1 Clement and Justification

The church at Rome, appx 96 AD, explained to the church at Corinth why we do good works.

1Clem 32:1
   If any man will consider them one by one in sincerity, he shall 

understand the magnificence of the gifts that are given by Him. 

 1Clem 32:2
For of Jacob are all the priests and levites who minister unto the
altar of God; of him is the Lord Jesus as concerning the flesh; of
him are kings and rulers and governors in the line of Judah; yea and
the rest of his tribes are held in no small honor, seeing that God
promised saying, Thy seed shall be as the stars of heaven. 

• The relationship is that of being heirs. 

 1Clem 32:3
They all therefore were glorified and magnified, not through
themselves or their own works or the righteous doing which they
wrought, but through His will. 

• They were glorified because they were heirs.

 1Clem 32:4
And so we, having been called through His will in Christ Jesus, are
not justified through ourselves or through our own wisdom or
understanding or piety or works which we wrought in holiness of
heart, but through faith, whereby the Almighty God justified all men
that have been from the beginning; to whom be the glory for ever and
ever. Amen. 

• Just like the priests et al, we are justified because we are heirs.

• What's more, the mark by which we are known as heirs is faith. 

• It therefore looks like our justification is indicated by faith alone --

  although we shall see in a moment that it is accompanied by works.

 1Clem 33:1
   What then must we do, brethren? Must we idly abstain from doing
good, and forsake love? May the Master never allow this to befall us
at least; but let us hasten with instancy and zeal to accomplish
every good work. 

• This is exactly Paul's argument in Romans. 

  Work is contingent upon, and proves, our faith.

 1Clem 33:2
For the Creator and Master of the universe Himself rejoiceth in His
works.

...

1Clem 34:1
   The good workman receiveth the bread of his work with boldness, but
the slothful and careless dareth not look his employer in the face.