One of the Protestant “solas” is sola fide or “salvation by faith alone”.  This man made, non Biblical doctrine was devised in order to counter what was perceived as Catholics “earning their salvation” by doing good works. I’m the first to admit that it’s an easy mistake to make. Much of Catholic devotional practice certainly looks like salvation by works and no doubt a large number of Catholics believe that you need to be “good enough” to get into heaven. But then, it is also true that the majority of people you meet in the street would also give that answer. If you stuck a microphone in their face and asked, “How do you get to heaven?” Most people would say, “By being a really good person.”

However, that is not the Christian belief and it is not, and never has been, the Catholic teaching. The teaching of Pelagius–the British monk from the 4-5th century–was essentially a doctrine of salvation by human good works and it was stoutly resisted by Augustine, Jerome and the authority of the Catholic Church. However, it is pretty hard for “salvation by works” not to come creeping back as it would seem to be a kind of common sense, default setting.

The Protestant Reformers firmly put it in its place with the other extreme: salvation by faith alone. However, there is an intrinsic problem with salvation by faith alone, and yes, I know the Epistle of James corrects the false doctrine of sola fide–but my other down to earth problem with sola fide is the same one I have with people who say, “I’m spiritual but not religious” and that is the question, “OK. How do you do that?” How are you spiritual but not religious? What do you do? Do you light scented candles and sit cross legged and hum to yourself? Do you climb a mountain at sunrise and feel deeply how beautiful the world is? Do you volunteer at the local soup kitchen? Do you hug kittens and puppies?

The same question applies to the person who claims “Faith alone.” How do you do that? They would say you have to believe and trust in the Lord Jesus and commit your life to him. OK but the question still stands, “How do you do that?” Maybe you have to read the Bible and believe it’s true. Maybe you have to put your hand up at an evangelistic appeal and walk down the aisle and say the sinner’s prayer. Now we’re getting into doing good works aren’t we? In fact any kind of action to affirm your belief is a good work isn’t it?

This is where the Catholic doctrine is totally Biblical: We believe we are saved through faith by grace, and not by works. It is the gift of God. (Eph.2:6-8) It is not by any human work–not even the human work of “getting saved” or “being born again.” This, by the way, is why baptism now saves you (I Peter 3:1). Baptism–like all the sacraments–is done for us and administered to us by Christ himself through his body, the Church. It is totally a gift and not something we can do for ourselves. This is why infant baptism especially hammers home this truth. The baby is brought to church by his family. He receives baptism from the church and not of his own good intent, good will or good action. “Believer’s baptism, on the other hand, is something the believer does and he has to be told “this is not a good work you are doing ok? Remember that now!”

When a baby is baptized the child is saved not through his own decision, his own action, his own good works or even his own individual act of faith, but by being plunged into the totally gratuitous gift of  the  faith of Christ’s church. So at Holy Mass we pray, “Look not on our sins, but the faith of your church.”

Paradoxically, you might even say Catholics believe in salvation by faith alone more than Protestants–but the faith is the faith of the church–not a particular individual’s personal belief and act of faith.

Too often the Protestant doctrine of sola fide ends up as a kind of individualistic good works religion anyway.Q:  “How do you know you’re saved?” A: “I went forward at Beulah Baptist Church when I was twelve and said I was sorry for my sins and accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.” Good. That’s wonderful. So you were saved by doing the good work of going to church, going forward and kneeling down and saying a certain prayer.

Maybe I am belaboring the point somewhat, but the point is simple: You can’t avoid good works. Because you have a physical body and are bound to the dimensions of space and time your salvation has to be “worked out in fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12) You can’t be saved by “faith alone” any more than you can be “spiritual but not religious.”