7QT's about "by works and not by works"

Justification is by works AND
not by works

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The great debate between Protestants and Catholics is whether justification is by works or not by works.  Protestants adamantly deny that works have anything to do with justification.  They maintain that justification is by faith alone.

Normally, Catholics, in what appears to me to be a knee jerk response, say that justification is by faith AND works.    Not by faith alone.

Who is right?  Well, I'm Catholic. So, whom do you think I believe?  The Catholics.

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So, why do I call it a knee jerk response?

Because, before the advent of Martin Luther, the Father of the Protestant Revolution, some very prominent and influential Catholics also said that justification was by faith alone.

I know.  You don't believe me.  Ok, let me provide some examples:

Basil of Caesarea (329-379)
“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord, that Christ has been made by God for us righteousness, wisdom, justification, redemption. This is perfect and pure boasting in God, when one is not proud on account of his own righteousness but knows that he is indeed unworthy of the true righteousness and is (or has been) justified solely by faith in Christ.” 

Ambrose (c. 339-97)
“Therefore let no one boast of his works, because no one can be justified by his works; but he who is just receives it as a gift, because he is justified by the washing of regeneration. It is faith, therefore, which delivers us by the blood of Christ, because blessed is he whose sins are forgiven, and to whom pardon is granted.” 

Jerome (347-420) on Romans 10:3
“God justifies by faith alone.” (Deus ex sola fide justificat).

So, in my opinion, if these Church Fathers used the term "faith alone", I conclude that there is a legitimate understanding of this term for Catholics.

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Can justification be both by works and not by works?

Ok, I think I've muddied the waters enough.  The question that is probably going through your mind is, "What is it then?  Is it by works or not by works?  Is it by faith alone or by faith and works?

Please step back a moment and let me do the driving.  A better question to ask, in my opinion, is, "Can justification be both by works and not by works?  Can it be both by faith alone and by faith and works?"

My answer is, "Yes!"  They can both be true.

At this point, I expect Protestant and Catholic alike will quote me the old adage, "Two contradicting statements can not both be true at the same time!"  "Therefore, you are wrong!"

Please, step back one more time.  The key words in that adage are, "at the same time."  Yes, at first glance, the statements are contradictory.

Now, I would like you to ask this question, "How can it be both by works and not by works?  How can it be both by faith alone and by faith and works?"

Good question.

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How can justification be by works?

Justification is by works, because God does not justify those who do not do His Works.  Only those who do the works of God will enter the Kingdom of heaven:

Scripture says:

Matthew 7:21
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

And again:

Romans 2:3-13
3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

I hope it is clear to all that God does not justify those who do not do His will.  God does not justify those who do not keep His Commandments.  God justifies only those who do good works.

In that sense, justification is by works.

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How can justification not be by works?

Justification is not literally, by our works.  We do not stand before the Just Judge and say to God, "No need for you to do anything.  I've washed myself of all sins and become righteous without any need for your interference."

No sir!  That is what the Pharisee did and Jesus said:

Luke 18:9-14
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

This is what the Catholic Church teaches:

1994 Justification is the most excellent work of God's love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit. It is the opinion of St. Augustine that "the justification of the wicked is a greater work than the creation of heaven and earth," because "heaven and earth will pass away but the salvation and justification of the elect . . . will not pass away." He holds also that the justification of sinners surpasses the creation of the angels in justice, in that it bears witness to a greater mercy.

Therefore, in this sense, justification is not by our works.  We do not justify ourselves.  We do not wash ourselves of our sins.  Justification is God's work.

So far so good?  Have I lost anyone?  Better yet, has anyone begun to understand what I'm saying?

So, let's move on to the next question.

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How can it be by faith alone?

My first response, for the sake of clarification, is, "Not the Protestant way."

Protestants deny that works before justification avail anything towards justification.  But it is clear to me, from Scripture, that unless someone keeps the Commandments and does the Will of God, he will not be justified.  Scripture says:

Romans 2:13
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

This verse, very clearly tells me, that only those who do the Commandments will be just before God.  Therefore, good works avail everything towards justification because without them, we won't be justified.  In fact, unless we keep the Commandments and do the will of God, we will be condemned.

Revelation 22:12-15

12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

In what sense then, does faith alone avail for justification?

In the Sacraments. When we approach the Sacraments, we are like Abraham.

Genesis 15:6

6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

 We approach the Sacraments in an attitude of faith alone and he counts it to us as righteousness.  Let me give another example of a Church Father which perhaps will make this clearer:

"Word made flesh, by Word He maketh Very bread his flesh to be; Man in wine Christ's Blood partaketh, And if his senses fail to see, Faith alone the true heart waketh, To behold the mystery." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Pange Lingua)

So, it is by faith alone in the sense that God justifies those who believe in His promises.  It is by faith alone that we believe that God washes us of our sins in Baptism.  It is by faith alone that we believe that God seals us in the Holy Spirit in Confirmation.  It is by faith alone that we believe that God forgives our sins in Confession.  It is by faith alone that we believe that we receive the Body and Blood of our Lord in the Eucharist.  It is by faith alone that we believe we become one flesh with our spouses in Matrimony.  It is by faith alone that we believe we are healed of our afflictions in the Anointing of the sick.  It is by faith alone that we believe we are set aside for the Ministerial work of God in the laying of hands of the Priesthood.

We can't do any of those things for ourselves.  We can't wash our souls of sin.  We can't seal ourselves with the Holy Spirit.  We can't remove our own sins.  We can't turn bread into the Body and Blood of our Lord.  We can't make ourselves one flesh with our husbands and wives.  We can't heal our own bodies or souls.  We can't make ourselves ministers of God.

Those are God's works.  Not ours.  Therefore, it is by our faith alone that we are justified in the Sacraments.

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Sooo, how is it not by faith alone?  How is it by faith and works?

In the sense that it doesn't matter how much we claim to believe God's promises. If we don't prove our faith by our works, we are not just before God.  Illustration:

Let's say that a man, a non-Catholic, comes to a Catholic Church and asks to be baptized.  He comes drunk, he speaks vulgar language and he comes accompanied by two women who are obviously prostitutes.  

The priest says, "Well, you're going to have to change, radically!  You'll have to repent of your sins and your going to have to give up drinking and give up loose women!"

The guy begins to attend RCIA.  But the guy never changes.  He says he believes but he keeps living the same lifestyle.

The point here is not whether or not the priest will allow him to be baptized.  The point here is that, regardless of whether he is baptized, he will not be justified.  Scripture is clear:

Romans 2:13

13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

In that sense, it is not by faith alone.  Only those, who by faith do the works of God, only they will be justified before God:

James 2:24

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

And so, it is both by works and not by works.  It is both by faith alone and by faith and works.

Let me know what you think.

See also, Did St. James and St. Paul agree?

Sincerely,

De Maria

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