Are Good Works the Cause of Righteousness or the Effects of it?
Are Good Works the Cause of Righteousness or the Effects of it?
31. Moreover, let us consider the usual sophistical and deceitful type of reasoning of our adversaries; which the logicians refer to as "from that which is not the cause, as though it were the cause." They constantly attribute good works as the causes of righteousness; when in reality, they are effects of righteousness, and not causes. It is as if someone claimed, "The fire is hot because it heats," but in truth, it is the opposite; the fire heats because it is hot. Similarly, we perform just actions because we are justified, not that we are justified because we perform just actions.
Sometimes they also argue that God will reward everyone according to their works; hence, they claim, works are the cause of our happiness. But here again, as is their usual error, they misinterpret; for, unless they invent a new grammar, the word "according" does not imply cause. However, they say, Christ in the Final Judgment appears to present these as the causes for which the kingdom of heaven is granted, saying, "I was hungry, and you fed me; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink."
Yet, Christ does not truly list these actions as causes but rather those things which preceded them: "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." The true cause of our happiness is that we are chosen and predestined by God for eternal inheritance. Those who are predestined are adorned with faith in time, which justifies them and entitles them to eternal life. However, since faith is invisible and cannot be seen, and Christ wants everyone to understand that only
the just are admitted to heaven, he lists these outward works, thereby making evident that righteousness is imparted through faith.
No one is so uninformed as not to know that there are two bases of things; one by which they exist and another by which they are recognized.
Furthermore, they quote from the first book of Samuel, "Those who honor me, I will honor; and those who despise me will be lightly esteemed." Here, they argue, the promise is attached to the action.
But if they distinguished between the promise of the Gospel and the promises of the law, they would easily see that this passage does not contradict our assertion. If we could fulfill the law's commands ourselves, then perhaps that could be a cause for receiving the promise. However, since no one can fully meet these demands, all turn to Christ and are justified through faith in Him. Then, through a kind of begun obedience, we start to act. Although not perfectly aligned with the commandments' standards, these actions please
God, who, out of sheer generosity, fulfills the promise associated with those actions. Thus, the conditions linked to the commands are not without merit; those justified achieve them.
These individuals are not embarrassed to cite from Psalm 25:
"Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins."
They argue as though our labors and sufferings cause the remission of sins. In this verse, David, in deep distress, asks God to forgive all his sins, suggesting if God were angry because of his sins, removing the cause might end the punishment. This is not about labors voluntarily undertaken but about punishments imposed by God. We also see that children, when punished by their guardians, seek forgiveness and pardon. If you give alms to someone with leprosy, the leprosy isn't the cause of your compassion; if it were, everyone