Reference · Teaching 2
Justification — Cheat Sheet
Positions at a glance
| Position | Claim |
|---|---|
| Sola Fide (Reformed) | Justification is one legal act: imputed righteousness, received by faith alone, works are only evidence. |
| Catholic | Initial justification is unearned grace received by faith; grace-enabled works after that really increase justification (infused righteousness). |
Key verses (both sides cite these)
| Verse | Used for |
|---|---|
| Ephesians 2:8-9 | Both sides agree: initial salvation is gift, not earned by prior works. |
| Romans 4:5 | Reformed: God justifies the ungodly who does not work, but believes. |
| James 2:24, 26 | Catholic: "justified by works and not faith alone"; "faith apart from works is dead." |
| Galatians 5:6 | Catholic: what matters is "faith working through love." |
| Philippians 2:12-13 | Catholic: "work out your own salvation" — addressed to believers already in grace. |
The one-line argument to remember
Agree first, then distinguish: "We fully agree you can't earn your way into grace — the real question is whether grace-enabled works after that point do anything. James 2:24 says yes."
Nuance to hold onto
- Never let the conversation reduce to "Catholics think you're saved by works" — that's a strawman of Trent, which explicitly anathematizes earning initial grace.
- "Imputed" vs. "infused" is the real technical hinge — legal declaration vs. actual interior change.
- The honest remaining disagreement is about assurance/perseverance, not about grace being unearned at the start.