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I have some questions about "the role of works" in salvation. I can't seem to find a clear answer about this anywhere. I know from reading the Council of Trent (1551) and many articles online that justification is a process that begins with initial justification, which is accomplished through Baptism. This enables us to grow in righteousness (which is the same as justification) and we are then able to do good works by God's grace, for which we are rewarded eternal life.
I've heard in multiple places that, in order to be saved, all a Catholic has to do is to be baptized, repent, and die in a state of grace. This summary seems off though because it mentions nothing of our good works, for which we are rewarded.
What if someone was baptized and thereby received initial justification and the ability to do meritorious good works, just spends the rest of his life not doing any good works except for going to church and receiving Communion every week and he never sins mortally. He met the minimum requirements, but did not give to the poor or to the Church or sell his possessions or other good works, but he was faithful.
Would someone like this, who simply did not do any good works and just avoided sin, go to Heaven?
That scenario might not even be possible, considering that faith without works is dead.
If this hypothetical is impossible, are we rewarded for our faith which brings forth good works or are we rewarded for our good works and our faith?
If we are rewarded for our faith alone and not the works that come forth from it, then it starts to sound like the Protestant sola fide teaching, but if we are rewarded for faith and its works, then we seem to have the problem of trying to figure out how many good works, and what kind, are necessary for achieving salvation, which leads me to my next question:
Supposing both are baptized and in a state of grace, is someone who did a greater quantity of good works or more significant good works rewarded differently than someone who did less?
St. Mother Teresa gave her whole life to the poor and did things unimaginable to many, but I'm just a guy trying not to sin with no plans of travelling to a third world country and ridding myself of all my worldly goods. The saints have done greater good works in their lifetimes than I might ever do in mine, but if I remain in a state of grace and go to Heaven, they aren't receiving "more eternal life" than me despite literally being better, which seems to contradict the fact that God rewards us "according to works". Every saint in Heaven has different good works, yet they are all in Heaven with the same reward. In this article:
Trent Horn says, all one has to do to be saved is repent, believe in Christ (have faith), receive Baptism, and remain in communion with God and the Church by staying in a state of grace.
Nowhere does he say that good works are necessary.
Maybe I'm just confused.
If there is a basic summary of how to be saved, please explain it to me.
Thanks!
David
{ Can you answer some questions about "the role of works" in salvation according to the Church? }
Eric replied:
David,
If a newly baptized baby (or, for that matter, any baptized child under the age of reason), God forbid, dies, that child goes straight to Heaven. This illustrates the gratuitous nature of God's mercy and salvation.
The situation is different, of course, for someone who has the use of reason. You posit someone who is "baptized and thereby received initial justification and the ability to do meritorious good works, but just spends the rest of his life not doing any good works except for going to church and receiving Communion every week and he never sins mortally."
We have to keep in mind that one can sin, not only through commission, but through omission. Furthermore, salvation requires "faith working through love" as St. Paul puts it (Galatians 5:6). It's not enough to intellectually assent:
“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 poorly clothed 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.”
So we can tell, for example by the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-23), that neglecting the poor is a sin in and of itself. It can be mortal, or it can be venial.
The way I like to put it, our salvation is not dependent on how much fruit we bear, but on whether we are a fruit-bearing tree (cf. Luke 13:6–9, Luke 3:9). We need to have a faith that bears fruit (i.e. that works through love). How much fruit we bear will determine our reward.
Would someone like this, who simply did not do any good works and just avoided sin, go to Heaven?
I would argue such a person likely did not avoid sin, in the sense of a sin of omission. To know what is right and refuse to do it is sin (James 4:17).
You said: That scenario might not even be possible, considering that faith without works is dead.
It would seem so.
Are we rewarded for our faith which brings forth good works or are we rewarded for our good works and our faith?
I would say we are rewarded for our good works (Romans 2:6, 2 Corinthians 5:10). (But we are saved by grace through our faith working through love.) I have to admit, though, I'm not 100% of the distinction you are making between these two.
Is someone who did a greater quantity of good works or more significant good works rewarded differently than someone who did less, supposing both are baptized and in a state of grace?
Yes. See Luke 19:11-27. All those who die in a state of grace are rewarded, but those who loved more will be rewarded more.
I. The Particular Judgment. .
.
1022 Each man receives his eternal
retribution in his immortal soul
at the very moment of his death,
in a particular judgment that
refers his life to Christ: either
entrance into the blessedness
of Heaven-through a purification or immediately — or
immediate and everlasting
damnation. (cf. Council of Lyons II (1274):DS 857-858; Council of Florence (1439):DS 1304- 1306; Council of Trent (1563):DS 1820; Pope Benedict XII, Benedictus Deus (1336):DS 1000-1002; John XXII, Ne super his (1334):DS 990)
At the evening of life, we shall
be judged on our love.
(St. John of the Cross, Dichos 64)
I've heard of a comparison that I have found useful. Each of us is like a drinking glass. We enlarge our drinking glass according to our dispositions during life. At the end of our life, our glass will be filled to the top, but our capacities will be different. Each will have a full glass and will enjoy eternal life to the greatest extent we can, but, objectively, someone else might be able to enjoy eternal life more.
You said: Nowhere does he say that good works are necessary.
Well, the idea that Catholics believe that good works are necessary to be saved is a bit of a Protestant trope. As I said, a baptized baby who dies goes straight to Heaven. The confusion is in the fact that we believe that for the justified (i.e. those who have been baptized and are in a state of grace), good works bring more justification (=righteousness).
Protestants posit only one justification: the justification of the wicked.
Catholics believe that "We are said to be justified by faith because faith is the beginning and the foundation of man’s salvation, and the root of all justification, without which it is impossible to please God, and to come to the society of His sons; we are said to be justified gratuitously, because nothing which precedes justification [of the wicked], be it faith or works, merits the grace of justification." (Council of Trent) [comment added].
Pope Benedict XVI even said it is possible to say that we are justified by faith alone if, by faith, one means "faith working through love" (what theologians call "formed faith").
The issue is that Protestants see that we believe the just are justified by good works and think we believe that the wicked are justified by good works, which we do not believe, because they don't believe there is such a thing as the justification of the just (increase in righteousness).
But we cannot neglect our salvation (Hebrews 2:2–3). We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).
My advice to you is not to get wrapped up in "how many works do I need to do to be saved". Just respond to the grace God gives you and love wholeheartedly in the ways you have the opportunity to love. Focus on being a fruit-bearing tree. Look into the "little way" of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, (more) The "little way" of St. Thérèse is a spiritual path centered on simplicity, humility, and trust in God’s love. Recognizing her own smallness and inability to achieve great deeds, Thérèse embraced a childlike confidence in God's mercy, choosing to express love for Him in the ordinary and mundane acts of daily life. She taught that holiness does not require grand gestures but can be attained by doing small things with great love and for God’s glory. This way emphasizes surrender, recognizing one’s dependence on God, and seeking His will in every moment, making sanctity accessible to all.
Repent, be humble, and love everyone around you.
Does this clarify things?
Eric
Mike replied:
Dear David,
Eric's one of our best on this topic but if you still think there is something missing that you haven't had answered, these sources may help:
