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V e r s e b y V e r s e
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This Rock
Volume 5, Number 2
 February 1994 
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WHAT part do good works play in our salvation?
Many Christians, especially Evangelicals, say they play no part, but
the Catholic Church teaches that they do have a role. At the
same time the Church warns against the idea that we "earn"
our salvation through good works. Both errors can be avoided by paying
close attention to Scripture.
"Not every one who says to me, `Lord,
Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the
will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).
"One came up to him, saying, `Teacher,
what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?' And Jesus replied
'If you would enter life, keep the commandments'"
(Matt. 19:16-17).
"He who has my commandments and keeps
them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by
my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him" (John
14:21).
"But by your hard and impenitent heart
you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's
righteous judgment will be revealed. For he will render to every man
according to his works: to those who by perseverance in good works
seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey
wickedness, there will be wrath and fury" (Rom. 2:2-8).
"You are severed from Christ, you who
would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For
through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of
any avail, but faith working through love" (Gal. 5:4-6).
"For by grace you have been saved through
faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God--not
because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10).
"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; for
God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure"
(Phil. 2:12-13).
"What does it profit, my brethren, if
a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?
If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of 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 does it profit? So
faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But some one will say,
`You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your
works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that
God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder.
Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works
is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he
offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active
along with his works, and faith was completed by works, and the scripture
was fulfilled which says, `Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned
to him as righteousness'; and he was called the friend of God. You
see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone"
(Jas. 2:14-24).
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