Faith Without Works Doesn’t Work

David Martin | The Daily Knight

Luther said that faith alone saves us but the problem is that Luther didn’t have faith. He rejected seven books of the Bible and said: “Christ committed adultery first of all with the woman at the well… Secondly with Mary Magdalene, and thirdly with the woman taken in adultery.” (Luther’s Works, American Edition, Volume 54, p. 154, Concordia Publishing House.)

A prevailing error of these latter times has been a false security with respect to how man is saved. St. Paul warned that “There shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:3) and he spoke of “the operation of error to believe lying” (2 Thess. 2:10) that would seduce many in the end. The Apostle Peter warned that there would come false prophets who would go about, “alluring unstable souls” (2 Peter 2:14), “Promising them liberty, whereas they themselves are slaves of corruption.” (2 Peter 2:19)

We indeed have false prophets today ringing the ears of the uncommitted by promising them salvation without the need for penance and good works. They tell them that Jesus is ‘personal savior’ who already ‘paid the price’ without the need for works, but this idea was the invention of Martin Luther who was an honorary member of the Rosicrucians, an occult secret society dating back to 1188.

Luther’s Colloquy with Satan

And in fact, Luther was in direct league with Satan. His famous colloquy with the devil in 1522 is documented in Abraham Woodhead’s book, The Spirit of Martin Luther (1687). Therein is discussed Luther’s “negotiations” and “conferences” with the devil. In his de Missa Privata & Sacerdotum Unctione (1533), Luther wrote of his “long experience” with Satan’s “arts and practices” and of “many a sad and bitter night” spent in talks with him.

Hence was born Luther’s doctrine on justification. The devil convinced Luther that we must accept our sinful lives as they are and he instilled in him a false security about the sins we commit and thus he invented the idea that Jesus ‘paid the price’ by His Sacrifice so that we may sin freely without the fear of eternal punishment. Consider Luther’s own words to his close associate Philip Melanchthon:

“Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly …. No sin will separate us from the Christ, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day.” (From Luther’s letter to Philip Melanchthon, August 1, 1521, LW, Vol.48, pp. 281-282)

If Christ required nothing more than to simply believe He is Savior who already saved us He would have made a brief visit to earth just to tell us that and undergo His Sacrifice, but as it stands He spent three arduous years on earth instructing us on how to live so that we would know how to follow Him to His Kingdom. His Sacrifice opened the Gates of Heaven but we must follow Him in order to get there. The way to the Kingdom is to renounce all, to carry our cross, and work out our salvation “with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)

Naturally, it is Christ Himself Who justifies and saves, but He doesn’t save anyone unless they obey Him. As Christ Himself says, “And why do you call me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46) He says, “keep my commandments” (John 14:15) and reminds us that “He will render to every man according to his works.” (Matt. 16:27)

In the 25th chapter of St. Matthew, Christ speaks of those who are hurled “into everlasting fire” (Mt. 25: 41) because of their neglect of good works. On Judgment Day the Savior will declare to them, “For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.” (Mt. 25: 42,43) He concludes by saying, “These shall go into everlasting punishment.” (46)

Faith vs. the Jewish Law

When St. Paul says that “By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (Romans 3:20), he is speaking of the old ceremonial works of the Jewish Law, like circumcision, not Christian works. As He says in Galatians 5:6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision: but faith.” But faith in Christ means doing the things Christ says.

Faith Without Works is Dead

St. James points out that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26) and he cites the obedience of Abraham to show that “by works a man is justified.” (24) Grace justifies us if we do the works that God commands but grace is withdrawn if we ignore His commands. “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Romans 2:13)

St. Paul makes it clear: “Know you this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Ephesians 5:5) How is it then that people boast of their salvation in Christ while living in adultery? Who shall save them or have mercy on them? “His mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.” (Luke 1:50)

Anyone Can Fall From Grace

An error of “born again” Protestants is that once regenerated in grace through spiritual rebirth (baptism) one cannot fall from grace, but this defies logic. Anyone can fall just as the rebellious angels did. The Galatians were baptized yet St. Paul charged them of having "fallen from grace" for going back to former ways (Galatians 5:4).

The Apostles sometimes use the word “saved” to mean rescued or delivered. For example, in Acts 15:11, the Apostle Peter says, “By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe to be saved,” but he obviously means delivered from spiritual bondage. For in the following verse he says: “For if, flying from the pollutions of the world [being saved], through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they be again entangled in them and overcome: their latter state is become unto them worse than the former. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice, than after they have known it, to turn back from that holy commandment which was delivered to them.” (2 Peter 2: 20,21)

Certainly, the latter state of this man is not what we could call a form of salvation or justification but rather a path of perdition. This is glaring proof that the Christian can fall and this type is particularly hard to recover from if one had been illuminated through grace to know the truth. More often than not, such a man loses his salvation since the gratitude due would be proportionate to the greatness of the grace he had received.

Anyone Can Lie

Another deceptive error is that the proclamation of Christ’s name can only be made through the Holy Spirit, that no one can say His name but of God, but anyone can lie. Christ forewarned of false prophets who would come in his name and "seduce many" (Mt. 24:11).

Consider the words of Christ Himself:

"Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:22,23)

When St. Paul said that "no man can say the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost" (1 Cor. 12:3), he meant sincerely as when Peter confessed to Christ He was the Son of God or when we confess our faith in Christ as penitent Catholics. St. Paul was referencing faithful confessions of truth, but anyone can lie and use God's name in vain, and unfortunately many do. They use his name to make money, to protest the Faith, and to promote heresy.

The Protestant ’faith without works’ idea is popular because it caters to a desire of avoiding suffering and accountability, but what people need to remember is that we will all be accountable in the future. Dire events are coming upon the world and with the table being set now for the “Mark of the Beast” people need to return to the Church and do alms-giving to help stem the tide of evil that is fast closing in.

Wholesome Lenten Meditation

A wholesome Lenten meditation for this year is to reflect on the verdict of those who are not willing to suffer for the Kingdom of God.

“If any man shall adore the beast and his image, and receive his character in his forehead, or in his hand; He also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled with pure wine in the cup of his wrath, and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the sight of the holy angels, and in the sight of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torments shall ascend up for ever and ever: neither have they rest day nor night, who have adored the beast, and his image, and whoever receiveth the character of his name.” (Apos. 14: 9-11)

Hence anyone who receives the “mark” is banished forever, regardless of what they profess, whether they’re baptized, “saved,” or otherwise. None will escape this test as it is part of God’s plan to separate the wheat from the chaff. Only those who resist the mark and the evils of a one-world government will be saved. “Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and the faith in Jesus.” (Apoc. 14:12)

Our consolation lies in knowing that God’s grace is always there to assist those who wish to be saved. “My grace is sufficient for thee.” (2 Cor. 12:9)