Short Answers: Are Good Works Automatic?

Some non-Catholics, especially of the Calvinist tradition, believe that a person whom God has justified will do good works automatically, a teaching that is part of their eternal security theology. They say that these works are the inevitable fruits of grace and faith rather than things God obligates us to do to keep our justification and merit additional grace. Scripture and common sense say otherwise.

Scripture

What does Scripture have to say about this? First, we have the solid case of Adam and Eve. God created them full of grace, yet they fell from grace by disobeying God. Clearly, they did not reject sin and do good works automatically despite having perfect bodies and grace-filled souls.

Next, in John 15:1-10, Jesus tells us, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, He takes away….” Here, a branch belongs to Jesus but bears no fruit. This is a justified person who does not do good works. No automatic works here.

In Galatians, St. Paul asks, “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh” (3:2-3)? Then, Paul writes, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace” (5:4). No automatic works here either.

Finally, James tells us that “as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead” (2:26).  So, just as a body is real but dead without the soul, so faith can be real but dead without works.

Here are some more verses about falling away from justification: Ezekiel 18:24-26, Romans 11:22-23, 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Galatians 4:9, 2 Peter 2:17-22, and Mark 4:1-20.

Here are a few verses about returning to justification after falling away: 1 John 2:1, Galatians 6:1, Acts 8:13-24, and Revelation 2:5.

Scripture nowhere supports the notion that good works after justification are automatic. In fact, it tells us that they are something we must strive to do.

Common Sense

Anyone who truly walks with Christ will tell you that they must take up their crosses daily and strive to enter by the narrow gate. There is nothing automatic about this. This is because God helps us to live a holy life; He does not force us to do so. And He does not do it for us.  Instead, He gives us grace to cooperate with Him.

If we avoided sin and did good works automatically, we would not exercise free will. Consequently, we would become less like God, who is free will. Conversely, when we choose to gracefully and faithfully reject sin and do good works, we engage our free wills in the act of choosing, and we become more like God.

Keep in mind that God does not want automatons. If He did, he would have created us without free will. Automatons do not need grace because they do not choose God or good works ordered toward His will. Therefore, a being who does good works automatically does not need grace. So, by believing that good works are automatic upon one’s justification, one believes that grace is not necessary and, therefore, rejects it.

Additional Resources

To read about why eternal security is a false doctrine, please click here.  To read about how we merit additional grace, please click here.

If you have questions about a Catholic teaching, please visit Catholic Questions by clicking here.

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