No Resume of Good Works Can Save on Judgment Day

There's one truth Roman Catholics need to hear and that's there's no resume on Judgment Day. The problem with Roman Catholicism is its salvation of faith plus works. That is they believe that they must both believe and do their part to stay saved. They must do everything from getting baptized as an infant to doing the sacraments and all for good works. 

This is why Roman Catholics insist that salvation is mostly by their own works and faith is just the start:

"The specific precepts of the natural law, because their observance, demanded by the Creator, is necessary for salvation," (CCC, par. 2036). 

"The Decalogue [the Ten Commandments] contains a privileged expression of the natural law. It is made known to us by divine revelation and by human reason," (CCC 2080) 

" . . . the Second Vatican Council confirms: 'The bishops, successors of the apostles, receive from the Lord . . . the mission of teaching all peoples, and of preaching the Gospel to every creature, so that all men may attain salvation through faith, Baptism and the observance of the Commandments,'" (CCC 2068). 

"If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious 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," (Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 9). 

"If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema," (Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 14). 

"If any one saith, that the justice [righteousness] 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." (Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 24).

This is why John Calvin in his famous debate with Cardinal Jacopo Sadoleto made this famous statement:

 We deny that good works have any share in justification but we claim full authority for them in the lives of the righteous... It is obvious that gratuitous [grace wrought] rightoeusness is necessarily connected with regeneration. Therefore, if you would duly understand how inseparable faith and works are, look to Christ who as the Apostle teaches (1 Corinthians 1:30) has been given to us for justification and for sanctification. Wherever, therefore, that righteousness of faith, which we maintain to be gratuitous, is there too Chris is, and where Christ is, there too is the Spirit of holiness, Who regenerates the soul to newness of life. On the contrary, where seal for integrity and holiness is not vigor, there neither is the Spirit of Christ nor Christ Himself, and wherever Christ is not, there is no righteousness, nay there is no faith for faith cannot apprehend Christ for righteousness without the Spirit of sanctification.

Martin Luther also verified that while he believed in salvation was by faith alone - it's not by a faith that's alone:

When we have thus taught faith in Christ , then do we teach good works. Because thou hast laid upon Christ by faith, though, whom thou art made righteous (emphasis mine), begin now to work well. Love God and thy neighbor, call upon God, give thanks unto Him, praise Him, confess Him. Do good to thy neighbor and serve him, fulfill thine office. These are good works indeed which flow out of this faith.

The Reformation happened because certain people in Rome believed that they needed another revival. However, the Reformers didn't want to be called as such - they just wanted to be biblical. Before the Reformation, others have been martyred for their faith such as Jan Hus and Girolamo Savonarola. The thought of salvation by faith resulting in works is condemned by the Vatican Canon law.

Canon 32 - If anyone says that the good works of the one justified are in such manner the gifts of God that they are not also the good merits of him justified; or that the one justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ (of whom one is a living member), the justified does not truly merit an increase of grace, and eternal life, provided that one dies in the state of grace, the attainment of this eternal life, as well as an increase in glory, let him be anathema.

This is a big problem for Roman Catholics - the doctrine of salvation of faith plus works is not at all biblical. Romans 11:6 in the Good News Bible (GNT) states:

His choice is based on His grace, not on what they have done. For if God's choice were based on what people do, then his grace would not be real grace.

I wonder do Roman Catholics ever get that when they read their Bible? Unfortunately, Roman Catholics are told that the Bible is not enough. They are told the traditions and magisterium of their church are added. That is the priest is above the Bible. The secret behind Catholic Bibles is that they tell people that they must always consult the priest. The priest "save" souls doctrine has become a real way to control people. It ends up becoming salvation by works. No wonder the Vatican II Council has been more open to other religions than the First Vatican Council. Saying anybody can enter Heaven if they live a good life is fiction, not fact. That's what the world easily believes. However, the hard to believe truth is that salvation is by faith alone in Jesus. Mythologies teach salvation by lifestyle but the Bible teaches salvation that changes your lifestyle. It's a big difference when you think about it.

The big problem many will have with salvation by works is that God's standard is much higher. James 2:10-11 and Romans 3:10-19 make it clear we're all fallen. Try to quote 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 to justify salvation by works? Sorry to say but we're all unrighteous. Romans 3:10 says no one is righteous - no not one. Consider the reality that God kicked Adam and Eve out of Eden for just one sin. The rich young ruler failed the test showing nobody can keep the whole Law. The pagan gods accept works salvation because they are not perfect and sinless compared to the real God of the Bible. God's too holy to accept even the minutest sin. How far can you stand? 

Matthew 7:21-23 really addresses the sad fact of people. Here's how the GNT renders it for the sake of Roman Catholic readers:

Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. 22 When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God's message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ 23 Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!

This is where things get really messy. Many will try to justify themselves. Do they even know the will of the Father? They claim to do it but they don't. Doing the will of the Father begins with believing in Him who was sent by the Father. The inevitable result of believing in Jesus whom the Father sent is a changed lifestyle. Many claim to be so good but they do have other sins. Others try to live the best they can but are guilty of worshiping idols. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says if you're an idolater then you are unrighteous. Praying to saints and angels is still idolatry. People who did the best they can but are still worshiping idols will still be considered wicked people. Others will claim that they did miracles (though other translations say wonderful works) but they are but filthy rags. It's because every little good work done without Christ is just a filthy rag. 

That's right. You can go ahead and argue all of your good works but if salvation came from them then what's the use of saying "Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again." in every Roman Catholic mass? Galatians 2:21 verifies that fact even in the Catholic Bible that Christ would die for nothing if salvation were by works. Jesus' purpose of death was to destroy the power of sin and to save people from their sins. Jesus already said in John 14:6 that He is the only way to the Father and you can find that in any Roman Catholic Catholic authorized Bible. Some Roman Catholics are living the best they can but I'm afraid that won't help them. They can be involved in all the charity work they want but they still only get a cooler Hell - but even that section of Hell has no air conditioner or electric fan to help them out! Not even saying that one sheltered the Roman Catholic priest or even underwent voluntary crucifixion (which the Roman Catholic institution condemns) can save anyone. 

There are also some Roman Catholics who live very sinful lives but think they're oh-so-righteous. Others are living in sin such as living in without the benefits of marriage and they go to Mass on Sundays together. Others are having habitual gambling or secretly involved in criminal activities while being very religious. These people do indeed are obviously Hellbound but they still think they're good. That's even more further proof that all our righteousness are filthy rags. There are different degrees of filth but they're all still filth nonetheless which is still unacceptable to God.