One of the Church's precepts is that we go to Confession at least once a year. This is like a doctor telling us we should eat at least 500 calories a day! For us, receiving the sacraments is paramount to the Christian life. We receive Christ's graces through them. We are told to go to confession when we have sinned mortally. Also, we are encouraged to go more often to help us combat our other faults that re-occur, the sins that we seem to commit all the time. By directing our attention to them through the examination of self and confession, we are aided to help fight these sins.
God's children can fall away and cease being His children, or as you clarify, "disinherit themselves". I disagree concerning the elect.
First, Baptism leaves an indelible mark. We will always be God's children. But as a result of our own separation, we walk away from God - sometimes, permanently - just like children sometimes disown their own parents (although they are still children of their parents). Regarding the elect, I agree with you. They will always be brought back. But I will disagree with you until the end that you or I KNOW we are of the elect. Thus, we OURSELVES cannot make the claim that we will NEVER turn away from God. We just don't know.
Would that have meant that the son disinherited himself? I would say that's impossible because the son already received his rightful inheritance before he even left.
I think that takes the story beyond what Christ meant. Otherwise, there would be no reason to return to the Father.
It was impossible for the son to disinherit himself, just as it is impossible for the elect to do the same. No one can snatch us out of His hands.
How was it "impossible"? If the son never returned, he disinherits himself from his father. We aren't talking about his money - he spent all of that. The elect cannot disinherit themselves, because God will cause something (famine) to happen that He knows will turn the man's free will back onto course. Does God do this for others? Yes, but their free will will resist God's "famines". The Progigal Son realized he had sinned. Those that God foresees are the reprobate will NOT realize they have sinned - even despite the famines of their lives.
Again over and over again, we don't know we are of the elect. All of this talk about "the elect will prevail", is a moot point, because we don't know we are absolutely of the elect before that day of judgment. THEN, we will be able to look back on our life and see how we chose God. We will see that we were of the elect all along. But we don't know that now. There is no way we can predict our future with our human knowledge. God knows. But we don't.
Regards
Thank you for the info on confession.
First, Baptism leaves an indelible mark. We will always be God's children. But as a result of our own separation, we walk away from God - sometimes, permanently - just like children sometimes disown their own parents (although they are still children of their parents).
Are you saying that everyone who is Baptized is a child of God? If so, then how do you explain verses like this? :
Rom. 8:14-17 : 14 ... because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
How do you explain verse 17? If we are children, then we are heirs. I have to assume the Catholic translation would be "If we are children, we MAY BECOME heirs, at some point in the future, which no one except God can know. No child of God is an heir by any means until after death." I suppose this is the plain meaning and intent of the verse? How about this one? :
John 1:12-13 : 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
Babies cannot believe in His name. Yet, you say that they, and any other non-believer who has been Baptized, are still children of God. Doesn't this passage clearly say that such do not have the right as of yet? Under your view, many of God's children slip through His fingers, don't they?
FK: "Would that have meant that the son disinherited himself? I would say that's impossible because the son already received his rightful inheritance before he even left."
I think that takes the story beyond what Christ meant. Otherwise, there would be no reason to return to the Father.
Sure there would be. Forgiveness and reconciliation are very good reasons. While the son could not lose his inheritance, he still wanted to be forgiven and be reconciled to his father. That's what Jesus teaches us. Those who are already saved (already have their inheritance sealed), but have fallen away, will always come back to the Father. He has ordained it.
The elect cannot disinherit themselves, because God will cause something (famine) to happen that He knows will turn the man's free will back onto course. Does God do this for others? Yes, but their free will will resist God's "famines". The Prodigal Son realized he had sinned. Those that God foresees are the reprobate will NOT realize they have sinned - even despite the famines of their lives.
For the elect, God will CAUSE something that He knows will turn the man's FREE WILL? How free is that? It sounds like you are agreeing with my "offer you can't refuse" idea. :) By what you said, it appears that God is treating all of His children the same in that He gives them all "famines". It's just that with some of His famines He causes a change, and with others nothing will happen. The only conclusion, from what you have said, is that God does not love His children equally. Either that, OR, that God did not have the power to cause the others to likewise come back.