Rebuttal: We cannot earn Christ, but we can honor him here on earth with our good deeds and works of mercy.

What the Bible Says

• 1 John 3:10 – "By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother."
• 1 John 4:20 – "If any one says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen."
• 1 John 5:3 – "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." (Keep the Sabbath holy. We follow this commandment when we go to Mass on the day of his Resurrection and participate in the heavenly banquet.)
• James 2:14-20 – “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?”
  • ​I don’t think the authors of scripture can be any clearer than this.  The Catholic Church teaches Jesus paved the Way, and he is the Way, he gave his Church the Truth, this is called divine revelation, both oral and the written word of God.  He gave his Church the Life, which is himself, he is the life, in his body, blood soul, and divinity, present in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  In the Eucharist, the bread which comes down from the Father, at the hands of his ministers the priest, during the consecration of the bread and the wine, this IS my body, this IS my blood, DO THIS, in memory of me, as often as you Do THIS, you proclaim my death, until I come again. John chapter 6.​

​What The Church Teaches

• CCC 161: “Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation”
• CCC 1989: “The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. "Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.
• CCC 2000: “Sanctifying grace is a habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love. Habitual grace, the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God's call, is distinguished from actual graces which refer to God's interventions, whether at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of sanctification.
•  CCC 457: The word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who “loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins”: "The Father has sent his Son as Savior of the world, “and “he was revealed to take away sins.”   
• CCC 1810: Human virtues acquired by education, by deliberate acts and by perseverance ever-renewed been repeated efforts are purified and elevated by divine grace. With God’s help, they forge character and five facilities in the practice of the good. The virtuous man is happy to practice them.
• CCC 1811: It’s not easy by man, wounded by sin to maintain moral balance. Christ’s gift of salvation offers us the face necessary to persevere in the pursuit of the virtues.
• CCC 458: The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God’s love (mercy).
• Therefore, you agree with the Church on this issue. Keep in mind, the Church knew it first.
  
• CCC 418:  As a result of original sin, human nature is weaken in its power; and inclined to sin (This inclination is called concupiscence).
• CCC 399: Original sin is the consequence of disobedience of our first parents which caused a loss of original holiness.
• CCC 402: All men are implicated in Adam’s sin, as St Paul affirms: “By one man’s disobedience many [that’s all men] were made sinners”: “Then to one man’s trespass led to condemnation for ALL men, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for ALL men Rom 5:18.
  
• CCC 2427: Human work proceeds directly from persons created in the image of God and called to prolong the work of creation by subduing the earth, both with and for one another. Hence work is a duty: “If anyone will not work, let him not eat.” Work honors the Creator’s gifts and the talents received from him. It can also be redemptive. By enduring the hardship of work in union with Jesus, the carpenter of Nazareth and the one crucified on Calvary, man collaborates in a certain fashion with the Son of God in his redemptive work. He shows himself to be a disciple of Christ by carrying the cross, daily, in the work he is called to accomplish. Work can be a means of sanctification and a way of animating earthly realities with the Spirit of Christ. (307, 378, 531).
  

In Other Words
Here, the Church does not teach people can earn salvation, I’m glad we agree Jesus Christ is the Way to heaven.  We should not however discount what/how Jesus taught his disciples about salvation, justification and how to live as a community of believers.  We must use all of what Jesus said to his apostles, and what they intern taught their successors. You can see from the quotes of the Catechism of the Catholic Church above, it is believed and taught that Jesus is our savior and salvation is a free gift from God the Father almighty.  This free gift cannot be earned otherwise we would not have needed a savior.

So let it be clear, the Catholic Church does not teach salvation is to be earned, apart from Christ’s passion and death, as though salvation is something we can grasp. This is the way the Catholic Church prescribes works and good deeds, see Mt 25:40-45. “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the lest of these my brethren, you did it to me.”  Jesus identifies himself with all men, especially the poor and afflicted. Thus by serving others we serve Christ.  By performing works of mercy we hope to find mercy Jas 2:1-13. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will do the works that I do; and greater works than I do, because I go to the Father John 14:12.

Our life is a growing process, a daily conversion in which God reveals himself to us first and by a free act of our will we answer yes to his call. After baptism He then possesses our souls so that we can begin to obtain the graces necessary to reach paradise. Maturity in Christ, is not reached in an instant, but, is living in a relationship (religion) with him and being guided by grace so that we can be transformed into who we are meant to be, his children. Even Paul did not feel as though he possessed salvation, but that Christ possessed him.  Phil 3:12-16 – “Not that I have already obtained this, or am already perfect; 

To further the point, Lucifer (Satan before his fall) was created as the leader of God’s legion of angels. He willfully chose to reject God and his glory. Because of his pride, he fell from salvation. It is not guaranteed.

  WE MUST DO WHAT JESUS AND THE CHURCH TELLS US TO DO!

• Titus 3:5 – “He saved us, not because of deeds done by us,” This is a passage used by Protestants all too often to make their argument against good works, but they stop too soon,  the verse continues and says "but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit, (Baptism of water and the Spirit), whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior,  so that we (might) be justified by his grace and become heirs in (hope) of eternal life. 8 This saying is trustworthy.
• Titus 3: 8-9 (Advice to Titus): “I want you to insist on these points, that those who have believed in God be careful to devote themselves to good works; these are excellent and beneficial to others. It is because of the Spirit dwelling in them they are able to carry out good works.”

• Mt. 7:21 - Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord will go…who does the will of my Father in heaven
• Mt. 19:16-17 - to have life, keep the commandments
• John 14:21 - he who keeps my commandments loves me
• Rom. 2:2-8 - eternal life by perseverance in good works
• Gal. 5:4-6 - nothing counts but faith working through love
• Eph. 2:8-10 - we are created in Christ Jesus for good works
• Phill 2:12-13 - work out salvation with fear and trembling
• James 2:14-24 - a man is justified by works and not by faith alone

• Titus 2:14 – “…zealous for good deeds.
• Mt 25:21 – “Well done good and faithful servant.”
• Titus 3:8 – “Be careful to apply themselves to GOOD DEEDS, these are EXCELLENT and PROFITABLE to men.”
• Titus 3:14 – “And let our people learn TO APPLY THEMSELVES TO GOOD WORKS.”

 
This is how the Catholic Church views good deeds and good works; it IS NOT a means to earn salvation. It is Christ and the Spirit working through us, for “every good thing is from God.” James 1:17.

• St. Augustine in The City of God “It is between the particular and general judgments, then, that the soul is purified of the remaining consequences of sin.”