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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Good works	Leon	Saturday, October 10, 2009
Question: Suppose a person was born in a catholic family. Baptised as an infant, grew up with some understandng of the faith, would attend sunday mass, may even frequent the sacrament of confession occasionaly. However the person does not believe that Jesus is the only way, infact he may believe that different religions are different paths to the same God. Would such a persons good works be merited to him? Also is this true that in Rm 3:28 and Gal 2:16; Paul and James are teaching a difference between works perfomed in a system of law versus works performed in a system of grace. Works done in a system of law do not justify and works done in a system of gace do justify. God Bless, Leon
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Leon: Any Catholic who believes that Jesus is only one way among many would be a heretic and may not receive the Sacraments of the Church, and is, technically, automatically excommunicated. No matter how many good works such a person performs it will not help him before God when God asks, "Why have you denied my Truth taught by my Church?" We cannot deny a dogma of the faith and expect salvation. Only God knows the heart, but we can say that a Catholic who believes that all religions are merely different paths to the same God is risking his soul to eternal damnation. The Church dogma is that Salvation is through Christ and His Church (that is, the Catholic Church) alone. All those who are saved, even Protestants, and even pagans that God may choose to save, are all saved through the Catholic Church even if the person does not know it. It is the Catholic Church that God Himself established to be the conduit of His salvific grace. As for Romans 3:28 and Galatians 2:16, we find explanation in James 2:14-26; especially James 2:24 which says, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone" and verse 26, which says, "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead." The teaching of St. Paul and that of St. James do not contradict one another. St. Paul was talking about the works of the Law. That is, just following the rules will not get you to heaven. St. James taught that without the works of love (that is, the good works that are naturally performed by those who love) we cannot be saved. To put these two teachings into perspective with each other -- Salvation, as St. Paul says, is by grace, through faith. But, as St. James says, faith that has no good works is dead. A faith that is dead is no faith; no faith means no salvation since God's salvific grace comes through faith. A person who claims to have faith, but does nothing to perform the good works of love, has no real faith, and thus no salvation. If we are genuine in our faith, then good works will be a natural expression of that faith. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Good works

Leon

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Question:

Suppose a person was born in a catholic family. Baptised as an infant, grew up with some understandng of the faith, would attend sunday mass, may even frequent the sacrament of confession occasionaly. However the person does not believe that Jesus is the only way, infact he may believe that different religions are different paths to the same God. Would such a persons good works be merited to him?

Also is this true that in Rm 3:28 and Gal 2:16; Paul and James are teaching a difference between works perfomed in a system of law versus works performed in a system of grace. Works done in a system of law do not justify and works done in a system of gace do justify.

God Bless,
Leon

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Leon:

Any Catholic who believes that Jesus is only one way among many would be a heretic and may not receive the Sacraments of the Church, and is, technically, automatically excommunicated.

No matter how many good works such a person performs it will not help him before God when God asks, "Why have you denied my Truth taught by my Church?" We cannot deny a dogma of the faith and expect salvation.

Only God knows the heart, but we can say that a Catholic who believes that all religions are merely different paths to the same God is risking his soul to eternal damnation. The Church dogma is that Salvation is through Christ and His Church (that is, the Catholic Church) alone. All those who are saved, even Protestants, and even pagans that God may choose to save, are all saved through the Catholic Church even if the person does not know it. It is the Catholic Church that God Himself established to be the conduit of His salvific grace.

As for Romans 3:28 and Galatians 2:16, we find explanation in James 2:14-26; especially James 2:24 which says, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone" and verse 26, which says, "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead."

The teaching of St. Paul and that of St. James do not contradict one another. St. Paul was talking about the works of the Law. That is, just following the rules will not get you to heaven.

St. James taught that without the works of love (that is, the good works that are naturally performed by those who love) we cannot be saved.

To put these two teachings into perspective with each other -- Salvation, as St. Paul says, is by grace, through faith. But, as St. James says, faith that has no good works is dead. A faith that is dead is no faith; no faith means no salvation since God's salvific grace comes through faith.

A person who claims to have faith, but does nothing to perform the good works of love, has no real faith, and thus no salvation.

If we are genuine in our faith, then good works will be a natural expression of that faith.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum