Faith and Works Redux

I received the following email this afternoon: “Trinity Sunday, Athanasian Creed. Towards the end we see this: ‘At whose (Jesus Christ’s) coming all men will rise again with their bodies and will give an account of their own works. And they that have done good will go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.’ How does this square with Ephesians 2:8?”

Since this is quite similar to some previous questions I’ve received, I refer the person asking (and anyone else curious) to Athanasian Creed: Trinity, Good Works, and Salvation. More on the subjects of faith and works can be found in the more recent column, Sanctification: God’s Work or Man’s? — and I add the reminder: Don’t stop with Ephesians 2:8-9, the following verse reminds us what we do once we’re saved.

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Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book What Do Lutherans Believe.

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