The Works-Righteousness Fallacy

We explore The Works-Righteousness Fallacy and prove that this is a false witness against the ancient Catholic Church.

Galatians 2:15-16 NASB
"We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; [16] nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

St. Paul teaches that we are saved by faith and not works. (Romans 3:20, 28; 9:32, 11:6, Gal 2:16, 3:2,5,10) Was St. Paul denying human participation in our salvation, and thus implicitly endorsing temporal nihilism? No. The first thing to notice is that believing God is itself a cooperation with God, for it is not God who has faith, but man who believes, as a gift of God. Secondly, in these verses St. Paul is talking about works apart from [grace and faith]. He is not talking about the works that result from grace and faith. If we keep in mind the distinction between ungraced-works and graced-works, then we will recognize that we cannot assume that St. Paul's "grace and not works" dichotomy eliminates the salvific contribution of [graced] works in the life of the believer. (from Dr. Cross)

Crucial Question: What is meant by Works of Law (Torah)?

St. Thomas Aquinas distinguishes the precepts of the Law of Moses into 3 categories:
1. Moral - the double commandment of Love and the 10 commandments.
2. Ceremonial - precepts regarding divine worship and ritual purity.
3. Judicial - akin to civil penal code.

[Ryan_Zell]

*RELEVENT SCRIPTURE*

Faith, Hope, Agape:
Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
2 Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 
3 More than that, we[d] rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,  
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  
5 and hope does not disappoint us, *because God’s love (AGAPE) has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.*

James Paraphrases Jesus:
James 2:15-16
15 If a brother or sister is *ill-clad and in lack of daily food, * 
16 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?

Compare to this Judgment scene:
Matthew 25:41-44
41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 
42 for *I was hungry and you gave me no food, * I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,  
43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, *naked and you did not clothe me, * sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 
44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’

Justification is a process
James 2:17-18
17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
18 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. 

James 2:19. Faith Alone is a faith that is not conjoined to Agape
19  You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.

Romans 2:6
(God) 6 For he will render to every man according to his works:

Romans 2:13-16
13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 
14 When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 
15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them 
16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

Romans 10:9 
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in from the dead, you will be saved;

Faith Alone = Dead Faith = A Faith not conjoined to Agape:

Matthew 19:17 
“If you would enter life, keep the Commandments.”

The Rich Young Man:

Mark 10:17-22 
“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit Eternal Life?” 

The Lawyer:

Luke 10:25-28
“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life?” 

*The Answer from Jesus:*

“You know the commandments?” Mark 10:19
“What is written in the law?” Luke 18:20

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength,
and with all your mind;
and your neighbor as yourself.”

This is the Royal Law and this is not Faith Alone Theology. Christians are doers of the Law. We are not all lucky like the Good Thief, who also did a work on the cross that is often missed by those of the heterodox.

John 3:36 ~ “He who believe in the Son has Eternal Life; but he who does obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides in him."

1 Cor 7:19 ~ “For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.”

Galatians 5:6 ~ “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.”

2  Cor 5:10 ~ “For all of us must appear before the Judgment seat of Christ,

So that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body,

Whether good or evil.”

Revelation 20:12 ~ And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done.

Protestants believe that Judgment Day for them is just a mere formality. They believe that Judgment Day does not apply to them.

Protestants NO LONGER work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling:
Philippians 2:12-13
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, *work out your salvation with fear and trembling;*
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.

[marcihf]

Thank you for another great video. God bless you and your ministry.

[Pickup_man_]

What does the Bible say Christians need to do or have to be saved or have eternal life?
By maintaining the faith (Col 1:22-23.) (Eph 2:8)

By works Jn 5: 28-29; Matt 7:21: Rom 2:6-7, 13; Jam 2:24; Acts 9:36-41

By believing in Christ (Jn 3:16; Acts 16:31)

By repentance (Acts 2:38; 2 Pet 3:9)

By baptism (Jn 3:5; 1 Pet 3:21; Titus 3:5)

By the work of the Spirit (Jn 3:5; 2 Cor 3:6)

By declaring with our mouths (Lu 12:8; Rom 10:9)

By coming to a knowledge of the Truth (1 Tim 2:4; Heb 10:26)

By eating his flesh and drinking his blood ( John 6 )

By grace (Acts 15:11; Eph 2:8)

By his blood (Rom 5:9; Heb 9:22)

By His righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Pet 1:1)

By His cross (Eph 2:16; Col 2:14)

By keeping the commandments ( Matt 19:17)


What does the Bible says you need to be saved or eternal or everlasting life?


By maintaining the faith (Col 1:22-23.) (Eph 2:8)

Col 1:22-23. he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, 23 provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;

By works Jn 5: 28-29; Matt 7:21: Rom 2:6-7, 13; Jam 2:24; Acts 9:36-41

John 5:28-29 Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.

Mathew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord, ” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven

Rom 2:6-7. for he will render every man according to his works: 7 eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works,

Romans 2:13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified”

James 2:24. See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Acts 9:36-41 36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated means Dorcas).* She was completely full with good works and acts of charity. 37 Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid [her] out in a room upstairs. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” 39 So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her dead body and said, “Tabitha, rise up.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive.


By believing in Christ (Jn 3:16; Acts 16:31)

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave* his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

Acts 16:31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.”

By repentance (Acts 2:38; 2 Pet 3:9)

Acts 2:38 Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized, * every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.

2 Pet 3:9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay, ” but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

By baptism (Jn 3:5; 1 Pet 3:21; Titus 3:5)

John 3:5. Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

1 Pet 3:21 This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God* for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, i

Titus 3:5 not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit,

By the work of the Spirit (Jn 3:5; 2 Cor 3:6)

John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

2 Cor 3:6 who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

By coming to a knowledge of the Truth (1 Tim 2:4; Heb 10:26)

1 Tim 2:4. who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.

Heb 10:26 If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins



By declaring with our mouths (Luke 12:8; Rom 10:9)

Luke 12:8. I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.

Rom 10:9. for, 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.

By eating his flesh and drinking his blood ( John 6 1 Cor 11:29 )

John 6:54, 58. 54Whoever eats* my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.

1 Cor 11:29. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.

By grace (Acts 15:11; Eph 2:8)

Acts 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.”

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;

By his blood (Rom 5:9; Heb 9:22)

Rom 5:9. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath.

Heb 9:22 * According to the law everything is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

By His righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Pet 1:1)

Rom 5:17 For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ.

2 Pet 1:1. * Symeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of equal value to ours through the righteousness of our God and savior Jesus Christ:

Eternal Life by following the 10 commandments! ( Matt 19:17)

Mathew 19:17 He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.* If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

[Pickup_man_]

Faith Alone? (Sola Fide)

We get the doctrine of “faith alone” from Martin Luther. In his first German Translated Bible, (Lut1545), he actually had the audacity to add the word “alone” to read you are saved by “faith alone” in Romans 3:28.

This is straight from Martin Luther’s 1545 Bible where he added the word “alone”
(LUT1545) Romans 3:28 - So halten wir es nun, daß der Mensch gerecht werde ohne des Gesetzes Werke, (allein ‘Alone’) durch den ( Glauben ‘Faith’. )

Here is the quote from Martin Luther about Luther adding the word “alone”. It’s pretty shocking!

“If your Papist annoys you with the word ‘alone’ – Rom. 3:28, tell him straightway, Dr. Martin Luther will have it so: Papist and asses are one and the same thing. Whoever will not have my translation, let him give it the go-by: the devil’s thanks to him who censures it without my will and knowledge. Luther will have it so, and he is a doctor above all the doctors in Popedom.” (ref. Amic. Discussion, 1, 127, ’The Facts About Luther, ’ O’Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 201. Cf. Also J. Dollinger, La Reforme et les resultants qu’elle a produits. (Trans. E. Perrot, Paris, Gaume, 1848-49), Vol III, pg. 138).

James 2:24 – the phrase “faith alone” only occurs once in the Bible. “Man is justified by works and NOT faith alone.” Unlike what some churches teach, no where in Scripture does it say that man is justified or saved by “faith alone.” To the contrary, man is not justified by faith alone. A person is justified by faith and works acting together, which comes solely from God’s divine grace. Faith alone never obtains the grace of justification. Also, the word “justified” is the same word Paul uses for justification in Rom. 4:3 in regard to Abraham (so you cannot argue James is not referring to “justification” in James 2:24 unless they argue Paul wasn’t in Rom. 4:3 either).

[sadiepotcake]

The Catholic Catechism says that Penance is a work when it says, “works of penance” (CCC 1430). Therefore, we can see that Penance is, essentially, taking care of your own sins by undergoing a work that releases you from sins’ debt. This is works' righteousness, no matter what the Roman Catholic Church teaches!

[marietav]

I have been praying to God to give my whole purgatory here on earth because I don't want to pass through purgatory after my death but go to heaven directly. I have been asking the good Lord to subject me to complete spiritual purification in this life. I have been praying to God attain spiritual perfection or transforming union even in this life just like what happened to many saints such as my favorite saint and one of my guardian saints, St. Therese, who told her sister, "I don't know what I can possess more in heaven. Of course, in heaven I shall see the Lord. But as far as being with Him now, I already have that grace completely." St. Therese attained the summit of spiritual life or spiritual perfection even in this life. If I attain spiritual perfection in this life, I am 100% certain of my salvation. God heard this prayer of mine that is why I have had so many trials and temptations. But bearing them and dealing with them are not that hard but easy sometimes for as long as I pray many rosaries every day. Devil's numerous temptations against me are futile when I pray many rosaries every day. My life is joyful and peaceful inside also. :) Praise be to God!

[Darth_Vader]

Do I have faith in God or do I have fear of God when I ONLY believe in God and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because I FEAR of going to Hell? I DON'T want to go to Hell so I will become even more a devout Catholic so I wouldn't go to Hell. I FEAR eternal torment and punishment in Hell so I MUST live a SINLESS lifestyle so I wouldn't go to Hell and so that God wouldn't be ANGRY at me. I CLING to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as my salvation because I FEAR of going to Hell.

[vaticancitybride]

Hypocritical protestant
Lordship salvation
VS
free grace theology witchcraft !

[wendymitchell]

CALVINISM IN IT'S EXTREME does teach irresistible Grace, MOST CHRISTIANS WOULD NOT AGREE WITH THAT TEACHING.The real meaning is God's grace cannot be resisted..That God decides who will become a Christian .not men .They do not claim love plays no role. The Bible teaches a true believer will do good works . read 1 John . also numerous verses, like my sheep hear my voice and follow me . You know them by their fruit. ETC.