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To: shield
Wait a minute...I thought salvation was through Jesus Christ...the church does not save anyone. This is nuts.

The Church is the Body of Christ; only those incorporated into her, that is, into Christ, can be saved:

"He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned." (St. Mark 16:16) "Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (St. John 3:5) "Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you." (St. John 6:54) "He is the saviour of his body." (Eph. 5:23)

The Church, as the mystical body of Christ, is the historical continuation of Christ's temporal mission. How can you affirm that it does not save? In fact, it is the divinely-established means of salvation for all men: "Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (St. Matthew 28:19) They are saved through the preaching of the Word of God, the administration of the seven Sacraments, the sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ, and all the other means of sanctification given to the Church by her divine Founder. She is the visible society in which the sins of men are remitted through the grace of Christ, in which men are strengthened for the trials of daily life, in short, the social organism through which Christ continues to work his redemption in men today:

"Grant to us, we beg, O Lord,
to make frequent use of these mysteries worthily,
for, as often as the commemoration of this sacrifice is celebrated,
the work of our redemption is carried on.
" (Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Prayer over the Gifts, lit. trans.)

141 posted on 01/29/2006 2:59:05 PM PST by gbcdoj (Let us ask the Lord with tears, that according to his will so he would shew his mercy to us Jud 8:17)
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To: gbcdoj
"Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (St. John 3:5)

Actually the quote does "not" say born again of water and the spirit.....it says, born of water and the spirit.

Verse 3 says a man must be born again to see the kingdom of God......but notice verse 7-8. It says, [You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the spirit.]

All men are born of water....at birth....not all men will be born of the spirit, but if you are begotten of the spirit you will be visible.....but born of the spirit you will be unseen. [2 Corinthians 4:18].

158 posted on 01/29/2006 5:34:08 PM PST by Diego1618
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