JP Nunez: Understanding the Faith Through Scripture, Is the Church Necessary for Salvation? You may be surprised but Catholicism in the modern world since Vatican II takes a more inclusivist view when it comes to the salvation of non-Catholics. As long as you are a good person, the religion to which you belong is totally irrelevant. First, it is true that St. Paul does not say works of law in Romans 4:5. This is talking about “the Ten Commandments!” Would the Catholic Church say the Ten Commandments have passed away with the advent of Christ? They keep on telling their congregation that the Church is not necessary for salvation but they never quote a single passage from the Bible which says that the Church is not needed for salvation. The Catholic Church redefines grace. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. I have nothing against going to confession, but why can’t I … Now the works of the flesh are plain: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing and the like. Initially, everything God made was “very good” (Genesis 1:31), and humanity lived in perfect harmony with him. Lumen Gentium, in a break from the past, declared that non-Catholics can still get to heaven. Heaven isn’t where people just naturally go when they die. Be Still and Know: Eucharistic Adoration vs. Centering “Prayer”, Al Capone’s Catholicism: The Worker in the Vineyard. Some Protestants like to use 1 Corinthians 1:17 to claim that this teaching contradicts the Bible. My heavens, the Catholic Church baptizes babies! He specified the works of law because these were the very works without which the Judaizers were claiming a person “cannot be saved.”. In particular, God’s command to our first parents to “be fruitful and multiply” became a promise that he would multiply the patriarchs’ descendants for them, and the gift of the entire earth and dominion over its inhabitants became a promise that the patriarchs’ descendants would live in the Promised Land (the land that later becomes Israel) and rule over their enemies. He was the beginning of the new creation, the start of the new, truly restored humanity, and anybody united to him shares in this restoration. What then shall we say? 2:6-7; Gal. Christ is the source, the Church is His instrument of salvation. That is a total abuse of God and an abuse of His word because the word of God is used with the ulterior motive of glorifying a man. It is she who “delivers our souls from death” (CCC 966), and “continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation” (CCC 969). Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh… (5:2) Now I Paul say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. sacraments are meaningless , this all church teachings are same He was the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises to the patriarchs, the definitive Israelite through whom God always planned to redeem mankind. In Romans 8:1-14, St. Paul tells us in no uncertain terms that we must be in Christ and continuing to live our lives in Christ in order to do works that please God. In other words, the law, whether old or new, cannot save us apart from the grace of Christ. Part III, Whiskey, Oreos, and the Absurdity of Hope, How Having Faith Can Help You Find True Love, Is Pope Francis Guilty of False Compassion? The Catholic Church believes that it was not absolutely or intrinsically necessary for the Blessed Virgin Mary to be sinless; only fitting or appropriate (God making the choice). Eucharist. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). But I call your attention to Revelation 17 and 18, where it appears that the revelation of Jesus shared with John warns us about the Whore of Babylon, located in the city of seven hills and dressed in purple and scarlet. On the surface, these texts may sound problematic, but once we examine their respective contexts, the problems go away rather quickly. Unfortunately, this harmony didn’t last long, as the first couple, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God and introduced sin into the world. Like I said before, this doesn’t mean that only Catholics can be saved. It’s both faith and works, according to Scripture. No, we still sin, and we still have to die someday, but we have gotten the process started. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! 1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. She is a former evangelical Christian and self-styled “good person.” And genuinely so. Now, this doesn’t mean that only Catholics can be saved; rather, it means that even when non-Catholics get to heaven, they are saved only by being united to the Church in some … With them, God was getting ready to restore humanity to what it was originally supposed to be so we could spend eternity with him in heavenly bliss. Obedience leads to justification and eternal life while sin leads to eternal death (see also Romans 6:23). For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. And in so doing, they were ipso facto rejecting Jesus Christ and the New Covenant. I literally just had this conversation with someone today who asked me point blank if I thought she was going to heaven. Your email address will not be published. All men must be in the State of Grace (no mortal sin), to enter Heaven. Holiness and salvation are not possible without the virtue of humility for we are called to live the virtues Christ lived and taught during his life on earth. We must be connected to His Body, i.e. This principle, sanctioned in the Letter to the Hebrews 11:6 has been accepted by the Christian tradition since its beginning. Most people today think that going to heaven is more or less what naturally happens when we die as long as we are not terrible people, and if that is the case, then the Church’s claim that all salvation comes through her doesn’t make much sense. … in church, religious life is just optional, no need any sacraments The problem with this teaching, of course, is, among other things, according to Hebrews 7:11-12, the old law has passed away in Christ: Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further needtwould there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchiz’edek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? St. Paul’s main emphasis is that we can only perform salvific acts in Christ! In every case, the Church is always the source of salvation because she is the community of those who are united to Christ and who have had God begin to extract sin from their hearts and save them from death and eternal damnation. Notice: St. Paul makes it very clear. Every Soul receives all the Graces necessary. Romans 3:28 down to Romans 4:5 represents one continuous thought in answering the Judaizers and their insistence upon circumcision and keeping the Old Covenant in order to be saved. September 23, 2019. The Bible starts off with the creation of the world and the human race. Paul writes, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” “Mary, by her spiritual entering into the sacrifice of her divine son for men, made atonement for the sins of man,” (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma4, Ott, page 213). Jesus says it similarly. 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