Justification by Faith and Works

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This is a very short and clear summation of the Catholic position on Justification as compared to the Protestant position on Justification/Sanctification.

Author Jimmy Akin makes the point that the Catholic and Protestant positions are essentially identical, except insofar as different terminology is used (which is something that many Protestants want to fight.) Protestants use the term “justification” to refer to the first moment of the forgiveness of sin and incorporation into Christ's body followed by sanctification, which involves a growth in holiness. Catholics have the same structure but refer to the entire process as “justification,” referring to the initial moment as “initial justification.” Both Catholics and Protestants believe that the first moment is possible only because God's grace has enabled the individual to have faith in God; both traditions acknowledge that performing that faith must work in love in the good works prepared beforehand in order to achieve the holiness which is necessary to see God.

Akin offers a fair warning to Catholics about the use of James 2:24, which speaks to being justified by works and not by “faith alone.” That passage pertains to the phase of “sanctification”, or for the Catholics, “justification” after “initial justification,” which is only by grace through faith.

Akin also reminds the reader that the anathemas so beloved of Protestant apologists do not imply that the Catholic Church “damned” Protestants, but instead refer to a particular form of excommunication, applicable only to the original Protestants.

This is a short book, and, therefore, is extremely useful for a quick primer on the subject.