Responding To Your Feedback: Part 11 (Works Don’t Save)

Every so often I receive comments on my blog posts and emails from readers who want to share their input on what I have written. Although many are supportive and friendly, plenty of others are critical, mean-spirited, inaccurate, or some combination of those attributes. On occasion, I do not respond to emails or approve comments because I don’t see how the exchange could be edifying. All that said, I would like to acknowledge some of these comments and emails when it seems appropriate. “Responding to your feedback” posts will be written directly to the author, but I will keep the individual anonymous by assigning him/her a nickname.

The Comment For The Day

Today’s comment was left on my post entitled “Catholicism Is Not Biblical Christianity.” Our commenter is wading into some very common Catholic waters. Works. In the aforementioned post, and every time I talk about Catholicism, I insist that works don’t save us. I say this because the Catholic Church absolutely teaches that they do (or at least play a part in saving us). Salvation is, according to Catholicism, Jesus Christ plus the works we do. Apparently, some of my readers still don’t understand the role works play in salvation, so let’s look at this comment.

I will refer to the commenter today as Worker Bee.

*I am presenting the comment with no editing.*

“Just adding the so called wrong assumption of works, I would take another hard look at Mathew 25 verse 31-46. The title being The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations. I’ll start with verse 34 for brevity, now remember these are Jesus own words: “Then The King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inheret the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…And The King will say to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you when you did this to one of the least of my bretheren, you did it to me.’ Jesus says nothing in this particular passage about faith alone will save you. In fact when speaking about in this partciular case of Jesus passing judgement on the nations of the world, ALL that is mentioned is the fruit of good works. True faith leads to good works of course. But to counter the point you are making that there are many CAtholics who do good works without faith (which I don’t necessarily think is true), I would put ti to you that there are just as many from you side of things that have so called “Faith” that produces no actual fruit.”

Responding To Your Feedback

Dear Worker Bee,

You bring up an important topic. Works, and the role they do or do not play in salvation, are essential to understand if you’re going to understand the gospel. Everyone should consider how one is saved. The Catholic Church teaches that works play a large part in salvation, but if you’re relying on your own actions to be reconciled with the Father, then you’ll never be saved. Allow me to address your comment and explain what I mean.

Works Don’t Save You: Point #1

“Just adding the so called wrong assumption of works, I would take another hard look at Mathew 25 verse 31-46. The title being The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations. I’ll start with verse 34 for brevity, now remember these are Jesus own words: “Then The King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inheret the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…And The King will say to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you when you did this to one of the least of my bretheren, you did it to me.’ Jesus says nothing in this particular passage about faith alone will save you.”

The passage you’ve chosen (Matthew 25:31-46) to support works-based salvation is understandable. I see what you’re reading into it here. The problem is that Scripture interprets Scripture, and Matthew 25 doesn’t support your point if you see it as part of the entire Bible rather than a cherry-picked passage to support a false teaching in the Catholic Church.

This passage is discussing what will happen when Jesus returns for the final judgment. He will separate the righteous from the unrighteous which He refers to as sheep and goats here. Yes, he does talk about their works. The sheep fed the hungry, clothed the naked, etc. They will inherit the Kingdom. On the other hand, the goats didn’t care for those in need, and Jesus says they will be going to “the eternal fire.”

Does The Bible Really Say Works Don’t Save?

Your point here is that Jesus is judging people based on the works they have done, but a biblically informed understanding is that those works are evidence of faith not what actually saves a person. Let’s just look at verses from other areas in God’s Word that discuss salvation. Spoiler: works are never the path to salvation. (I’ll italicize what I want to emphasize below.)

“He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 1:11-13

“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Acts 15:8-11

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

Romans 3:21-24

“Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.’”

Romans 4:4-8

“Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness?’ Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”

Galatians 3:5-9

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:8-10

Works Or Faith?

Well, what pattern do you see here, Worker Bee? Works don’t save! The full scope of Scripture makes your interpretation of Matthew 25 an impossibility unless, of course, you’re telling me that God’s Word contradicts itself. Is that what you’re saying?

Works Don’t Save You: Point #2

“In fact when speaking about in this partciular case of Jesus passing judgement on the nations of the world, ALL that is mentioned is the fruit of good works. True faith leads to good works of course.”

We have some agreement here, Worker Bee! I love when that happens. True faith does lead to good works. James famously discusses this idea.

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 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? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

James 2:14-17

Works without faith is no good, and faith without works is dead. The two are a package deal for Christians, but as you saw from the plethora of verses I already shared, we’re saved by faith. Therefore, works must follow salvation because it is our faith in Christ alone which saves us, and our works are not in Christ before salvation. Like anything we do, works before salvation are polluted by our sin. So, we can only perform God-honoring good works after salvation has been established.

I know that can sound incredibly complicated, but it’s so simple. Confess and believe in Jesus (i.e., faith), and good works will follow as an evidence of being truly born again.

Works Don’t Save You: Point #3

“But to counter the point you are making that there are many CAtholics who do good works without faith (which I don’t necessarily think is true), I would put ti to you that there are just as many from you side of things that have so called “Faith” that produces no actual fruit.”

This final thought in your comment is a little off topic, but I am thrilled you brought it up. It touches on one of my favorite spiritual topics: false conversion.

Fake Catholics

First, let’s deal with Catholics who do good works without faith. I’m actually surprised you don’t necessarily believe that’s possible. Worker Bee, there are people attending mass every Sunday who don’t even believe in God. I promise you that’s true. People attend church and play the role of whatever denomination they are member of for all kinds of reasons. Pressure from family, spousal obligation, fear, pride, tradition…

I grew up that way. My family almost never attended services, but you better believe I went to CCD, had my first communion in second grade, and was confirmed in eighth grade. Before my confirmation, I literally told the priest I didn’t believe in God, and he told me that was fine and to just go through with it anyway.

All I’m saying is that you’re being very naïve to assume that everyone who calls himself a Catholic does “good works” with faith. Some folks outright reject God and are some of the nicest most generous people you’ll ever meet. Go figure!

Not-So-Born-Again

You nailed it on the head. There are loads of people who claim Christ in Protestant churches who don’t show fruit. Do you know why? The reasons I listed for faithless Catholics apply here, too. But I want to show you something even worse.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Matthew 7:21-23

There are people in churches like mine who honestly think they’re saved, but they never came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They’re still trusting in something else. Worker Bee, that could very likely be you, too. If you think that your works have done anything to contribute to salvation, then I strongly encourage you to rethink where you stand with God.

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Romans 10:9-10

That’s it. There’s no list of tasks to complete to be saved or to keep your salvation. It’s a free gift, and you just need to receive it.

Final Thought

The Bible says that Jesus alone is the only way to be saved.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

John 14:6

He doesn’t require an assist from us. To give away my age a little, we’re not the Scotty Pippen to His Michael Jordan. And this isn’t a Catholic versus Protestant issue. It’s a human issue. Works don’t save us, no matter who we are. We are either saved through faith in Christ or we’re condemned. If your church is teaching any other way of salvation, run. Worker Bee, ultimately you need to ask yourself a couple of questions. Is the Catholic Church truly adhering to biblical teaching? And if not, will I choose to follow the Catholic Church or God’s Word?

What would the rest of you say to someone who believes works help save us?

Image courtesy of Joel Muniz via Unsplash.