Salvation through works

In a nutshell, the Roman Catholic Church follows a “works-based” approach towards salvation where its followers must cooperate with the Holy Spirit and do exemplary works to get to heaven.

In general, Catholics don’t fully hold to the understanding that the work of Christ alone is sufficient to save sinners. Instead, they prescribe that certain works (such as the seven Sacraments) are required along the way to attain / maintain salvation. (We will discuss the Sacraments in the next chapter).

A crucial question arises: how many “good works” must a person do in order to attain salvation? How much “good work” is enough?

Those who follow the Catholic doctrine believe that one must continually perform  good works as much as possible; in fact, they assert that all their good works will be credited to them in heaven as ‘meritorious works.’ In addition, if they accumulate an excess of these ‘meritorious works’, they may offer them to others to bring them to salvation or to reduce the length of their time in purgatory.

This is why the Pope canonizes saints who have lived a lifetime doing countless good works so that when Catholics pray to them, they might gain some ‘grace points’ credited to them from heaven. This acts as a heavenly bank account.

Though the idea of a heavenly bank account might sound silly, it is a clear representation of the concept of meritorious works in Roman Catholicism.

The heavenly bank account of a Catholic gets frozen whenever they sin, and in order to reopen it, they must confess to a priest for forgiveness and complete the sacrament of penance.

Is there any Biblical precedent for any of this? No, there isn’t. Scripture clearly teaches that we are saved completely by God’s grace alone, not our own works or merits.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Our eternal life is a free gift merited to us by God alone, not something we earn through our works. If we preach anything other than His grace for salvation, we are preaching another gospel.

The Catholic Church, however, rejects this basic understanding of the gospel message, as evidenced by some of their doctrinal statements at the General Council of Trent, Session Sixth – 1547 AD.

If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious (sinner) is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema.

(Canon IX)

If any one saith, that justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ’s sake; or, that this confidence alone is that whereby we are justified; let him be anathema.

(CANON XII)

If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema.

(CANON XXIV)

The reformers (mainly) were damned for claiming salvation was by faith alone.

In simple terms, the Roman Catholic Church declared the Reformers accursed for the way they understood the Biblical teaching that works are the result of our justification and not what justifies us.

The reasoning behind these Roman Catholic beliefs is to motivate their followers to work harder. The more works they perform, the more grace they will receive, and the more goodwill they will have with God, ultimately leading to the attainment of eternal life.

Roman Catholic followers are also reminded that they are on a long journey toward perfection. However, this isn’t “good news” for its church members rather it is simply a motivational “pep-talk” to do more stuff.

Because Catholics don’t know whether they will ever get into God’s kingdom (since even one mortal sin can threaten their entire walk with God and send them back down the ladder), they are plagued with guilt and fear.

The good news of the gospel is that,  frees us from the guilt and condemnation of our sins once we put our trust in Jesus’ finished work. Biblical Christianity states that we are saved by Grace through faith and not of works, it is a gift of God and once given is sustained and sealed by His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:8-9 / Romans 8:1 / Ephesians 1:13-14).

Is Jesus or the Catholic Church necessary for salvation?

Catholic Doctrine Says:

“The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism (movement for Christian unity) explains: ‘For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone,which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained.’”
(1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church – Pg. 215, #816)

“…all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body: Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation…”
(1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church Pg. 224, #846)

From the above we can conclude that the Roman Catholic doctrine clearly teaches that salvation cannot be attained without the Roman Catholic Church. 

What does the Bible say about this? Several Scriptural passages clearly teach that salvation can only be attained through Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Acts 4:12 (NKJV)
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Romans 1:16 (NKJV)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NKJV)
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Our Christian lives are centered around Christ as our redeemer. We can summarize the Christian salvation in three stages: Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification.

(1). Justification: happens at the moment we place our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior. It is the one-time act of God declaring us righteous because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross. Through faith alone, we are freed from the guilt of sin, and God credits us with the righteousness of Christ.

(2). Sanctification: is the ongoing process of becoming more like Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, cleansing us from sin and empowering us to live in obedience to God’s will. As we grow in faith, we are progressively transformed into the likeness of Christ, reflecting His holiness in our daily walk.

(3) Glorification: occurs when we are finally perfected at the moment of death or Christ’s return. All traces of sin are removed, and we receive immortal, glorified bodies. This enables us to worship and enjoy God fully and eternally, forever dwelling in His presence.

Jesus is at the heart of Christianity. His death and resurrection paved the way for our salvation and enabled us to be reconciled to God. It is through faith in Jesus that we can live a sanctified life and have the confidence that we will one day be reunited with our Heavenly Father in our glorification.

No Assurance of Salvation in the Catholic Church

There is no assurance of salvation for the Roman Catholic believer. This is because the Roman church has made its followers afraid that if they abandon Catholicism, it could have eternal consequences.

The followers have no hope except in the church, which acts as a surrogate Christ (a redeemer in itself).

In theory, Catholics are not connected to Christ by their personal faith; rather, they are connected to the church, which claims to be connected to Christ. By means of various sacraments and rituals, the Roman Church attempts to keep its followers connected to Christ. Consequently, the Church has entrapped its followers by creating the fear of missing out on something if they break away from it or abandon it entirely.

But thankfully, the scriptures make clear that true believers can always be assured of their place in heaven.

1 John 5:13 (NKJV)
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

In speaking to Roman Catholics, this assurance of salvation is a powerful truth that can help liberate them from dependence on rituals and practices. It offers a profound invitation to trust wholly in Christ’s finished work for their salvation, rather than in the church’s mediating role. What a great encouragement for anyone who feels trapped in the cycle of religious rituals and traditions to be set free by placing their faith in the redemption Christ offers.

True freedom and assurance comes from knowing that salvation is secured by God’s grace through faith in Jesus alone—a promise that gives confidence, peace, and a guaranteed hope of eternal life.