SR
← Catechism of the Church of Geneva (Le catéchisme de l'Église de Genève)/Book 1 · Catéchisme de l'Église de Genève
Chapter 21GenevaCat.1.21

I. Des articles de la foi — Le 20e dimanche

The Acceptance of Good Works

Good works are pleasing to God not by their own merit, but because they are accepted through faith in Christ.

On good works done in faith M: But since God has accepted us, aren't the works we do by his grace pleasing to him? S: Yes indeed, insofar as he accepts them freely, and not for their own dignity.1 122. Minister: How is that? Aren't they worthy of being accepted, since they come from the Holy Spirit? Elder: No, because there's always some weakness of our flesh mixed in, which stains them.2 How to perform works that please God 123. M: So what will be the way to make them acceptable? E: If they are done in faith—that is, if the person is assured in conscience that God will not examine them with strict rigor, but, covering their imperfections and stains with the purity of Jesus Christ, will count them as perfect.34

Justification and the Role of Works

Works do not justify the believer or earn salvation, yet they are rewarded by God as a fruit of his free grace.

124. Minister: From that, should we say that a Christian is justified by their works after God has called them, or that through those works they merit God's love to obtain salvation? Student: No. On the contrary, it is said that no living person will be justified before His face (Psalm 143:2). Yet we must pray that He does not enter into judgment or a reckoning with us. 125. M: You don't mean, though, that the good works of the faithful are useless. E: No. For God promises to reward them richly, both in this world and in paradise. But all of this flows from the fact that he loves us freely and buries all our faults so that he remembers them no more.✦

Faith, Regeneration, and Repentance

True faith is never idle, as it necessarily leads to regeneration, holy living, and the dual life of faith and repentance.

True faith is never idle.✦ What it means to believe in Jesus Christ. M: But can we believe so as to be justified without doing good works? E: It's impossible. For to believe in Jesus Christ is to receive him as he gives himself to us.✦ He promises not only to deliver us from death and restore us to the grace of God his Father through the merit of his innocence, but also to regenerate us by his Spirit so that we may live holy lives.✦✦ Faith and repentance 127. M: So then, faith not only doesn't make us careless about good works, but is the root from which they are produced. E: That's right, and for this reason the Gospel's teaching is summed up in these two points: faith and repentance.

Read the original Latin

Des bonnes oeuvres qui sont faites en foi 121. M : Mais puisque Dieu nous a une fois reçus, les oeuvres que nous faisons par sa grâce ne lui sont-elles pas plaisantes? E : Oui bien, en tant qu'il les accepte libéralement, et non pas pour leur propre dignité.

122. M : Comment? Ne sont-elles pas dignes d'être acceptées, puisqu'elles procèdent du Saint-Esprit? E : Non pas, à cause qu'il y a toujours quelque infirmité de notre chair parmi, dont elles sont souillées. Le moyen pour faire oeuvres agréables à Dieu

123. M : Quel sera donc le moyen de les rendre agréables? E : Si elles sont faites en foi, c'est-à-dire que la personne soit assurée en sa conscience que Dieu ne les examinera pas à la rigueur, mais en couvrant les imperfections et macules par la pureté de Jésus-Christ, les tiendra comme parfaites.

124. M : Par cela dirons-nous que l'homme chrétien est justifié par ses oeuvres, après que Dieu l'a appelé, ou que par icelles il mérite que Dieu l'aime pour obtenir salut? E : Non. Mais au contraire il est dit que nul homme vivant ne sera justifié devant sa face (Psaumes 143:2). Pourtant nous avons à prier qu'il n'entre point en jugement ni en compte avec nous.

125. M : Tu n'entends pas, pourtant, que les bonnes oeuvres des fidèles soient inutiles. E : Non. Car Dieu promet de les rémunérer amplement, tant en ce monde comme en paradis. Mais tout cela procède de ce qu'il nous aime gratuitement et ensevelit toutes nos fautes pour n'en avoir point mémoire.

La vraie foi n'est jamais oisive. Que c'est que croire en Jésus-Christ 126. M : Mais pouvons-nous croire pour être justifiés, sans faire bonnes oeuvres? E : Il est impossible. Car croire en Jésus-Christ, c'est le recevoir tel qu'il se donne à nous. Or il nous promet non seulement de nous délivrer de la mort et remettre en la grâce de Dieu son Père par le mérite de son innocence, mais aussi de nous régénérer par son Esprit pour nous faire vivre saintement.

Foi et pénitence 127. M : La foi donc, non seulement ne nous rend pas nonchalants à bonnes oeuvres, mais est la racine dont elles sont produites. E : Il est ainsi, et pour cette cause la doctrine de l'Évangile est comprise en ces deux points, à savoir foi et pénitence.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Jer.31.34;Isa.43.25;Heb.8.12 — No longer will they teach one another, each saying to his neighbor and each to his brother, 'Know the LORD,' for all of them shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. Isa.43.25 — I, I am the one who blots out your transgressions for my sake, and your sins I will not remember. Heb.8.12 — for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins I will remember no more.
  2. ↩Jas.2.17-Jas.2.26 — So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. Jas.2.18 — But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Jas.2.19 — You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. Jas.2.20 — But do you want to know, O empty person, that faith apart from works is useless? Jas.2.21 — Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Jas.2.22 — You see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made complete. Jas.2.23 — and the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness," and he was called friend of God. Jas.2.24 — You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Jas.2.25 — In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another road? Jas.2.26 — For just as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
  3. ↩John.1.12 — But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God—to those who believed in his name.
  4. ↩Heb.2.14-Heb.2.15 — Since, therefore, the children have shared in blood and flesh, he himself also in like manner partook of the same, so that through death he might destroy the one having the power of death, that is, the devil, Heb.2.15 — and free those who, through fear of death, were subject to slavery all their lives
  5. ↩Titus.3.5;John.3.5-John.3.8 — not by works of righteousness that we ourselves had done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of renewal and rebirth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, John.3.5 — Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John.3.6 — What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. John.3.7 — Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' John.3.8 — The Spirit blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩French libéralement rendered as 'freely' (generous free acceptance), not political 'liberally'; propre dignité kept as 'dignity' for merit/intrinsic worth before God.
  2. 2 ↩French «parmi» is elliptical for «mixed in among them/it»; rendered as «mixed in» to keep the sense that fleshly infirmity is present within the works themselves.
  3. 3 ↩French «à la rigueur» rendered as «with strict rigor» (strict, exacting judgment rather than mild scrutiny).
  4. 4 ↩«macules» kept as «stains» (moral blemishes), paired with «imperfections» for «imperfections et macules».

Catechism of the Church of Geneva (Le catéchisme de l'Église de Genève) companion

Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat

Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.

Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.

  • A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
  • One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
  • Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit
Chosen Portion — Daily Prayer (free iOS app) →