“The valid reception of the sacraments, including sincere and penitential reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (”confession”) preceding the Sacrament of the Eucharist (”communion”) is the ordinary means by which a soul may know it is in the state of grace. Orthodox churches likely possess valid sacraments, despite the state of schism, so that their communicants are saved through those sacraments; Protestant churches do not possess valid sacraments. Nonetheless, a Protestant may be saved through a sacrament of desire.
It’s a good thing that we are saved by grace, and not through any dead sacrament from the Romans, who think salvation can be bought with a gesture, a properly timed bow, a chant to a dead Christian, and, finally, with their very own stomachs.
I assure you, there is no hope for Catholics who believe that such things really do save them. It is the will of God, unmoved by man, which brings a person to Christ.
Joh_6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Rom 8:29-30 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
“The Baptism of Desire is the means, for instance, of the salvation of St. Dismas, the good thief on the cross with Jesus.”
LOL, you make the Thief on the cross a saint? What did the scripture say of him?
Luk 23:39-43 And one of the MALEFACTORS which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. (40) But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? (41) And we indeed justly; for we receive the DUE REWARD of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. (42) And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. (43) And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
And how can one desire Roman sacraments that had yet didn’t even exist for him to even know about? He was saved not by a desire for baptism or sacraments, but by faith that Christ is LORD, a truth revealed to him not by flesh and blood (man), but by our Father in heaven who draws His elect.
Mat_16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
1Co_12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
One wonders, then, what desire saved Cornelius and his family, who were baptized by the Holy Spirit, and thus justified in every way by God, before water baptism which he received afterwards?
Act 10:44-47 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. (45) And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. (46) For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, (47) Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
It is the work of God which saves, and not by the works of the man.
>> It’s a good thing that we are saved by grace, and not through any dead sacrament from the Romans, who think salvation can be bought with a gesture, a properly timed bow, a chant to a dead Christian, and, finally, with their very own stomachs. <<
Can anyone be so unfamiliar with the sacrament of confession? It is no gesture, bow or chant. It is a declaration of a contrite heart, and a statement of the desire to convert (which means to “turn away from”) sin, and has no effect if it is not sincere. You will most definitely find in the bible an insistence that sinners must have a contrite heart and must confess their sins. The bible also says that the Christian communities must not admit amongst themselves one who persists in grace sin. That is the priest’s role in the sacrament: God forgives sin, but the priest re-admits the contrite. For minor sins, it is not necessary, only spiritually beneficial, that confession involve a priest. For grave sins, a priest must hear the confession. But insincerely confessing only to gain readmittance only heaps more sin upon one’s soul; insincere confessions are ineffective, so they in no way resemble the empty rituals of the pagans.