Posted on 07/01/2015 7:13:05 AM PDT by RnMomof7
Recently there has been a surge in prominent Evangelicals calling for unity with Roman Catholicism. In one sense there seems to be strong foundational similarities that would justify these calls to unity. Catholics are baptized in the name of the Trinity. God’s revealed word in the Bible -- setting aside their addition of the Apocryphal books, for argument’s sake -- is foundational to their worldview. Catholics love Christ and believe that he died on the cross and rose again to provide grace for sinners.
Obviously there are theological differences associated with the specific teachings of each one of these perceived similarities, and I do not want to minimize the importance of these differences. But for argument‘s sake, at least on the surface, there is some common ground.
There is also a strong agreement in ethical standards. Both Roman Catholics and Evangelicals ground morality on God’s holy nature as revealed in the law of God. This means that on the hot button moral issues of the day; the murder of the unborn, human sexuality, the sanctity of marriage there is solidarity between Roman Catholic and Evangelical ethics because they are coming from the same source. Again, this seems to justify a call to some sense of unity.
Are these good enough reasons to publically stump for visible unity with Roman Catholics? That question is beyond the scope of this post. But there is a more fundamental question that must be answered first. That question serves as the dividing line between followers of Christ and the world, which separates biblical Christianity from every other worldview; does Rome possess and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The author of the book of Hebrews in chapter 10 contrasts the gospel with that which is but a shadow of the gospel. He argues:
"And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." -- Heb 10:11–14
The argument being presented here makes it clear that Christ’s singular sacrifice, his death on the cross, perfects those for whom it is made for. This is the gospel. It is contrasted with the shadow of the gospel in which sacrifices were repeatedly made year after year because though they symbolized the atoning and perfecting sacrifice of Christ, they never themselves perfected those for whom they were made. The gospel of Jesus Christ perfects and any other religious strategies cannot.
This principle is directly applicable to the question of Roman Catholicism and the gospel of God. Roman Catholic worship centers on the mass. The mass is a series of liturgical practices that culminates in the Eucharist which according to paragraph 1068 of the Catholic of the Catholic Church (hereafter CCC) is a divine sacrifice. Paragraph 1367 of CCC calls the Eucharist a “truly propitiatory” sacrifice. This sacrifice is performed repeatedly in the life of a Catholic.
The reason the Eucharist is performed repeatedly is because even though it is claimed to be a propitiatory sacrifice that can make reparation for sins (CCC, 1414), it is a sacrifice that never perfects anyone. According to the Catholic message grace is something that you get from God by performing certain acts. First, God gives you the grace for faith in Jesus (CCC, 2000). Second, when you are baptized God graciously erases the sin of Adam from your record (CCC 1257). From that point on you get more grace by doing things like participating in the sacraments, including the Eucharist. The problem is that when you commit sins, you lose some of the grace you have gained and now need more lest your grace be found wanting at final judgment. This forces the Catholic into a position where they need to return day after day, week after week, and year after year to a priest who serves to repeatedly re-present the same sacrifice which never perfects those for whom it is made, since it only offers grace to cover some sin.
This is not the gospel.
Roman Catholics need the gospel for the same reason we all need it. We are all sinners with such a messed up and low view of how holy holiness really is that we think somehow through our own efforts we can attain it. If we just had enough time and willpower we could somehow have our good deeds outweigh our bad, and this will please God just enough for me to be acceptable to him. This is a satanic lie. A satanic lie that to some degree or another we have all bought into at some point in our life.
But the truth is glorious. God is good and God is holy. He is more good and more holy than we can possibly imagine. God is so good and so holy that anything less than absolute perfection is unacceptable in his presence. It is because of God’s awesome goodness and awesome holiness that in his wisdom he has offered us grace, through faith in Christ. A good and holy sacrifice that absolutely without question completely perfects everyone for whom it is made.
Catholics believe that even non-Catholics/Christians can be saved? Why? Because of God’s salvific Will. God desires that all men be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
If God did not provide a means for the salvation of all men, his ordaining Will would be in vain. This is a logical impossibility in consideration of the nature of God.
So God must provide a means of salvation for those who are ignorant of Christ through no fault of their own.
Salvation is an enormous topic. In its simplest formulation, and normatively speaking, we must repent, believe and be baptized.
But how do we know what to repent of? How do we repent? What earthly authority can tell us? How do we know?
The same questions can be asked about “believing.”
Jesus tells us that if we love Him we must believe everything he teaches.
How do we know what Christ taught?
The Bible is one source, but it cannot be the only source, because if we reject the authority of Christ’s Church and It’s charism of infallibility, we reject the institution that wrote, compiled, canonized and preserved the Bible. This would put the inerrancy of the Bible in doubt.
More importantly, Jesus never mentions “Scripture alone” as the sole rule of faith. Rather, He warns us against failing to “listen to the church,” (we will be regarded as non-Christians) because the Apostles and their successors have the power to “bind and loose,” given to them by Jesus. This was a rabbinic term meaning indisputable ecclesiastical authority. Christ’s Church is “the pillar and foundation of truth.”
So normatively, in order to be saved, a candidate for entry into the Church must believe whatever the Church teaches dogmatically, be baptized, repent of his sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and receive the Eucharist. Once a member of the Church, the candidate must remain in a state of grace by receiving the Sacraments regularly and worthily, including Confession, especially when one is conscious of having committed a mortal sin.
While on earth we can have a moral certainty of salvation, we cannot have absolute certainty.
Paul speaks of working out his salvation in fear and trembling, and Jesus commands us to remain in Him.
All they do is present lies and distorted truths.
He did not say work out to assure your salvation........or ...work out to be saved....
He said they were to work out what they already had.. their salvation ...For it is God that works out His will in you ... for His pleasure ..(Phil2:12)
God does not work IN those that are not saved ...
Thee are people that believe Mormons are Christians ...Most people have no clue what Rome teaches or believes
Rome does not teach or believe the gospel..
Rome does not believe in Luther.
You received the Gospel from Christ’s Church.
“Did Simon Magus claim he could red minds or was he just a good magician?”
red [sic] minds?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAaRyWgStGg
I believe what scripture says it means.
1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
Are Catholics so unaware of the transformation that happens when a believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit that they need to give credit to man rather than the influence of the Holy Spirit?
She’s not tearing down other Christians.
She’s posting the truth found in Scripture which reveals the errors of CatholicISM.
Is all it takes.
Acts 16:27-31 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
I am sorry that you feel that way, but it is simply not true. The Catholic Church is the only one that believes, teaches and spreads the whole Gospel to the world.
See post 232
You’re welcome. I’m sorry though I don’t understand your question. Please rephrase.
In deference to you, gentle soul, I would ask if you want to compile a list based upon the posts so far, or should we wait for more to be offered?
What a very a childish and overly emotional response. I’m not holding anyone hostage to anything. How obsurd. But this is NOT a Religious Forum. This is a bash Catholics forum. Of course I’m for free speech, but I’m also for truthful speech, so call it What it is. The majority of threads that are posted on the Religious Forum are posted by Protestants for the sole purposes of bashing Catholics. Period.
>How would YOU operate it?<
Gee, I don’t know, since it’s called a “Religious Forum” I might would expect people to treat each like they would say, at church?
Well I think bigotry is reprehensible.
Sensor remarks? No. By all means,continue with the Catholic bashing. How dare us mention the hate that is causing Christians to be slaughtered on the hate the Catholic Christians threads.
Please, commence. And I will take your advice and not click on threads I “don’t like.”
I do find it interesting that posters are able according to the “rules” to insult and hate collectively but not individually, although I see no discernable difference.
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