Good Works Alone Cannot Save Us

Good works are fundamental to our salvation, as Jesus makes clear to the rich young man (Matt. 19:16–26, and regarding the Last Judgment (Matt. 25:31-46).

However, we accept or reject the gift of salvation by our good works, a gift made possible by the redemptive Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, which we begin to appropriate at baptism (Matt. 28:18-20; 1 Pet. 3:21).

In short, our salvation is fundamentally and ultimately in Christ (Jn. 6:67-69). So while we need to walk in love with our Lord and our neighbor, we should never forget that Jesus is our Savior. And so we should regular encounters with him in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.