“For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church ALONE, which is the universal help towards salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, that we believe that Our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the new Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those whould be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the people of God. Vatican Council II, p. 456.
It looks to many of us as though the CHURCH is the means to salvation, not Jesus Christ. It also seems that redemption is accomplished in the Eucharist. You also do not seem to believe that scripture is the sole authority for all belief and practices for those of us in Christ.
“It is therefore that, in the supremely wise arrangement of God, sacred Tradition, sacred Scripture and the Magesterium of the church are so connected and associated that ONE OF THEM CANNOT STAND WITHOUT THE OTHERS. Working together, each in its own way under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.” Vatican Council II, pp. 755-756. Emphasis ours.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994, #16, “the ways of reaching beatitude, through right conduct, with the help of God’s law and grace, through conduct that fulfills the twofold commandment of charity, specified in God’s ten commandments.
You find salvation in Jesus. Not in good works, although when you come to know Christ and come to faith in him, you are commanded to do good works. You WILL do good works when you are born again because the Holy Spirit within will draw you to those works.
I know how differently Catholics and Protestants view salvation, the eucharist, works, etc. I know there is no easy way for me to try to explain to you how important it is for you to delve into God’s word to see what He has to say about it. I just encourage you to do so with an open mind. Love and God bless. M
While you don’t consider yourself a Catholic, you must also understand that the Catholic Church considers ALL Christians to be part of the Church (though not necessarily in full communion). So, what you quoted DOES NOT mean that the Church believes that only those who consider themselves Catholic can be Saved.
That's exactly what the RCC teaches, Mary.
And as you so rightly declare...
You find salvation in Jesus. Not in good works, although when you come to know Christ and come to faith in him, you are commanded to do good works. You WILL do good works when you are born again because the Holy Spirit within will draw you to those works.
AMEN!
Good works are the evidence of our salvation, not the cause of it. The only cause of our salvation is Christ's righteousness imputed to the sinner by God's free, unmerited mercy alone.
When God looks at the man redeemed by Christ, He doesn't love him because of his own good works; God loves him because He sees His perfect Son within him, the gracious gift of God to His family.