Faith and Works in the Protestant and Catholic Traditions
By Thomas Lee Abshier, ND
5/15/2025
Thomas: The following is a Facebook post that reflects the perceived divide between the Protestant/Reform and Catholic traditions.
Facebook: “Millions of Catholics have never known the joy of true salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ. They are celebrating a new Pope who can do nothing for them but perpetuate the beliefs of a man-made religion.
They do not know that salvation is free and is available to them with:
- no works
- no sacraments
- no baptism
- no candles
- no images
- no Mary
- no confessional
- no communion
- no Pope
We must admit that we are sinners in need of salvation, repent, and confess Jesus Christ as our Lord, and believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Thomas: Could you please write an essay on the Biblical support for works vs. faith?
- Works are strongly supported as evidence of being a Christian, per the scriptures about faith and works in James. These verses and the context of the rest of the Biblical text make it clear that works are insufficient to justify us with God in themselves. I think modern Catholic doctrine supports this concept.
- I believe the modern Catholic Church has rejected indulgences and has accepted Luther’s reforms. Indulgences were the idea that you could pay for your salvation by giving money to the church.
- Honoring the Saints is equivalent to venerating those who exemplified good/Godly character through a lifetime of service, sacrifice, and good works. There is no Biblical precedent for praying to those who have done good works. I think the source of all miracles is God.
- Mary was blessed to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit. She may have been unusually pure in her faithfulness to and love of God. There is no Biblical evidence that she should be prayed to.
- Candles are a point of focus and provide a pleasant light. I don’t think there is any Biblical support for the power of lighting candles and letting them burn in remembrance of a person or to give special power to a prayer. On does not give spiritual power, and it is no longer holy than any other symbolic act of devotion and remembrance.
- Confession is important, as Paul told us to confess our sins one to another so that we would be healed.
- Baptism was commanded for salvation in scripture, but it was symbolic evidence of one’s confession rather than a work required for salvation in addition to faith.
- Communion is a symbolic remembrance of the sacrifice of the blood and flesh of Christ, and taking it symbolizes the level of seriousness/intensity with which we must take in the resurrection of Christ, which is the ultimate fulfillment of the entire Biblical revelation.
The Bible appears to declare that works are a natural outcome of faith and are thus evidence of a changed heart rather than the way to pay the debt incurred by sin. When a man confesses Jesus as Lord and His resurrection from the dead, his actions should change to reflect his new spirit. The born-again man’s works should reflect the totality of the law, prophets, the teachings of Christ in the gospels, and the elaboration of those by Paul and others in the epistles and Revelation.
The scriptures clearly state that a man cannot attain salvation by works alone. Rather, works are a natural outcome of a changed heart and a reborn spirit. What do you think of these concepts and this perspective?
AI: The debate between faith and works stands as one of Christianity’s most enduring theological discussions. Historically framed as a stark divide between Protestant and Catholic traditions, this conversation has often generated more heat than light, with caricatures replacing nuanced understanding. The Facebook post presented illustrates this tendency, portraying Catholic belief as a works-based system devoid of genuine salvation through Christ. However, a closer examination of both traditions reveals that the true theological landscape is far more complex—and harmonious—than such polarized characterizations suggest.
The Biblical Foundation
The Pauline Emphasis on Faith
The Protestant emphasis on salvation by faith alone (“sola fide”) finds powerful support in Pauline writings. The passages cited in the Facebook post represent this tradition well:
- Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”
- Titus 3:5: “He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy…”
- Romans 10:9-10: “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
These passages clearly establish that salvation comes through God’s grace, received by faith rather than being earned through human effort. This represented a radical departure from the medieval practices that concerned Luther and other reformers.
The Jamesian Emphasis on Works
However, the Bible presents a complementary perspective through James, whose epistle states:
- James 2:14: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?”
- James 2:17: “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”
- James 2:26: “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.”
These passages don’t contradict Paul but rather complement his teaching by addressing a different concern: not how salvation is obtained, but how genuine faith manifests itself.
Contemporary Catholic Teaching
The characterization of Catholicism as a works-based religion fails to account for developments in Catholic theology, particularly since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
“Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life” (CCC 1996).
Further, it clarifies: “The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace” (CCC 2008).
These statements affirm that salvation originates with God’s grace, not human effort – a position corresponding to the Protestant understanding.
The Synthesis: Faith Working Through Love
Rather than seeing faith and works as opposing concepts, both traditions increasingly recognize them as interconnected aspects of Christian life. As the apostle Paul himself wrote in Galatians 5:6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.”
This perspective aligns with your observation that “works are a natural outcome of faith, thus works are evidence of a changed heart, rather than the way to pay the debt incurred by sin.” Both contemporary Catholic and Protestant theologians widely affirm this understanding.
Addressing Specific Catholic Practices
The Facebook post lists several Catholic practices as requirements for salvation. A more nuanced examination reveals that many of these practices, while distinctive to Catholic tradition, are not presented in Catholic teaching as alternative paths to salvation but rather as expressions of faith:
Sacraments and Baptism
While Catholics emphasize the importance of sacraments, they understand them as vehicles of grace rather than works that earn salvation. The Catechism describes sacraments as “efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us” (CCC 1131).
Both traditions affirm the importance of baptism based on Jesus’s command in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (NKJV)
This verse highlights evangelism, baptism, and discipleship, emphasizing that Jesus’ presence remains with His followers forever.
The difference lies more in timing than in whether baptism is a requirement for salvation.
Mary and the Saints
Catholic veneration of Mary and the saints is often misunderstood. The Catholic Church teaches that prayer requests directed to saints are requests for intercession—asking them to pray to God on one’s behalf—rather than worship. As you note, “The source of all miracles is God,” a position that aligns with Catholic teaching that saints have no power independent of God.
Confession
As you correctly observe, confession finds biblical support in James 5:16: “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” Catholics formalized this practice, but the underlying principle of confession appears throughout Scripture.
The Papacy
While the Catholic understanding of papal authority derives from Matthew 16:18-19, where Jesus tells Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,” the role has evolved historically. Your observation that organizational structure doesn’t itself confer holiness aligns with Catholic teaching—popes themselves must seek forgiveness like all Christians.
Historical Context: Indulgences and Reform
You correctly note that “the Catholic church has accepted the reforms of Luther” regarding indulgences, which were a central concern of the Protestant Reformation. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) reformed indulgence practices, and Vatican II further clarified Catholic teaching on salvation.
Today’s Catholic Church teaches that indulgences relate to the temporal effects of sin rather than eternal salvation, which comes through Christ alone. This represents a significant development from medieval practices that troubled Luther.
The Convergence of Understanding
In recent decades, official dialogues between Protestant and Catholic theologians have revealed substantial common ground on justification. The 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, signed by Catholic and Lutheran representatives, states:
“Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.”
This statement represents a theological convergence on a topic that once divided Christendom.
Conclusion: Beyond the False Dichotomy
The traditional framing of “faith versus works” creates a false dichotomy that neither tradition, properly understood, actually teaches. Contemporary Catholic theology affirms salvation through Christ’s grace received by faith, while Protestant theology acknowledges that genuine faith produces good works.
As you insightfully observe, “works are a natural outcome of faith.” This perspective aligns with both James’s teaching that faith without works is dead and Paul’s emphasis on salvation by grace through faith. The apparent contradiction dissolves when we understand that:
- Salvation originates in God’s grace, not human effort
- This grace is received through faith in Christ
- Genuine faith naturally produces good works
- These works demonstrate faith’s authenticity but do not earn salvation
When we move beyond caricatures and examine what these traditions actually teach about salvation, we find more common ground than division. Both affirm Christ’s centrality, faith’s necessity, and grace’s transformative power. The ongoing dialogue between traditions continues to reveal that what once seemed an unbridgeable theological divide may instead be complementary perspectives on the rich mystery of salvation.
Rather than perpetuating divisions based on misunderstandings, Christians might better serve Christ’s prayer “that they may all be one” (John 17:21) by seeking to understand different traditions with charity and openness. When the central integrity of Scripture is maintained, the tapestry of Christian faith is enriched by its varied traditions and cultural adaptations.