Importance of Christian Unity

[SavedOnebyGrace]

 

I don't see how you're every going to get some Christians to be spiritualiy unified when only some misunderstand the faith / works scriptures, and dozens of other topics that are keeping Protestants divided. I don't expect the Catholics to budge on the issue either. Where does this unity start?

As an outsider ( non Protestant) I hear the claim " we have the truth" by so many flavours of Protestants yet they all can't agree. They all claim to the bible alone yet come to different conclusions.

So I struggle to see how there can be any validity in the claims that the Protestants "have the truth".

How can you have "the truth" and have thousands and thousands of denominations teaching different things? All claiming they "have the truth"

I came across a post and the person claimed that the fundamentalists had the truth and in the same paragraph goes on to mention a split caused by one person created fractions. Okay so are there multiple truths??

I believe I was born and raised in the truth and now I am testing it. Because if it is the truth than it will hold up against any testing. And so far I have yet to find any weakness in its truth.

I also find it interesting that when Protestant theology is tested it fails and divisions are created.

This is simply my opinion and observations. ill put on my flame retardant suit now

 

You're entitled to your opinion.  The truth is there are a lot of Protestant denominations just as the unity Roman Catholics self-righteously claim is a falsehood.  (I was a Roman Catholic until age 20.)  Lucifer is very adept at stirring up discord among believers.  The biggest lie is that your good works are required for salvation.  It negates the work of Jesus on the cross.

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

I find what you say fascinating. You claim that the Roman Catholic Church is teaching a false doctrine and yet what you claim they are teaching is false.

Every time someone here has made a claim of what the RCC teaches I have taken the time to research the claim and every time the person is wrong.

The Roman Catholic Church does not teach that salvation comes from works. So I would have to say that anyone that believes that falsehood has been fooled by the devil.

Don't take my word for it, do your own research. Go to the Vatican website and see what they say about salvation. They believe the same thing as we do. That salvation is a free gift that we can never be worthy of. There is nothing we can do to earn it.

[Guest shiloh357]

That's not true.  According to the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, confession is necessary for salvation.   Grace is bestowed in the sacraments which includes baptism making works and not grace, the locus of salvation in RCC theology.  

[SavedOnebyGrace]

I came from the Roman Catholic Church and parochial school teaching through high school.  Every RC in my family believes works, or earthly suffering are enough for them to get to Heaven.  They pray to and worship Mary as much as they do Jesus.  I was kicked out and disinherited by my own family for being a non-denominational Christian.  Neither my dying father or mother recanted their error.

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

I came from the Roman Catholic Church and parochial school teaching through high school. Every RC in my family believes works, or earthly suffering are enough for them to get to Heaven. They pray to and worship Mary as much as they do Jesus. I was kicked out and disinherited by my own family for being a non-denominational Christian. Neither my dying father or mother recanted their error.

Lol sorry my mistake. I didn't know your family was the authority of the Carholic Church. My bad, I thought the magisterium was their authority.

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

That's not true. According to the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, confession is necessary for salvation. Grace is bestowed in the sacraments which includes baptism making works and not grace, the locus of salvation in RCC theology.

Sorry Shiloh you are incorrect and misrepresenting what they believe. But that's okay I wouldn't expect anything more.

[Guest shiloh357]

No, I didn't misrepresent them at all.   That came from their encyclodpedia.   I have former Catholics at my church that say the same thing.  We have former Catholics on this board that say the same thing. 

 

The one who out in the cold is YOU.   

 

In Catholicism, there is no assurance of salvation.  You don't know if you are saved until after you die and are judged.  There are all kinds of works required for salvation in Catholicism

 

Here is an article from Catholic.com   arguing for salvation by works according to Catholic theology >>>  http://www.catholic.com/tracts/assurance-of-salvation

 

And here is another Catholic ministry that promotes salvation by works:  http://www.catholicdoors.com/course/salvtio.htm

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

Shiloh, you quoted New Advent. Here is what it says about salvation:

Individual salvation

The Council of Trent describes the process of salvation from sin in the case of an adult with great minuteness (Sess. VI, v-vi).

It begins with the grace of God which touches a sinner's heart, and calls him to repentance. This grace cannot be merited; it proceeds solely from the love and mercy of God. Man may receive or reject this inspiration of God, he may turn to God or remain in sin. Grace does not constrain man's free will.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13407a.htm

Grace CANNOT BE MERITED

Paragraph 1996 of the Catechism says the same thing

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c3a2.htm

[Guest shiloh357]

Yeah, but you're not telling the whole truth.   The grace you are referring to isn't saving grace but actual grace. No one is saved by actual grace.  Actual grace is the grace needed to allow someone to believe.  Believing alone is not sufficient.  Baptism is necessary for salvation in RCC doctrine and it follows actual grace.  Baptism (not the blood of Jesus) erases original sin according to: CCC 1257.  Baptism is what brings about justification according to:  CCC 1992

 

After baptism works ARE necessary for salvation.  Taking the sacraments are also necessary for salvation as well.  So works are necessary for salvation in the RCC.

 

If the RCC taught that salvation had nothing to do with works, they would not teach purgatory, a teaching that denies the full sufficiency of Christ on the cross.

 

You are either deceived and don't really know what the RCC teaches or you are dishonest.

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

Again Shiloh you are misrepresenting.

Purgatory has nothing to do with works,

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm#1031

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a12.htm