Gerðir kirkjuþings - 1995, Side 113

4.6 Assurance of Salvation
(36) Catholics and Lutherans confess together that the faithful can rely on the mercy
and promises of God. In spite of their own weakness and the manifold threats to their
faith they can build on the power of Christ’s death and resurrection and on the
effective promise of God’s grace in word and sacrament.
(37) - This was emphasixed in a particular way by the Reformers: in the midst of
temptation, believers should not look to themselves but, in faith, look solely to Christ
and trust only him. In this way they are assured of their saivation, but cannot be
secure.
(38) • Catholics can acknowledge the special concem of the Reformers to ground faith
in the objective reality of Christ’s promises, to look away from one’s own experience,
and to trust in Christ’s forgiving word alone (cf. Matt 16:19; 18:18). In the light of the
Second Vatican Council Catholics can also say: Faith is the surrender of oneself to God
and to his promise. In this sense, one cannot believe in God and at the same time
consider the divine promise untrustworthy. Thus it is true to say. faith is assurance of
salvation.
4.7 The Good Works of the Justified
(39) Catholics and Lutherans confess together that good works - a Christian life lived
in faith, hope and love - follow justifícation and are its fruits. The justifíed are to Uve
and act in the grace they receive - in bibUcal terms, to bring forth fruit.
(40) - According to CathoUc understanding, good works, bome by grace and the work-
ing of the Holy Spirit, contribute to growth in grace, so that the righteousness that
comes from God is preserved, and communion with Christ is deepened. VTien
CathoUcs affirm the meritorious character of good works their intention is to empha-
size human responsibUity. By so doing they do not intend to contest the character of
those works as gifts, or far less to deny that justification always remains the unme-
rited gift of grace.
(41) The ideas of holding fast to grace and of growth in grace and faith are not aUen to
Lutherans. They emphasize, however, that the righteousness of beUevers, because it is
a sharing in the righteousness of Christ and acceptance by God, is always complete.
Lutherans understand good works, the fruits and signs of justification, in the sense of
the New Testament concept of reward, that is, as a gratuitous gift and not as merit.
5. The Significance and Scope of the Consensus Reached
(42) The understanding of justification which has been worked out by the dialogues and
is set forth atove shows that a tasic consensus between Lutherans and CathoUcs
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