What You Need to Be Saved (Faith vs. Works)

Summary

In this video, Father Mike Schmitz addresses the long-standing debate between faith and works in salvation, particularly between Catholic and Protestant views. He explains that Catholics believe salvation is a gift of grace, received through faith, and worked out through love and good deeds. Faith, he emphasizes, is not merely intellectual assent but a trust in God's grace, which must manifest in actions. Father Schmitz highlights that salvation is not achieved by works alone, but by a living faith that produces love-driven actions. He also uses an analogy of receiving a guitar as a gift to explain how grace, when unaccepted or unused, is of no benefit.

Takeaways

• 😀 Catholics believe that salvation is a gift of grace, received through faith and expressed through love and works, not by works alone.
• 😀 The debate between Catholics and Protestants often centers on whether salvation is by faith alone or by works, but both sides misunderstand each other's positions.
• 😀 Salvation is entirely unmerited and is God's free gift, not something we earn or deserve through actions.
• 😀 True faith is not merely intellectual agreement but involves surrendering both the intellect and will to God.
• 😀 While faith is essential, it must lead to action—specifically works of love, which are the natural expression of genuine faith.
• 😀 In the Bible, Jesus teaches that salvation is not simply about professing faith but about doing the will of the Father and caring for others.
• 😀 The letter of James emphasizes that faith without works is dead; works are evidence of true faith.
• 😀 The concept of 'faith alone' is only mentioned once in the Bible, and it’s in the context of stating that we are *not* saved by faith alone (James 2:24).
• 😀 Father Mike uses the analogy of receiving a guitar and lessons to illustrate that salvation is like a gift—it’s useless unless actively engaged with.
• 😀 Just as a guitar must be played to be useful, faith must be lived out through actions to truly be effective in salvation.
• 😀 Even when Christians fail in their faith or works, God offers reconciliation and forgiveness, so growth in faith is a continual process.

Q & A

What is the key difference between Protestant and Catholic beliefs regarding salvation?

Protestants emphasize salvation by faith alone (Sola Fide), while Catholics believe that salvation is through grace, received by faith, and expressed through works, which work themselves out in love.

How do Catholics view the role of works in salvation?

Catholics do not believe that salvation comes by works alone. They view works as the natural outcome of faith, a way of responding to God's grace and demonstrating the transformation that faith brings.

What does Father Mike Schmitz mean when he says 'faith without works is dead'?

Father Mike refers to the biblical teaching from the Letter of James that faith, if not expressed through actions, is useless. True faith leads to transformation and results in good works that reflect God's love.

What is the connection between grace and faith in the Catholic understanding of salvation?

In Catholicism, salvation is a free gift of God's grace. Faith is the response to this gift, where individuals trust in God and surrender their will to Him. This faith, however, must be active, working itself out in love through good deeds.

Why can't a single scripture verse be used to define salvation in Catholic theology?

Catholic theology takes the whole of scripture into account. While passages like Romans 10:9 emphasize belief in Jesus, other scriptures, like Matthew 7:21 and James 2:24, highlight the necessity of actions and works that accompany faith.

How does Father Mike use the analogy of the guitar to explain salvation?

Father Mike compares salvation to receiving a guitar as a gift. While the guitar (salvation) is a free gift, its value is realized only if the recipient actively engages with it—just as salvation requires faith that works itself out in love and action.

What does Father Mike mean when he says 'it's as if I never got a gift' in the context of salvation?

Father Mike means that if a person does not respond to God’s gift of salvation through faith and works, it is as though they have never received the gift in the first place, because it hasn’t been put into action.

What is the significance of the scripture where Jesus separates the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25)?

The separation of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 illustrates that salvation is not just about professing faith but about actively caring for others. Jesus teaches that acts of charity and love are essential for entering the Kingdom of Heaven.

What does Father Mike mean by 'working out salvation in love'?

‘Working out salvation in love’ means that a person’s faith in God must be lived out through love and good deeds. It's not just about believing, but about translating that belief into actions that serve others and reflect God's grace.

How does the concept of grace through faith relate to the idea of free will and personal action?

While grace is a free gift from God, Catholics believe that individuals must cooperate with that grace. This involves actively choosing to live out one’s faith, which requires personal action, such as helping others and living a life of love.