it 100% perfectly…BUT rather the Mosaic Law was never intended to save. THAT is why “works based salvation” via the Mosaic Law doesnt save, it was never intended to.

(2) What sends people to hell is disobedience/sin, thus obedience is what sends one to Heaven. Part of this obedience includes recognizing your place as a creature and God’s place as Creator and Savior.
 
Works salvation is where one who…in the flesh, comes to the law of God and says - I can do that!! They are like the rich young ruler that says - I have done all these things from my youth rather than taking the full brunt of the law on the chin and saying - I am guilty!!

If we are trying to keep a list of rules to attain justification…whatever it might be…you can serve in the mission in the flesh - you can give money in the flesh…for your own glory or for any other selfish motive. Then, afterwards say - se , I have fed the poor and clothed the naked…justify me - vindicate me!

But, one must come to grips with their own sinfulness (See the Beatitudes) and fall before the Lord in humility and repentance and believe the gospel - to the death.

C2C

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. (Galatians 5:6 NAS95)

Whatever is not of faith in sin.
 
daeve said:
So when other Christians accuse us of believing in works, this is what they mean…we think we can attain our own salvation without Christ? Oh. Now I get it. We don’t do that.

I couldn’t figure out what they had against doing nice stuff. Feed the poor sounds like a good work to me, and I didn’t think I should go to hell for doing it.

I’m finding out more and more that I don’t have a clue about non-Catholic Christians.
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Most anti-Catholic Christians have been taught that the entire sacramental life is “works based”. Since sacraments are participitive, in the sense that people have a part, and must DO certain things in order to receive fullness of grace, they are considered “works of men”.
 
mikeledes said:
Calvinists claim that believing in free will is believing in “works salvation” since anything done by humans to gain salvation - even faith - is a “work.”
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I believe they have the testimony of Jesus on this point:

John 6:28-29
28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
 
Cling2Cross said:
But, one must come to grips with their own sinfulness (See the Beatitudes) and fall before the Lord in humility and repentance and believe the gospel - to the death.
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This is a fundamental misunderstanding of many Protestants. They see the Sermon on the Mount as a tool to show how sinful they are and how much they need Jesus…and in doing so turn the clear teachings of Jesus into empty rhetoric.

The Beatitudes are the fundamental guidelines for how a Christian is supposed to live if they want to enter Heaven.
 
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