Catholics and Salvation

[Pax]

I have talked to one Catholic who says they are  a "catholic christian"  I have heard thing from this person like praying to their dead mother because she's close to Jesus the they are.  This person is  wondrful  but works seem to be the main theme on salvation.  When asked if they have ever accepted Christ they say yes.  I can only pray they know the truth according to the word of God and not to the Catholic church.

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Where did the word of God come from? It was oral tradition, inspired by the holy spirit and written down by the early church fathers. And guess what, they were Catholic. So when you open up your Bible to read scripture, be sure to thank the Catholic Church for giving you a Bible to read.

[NITE OWL]

I have talked to one Catholic who says they are

[Smalcald]

I have talked to one Catholic who says they are  a "catholic christian"  I have heard thing from this person like praying to their dead mother because she's close to Jesus the they are.  This person is  wondrful  but works seem to be the main theme on salvation.  When asked if they have ever accepted Christ they say yes.  I can only pray they know the truth according to the word of God and not to the Catholic church.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Where did the word of God come from? It was oral tradition, inspired by the holy spirit and written down by the early church fathers. And guess what, they were Catholic. So when you open up your Bible to read scripture, be sure to thank the Catholic Church for giving you a Bible to read.

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Are there any bible teachings that the catholics ignore?

And if so...why?

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I think that is a good question, but it is a good question for all Christian denominations and sects, not just Catholics.

We all say no of course and then proceed to do and believe a bunch of different things.

Edited September 18, 2005 by Smalcald

[Pax]

I have talked to one Catholic who says they are

[NITE OWL]

I have talked to one Catholic who says they are

[Fiosh]

I have talked to one Catholic who says they are

[NITE OWL]

I have talked to one Catholic who says they are

[Pax]

I have talked to one Catholic who says they are

[Fiosh]

I have talked to one Catholic who says they are

[Tari]

After leaving the Catholic Church a while back, I've decided to go back and study WHAT they teach and WHY. Some of the most misunderstood doctrinal issues about the Catholic Church, have to do with dealing with salvation itself. I've obtained a recent booklet explaining the Catholic view of salvation.

This is straight from the horses mouth folks! The Catholic view on salvation is as follows:

What You Must Do to Be Saved

Best of all, the promise of eternal life is a gift, freely offered to us by God. Our initial forgiveness and justification are not things we "earn". Jesus is the mediator who bridged the gap of sin that separates us from God (1TIM 2:5) he bridged it by dying for us. He has chosen to make us partners in the plan of salvation (1Cor 3:9).

The Catholic Church teaches what the apostles taught and what the Bible teaches: We are saved by grace alone, but not by faith alone (which is what "Bible Christians" teach; see Jas. 2:24).

When we come to God and are justified (that is, enter a right relationship with God), nothing preceding justification, whether faith or good works, earns grace. But then God plants his love in our hearts, and we should live out our faith by doing acts of love (Gal. 6:2).

Even though only God's grace enables us to love others, these acts of love please him, and he promises to reward them with eternal life (Rom. 2:6-7, Gal. 6:6-10). Thus good works are meritorious. When we first come to God in faith, we have nothing in our hands to offer him. Then he gives us grace to obey his commandments in love, and he rewards us with salvation when we offer these acts of love back to him (Rom. 2:6-11, Gal. 6:6-10, Matt. 25:34-40).

Jesus said it is not enough to have faith in him; we also must obey his commandments. "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' but do not do the things I command?' (Luke 6:46, Matt. 7:21-23, 19:16-21).

We do not "earn" our salvation through good works (Eph. 2:8-9, Rom. 9:16), but our faith in Christ puts us in a special grace-filled relationship with God so that our obedience and love, combined with our faith, will be rewarded with eternal life (Rom. 2:7, Gal. 6:8-9).

Paul said, "God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work" (Phil. 2:13). John explained that "the way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1John 2:3-4, 3:19-24, 5:3-4). Since no gift can be forced on the recipient-gifts always can be rejected-even after we become justified, we can throw away the gift of salvation. We throw it away through grave (mortal) sin (John 15:5-6, Rom. 11:22-23, 1Cor. 15:1-2). Paul tells us, "The wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23).

Read his letters and see how often Paul warned Christians against sin! He would not have felt compelled to do so if their sins could not exclude them from heaven (see for example, 1Cor. 6;9-10, Gal. 5:19-21). Paul reminded the Christians in Rome that God "will repay everyone according to his works: eternal life for those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works, but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness" (Rom. 2:6-8).

Sins are nothing but evil works. We can avoid sins by habitually performing good works. Every saint has known that the best way to keep free from sins is to embrace regular prayer, the sacraments (the Eucharist first of all), and charitable acts.

Are You Guaranteed Heaven?

Some people promote an especially attractive idea: All true Christians, regardless of how they live, have an absolute assurance of salvation, once they accept Jesus into their hearts as "their personal Lord and Savior." The problem is that this belief is contrary to the Bible and constant Christian teaching.

Keep in mind what Paul told the Christians of his day: "If we have died with him [in baptism; see Rom. 6:3-4] we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him" (2Tim. 2:11-12). If we do not persevere, we shall not reign with him. In other words, Christians can forfeit heaven.

The Bible makes it clear that Christians have a moral assurance of salvation (God will be true to his word and will grant salvation to those who have faith in Christ and are obedient to him [1John 3:19-24]), but the Bible does not teach that Christians have a guarantee of heaven. There can be no absolute assurance of salvation.

Writing to Christians, Paul said, "See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God's kindness to you, provided you remain in his kindness, otherwise you too will be cut off" (Rom. 11:22-23; Matt. 18:21-35, 1Cor. 15:1-2, 2Pet. 2:20-21).

Note that Paul includes an important condition: 'provided you remain in his kindness." He is saying that Christians can lose their salvation by throwing it away. He warns, "Whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall" (1Cor. 10:11-12).

If you are Catholic and someone asks you if you have been "saved," you should say, "I am redeemed by the blood of Christ, I trust in him alone for my salvation, and, as the Bible teaches, I am 'working out my salvation in fear and trembling' (Phil 2:12), knowing that it is God's gift of grace that is working in me."

Okay folks, so there you have it, straight from the horses mouth!