Good works DO please God very much, I think, but I agree that we cannot ‘earn’ salvation simply by doing them.

Truly good and loving acts are done without regard to rewards, don’t you think?

I’d like to add that God will forgive us anyway, if we acknowledge what we have missed or done poorly on our part and try to do better. The point is that no matter how many good works we do, they are pointless in terms of pleasing God, but the faith in him that he will guide us in the righteous path, even if we fail doing good all the time, is what really matters.

That’s better, Sam …

Perhaps my only reservation with what you have said here is that, our sinful nature notwithstanding, we should be growing in love and good works if we are truly going to work out our salvation. Simply believing that “[God] will forgive us anyway” is not enough.

I would also point out that it appears that God is also “doing his good work” (of feeding the hungry etc) through people outside the Church.

I believe that both salvation and living out the Christian faith is a lot of work. It all about God doing his good work through people who are faithful. The point is that he sent his Son Jesus Christ to save us not because he presumes that we did some good work or that he wants us to do something good (He knows we have failed and always will fail at this) but simply because he loves us. At the end of the day, no matter how we try to do good, we will never 100% satisfy God because we are sinful, but it’s our faith that he will forgives us anyway, is what keeps us going.

These things are all linked. We need to be careful not to presume that “receiving salvation” is a one-off done deal. We have to work out our salvation.