How does Luther's interpretation of salvation differ from what the Catholic Church believes is necessary for salvation?

Roman Catholic Answer

Luther's interpretation of salvation as explained in the bible was that there is nothing we can do to earn or deserve it. Jesus did it all, and The Father, looking at us, only sees the merit earned by His Son, and so allows us into heaven. Jesus' purpose was to do for us what we could not do, making us justified before God. Luther emphasized that "we are saved by grace and not by works lest any man should boast." The Catholic position requires us to do our part, repent of our sins, and live the life that Jesus has made possible. Luther called this "works" citing St. Paul that works would not save us. The Catholic Church teaches that Luther erred by not seeing that St. Paul was using the word "works" to refer to Old Testament adherence to the law. The Old Testament law has been fulfilled in Jesus, and we are no longer bound by it, thus those works will indeed not save us. But as St. James points out without works our faith is dead - in other words we can not be saved. Luther's rallying cry for salvation was "faith alone". The only time in Scripture that the word faith is followed by the word alone, it is immediately preceded by the word not. James 3:24 "You see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Luther wanted to be comfortable in this life, and preached that there was absolutely nothing we could do to earn or to lose our salvation. Unless we co-operate with the grace of God and live out the life He has planned for us, we cannot be saved.