Salvation Through The Good Works Of The “Saints”

(1475) In the communion of saints, “a perennial link of charity exist between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.” In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin. (Page 412)

(1476) We also call these spiritual goods of the communion of saints the Church’s treasury, which is “not the sum total of material goods which have accumulated during the course of the centuries. On the contrary the ‘treasury of the Church’ is the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s merits have before God. They were offered so that the whole of mankind could be set free from sin and attain communion with the Father. In Christ, the Redeemer himself, the satisfactions and merits of his Redemption exist and find their efficacy.” (Page 412)

(1477) This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable and even pristine in their value before God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission the Father entrusted to them. In this way they attained their own salvation and at the same time cooperated in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body. (Page 412)

This is a common road that most of the world takes. It is a Broad Road that leadeth to destruction. Do you think God is such a barbarian that He would give His only begotten Son to die for wretched sinners such as us, if there was anyway for us to redeem ourselves? The only Work that counts is the work on the cross of Calvery. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. I will work, not for salvation, but because of salvation. It is God who authored salvation and not man.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: NOTHING can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and ALL our righteousnesses are as FILTHY RAGS; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5 NOT BY WORKS of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man IS NOT JUSTIFIED by the WORKS of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and NOT BY THE WORKS of the law: for BY the WORKS of the law shall NO FLESH be justified.

Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith WITHOUT the DEEDS of the law.