Hmmm. "Initial" justification. What exactly IS justification?
Is not justification our being declared righteous in the eyes of God? How can one be "initially" declared righteous by God? Can God make mistake? So it would seem we are either justified by the blood of Christ, or we are not, no?
You cannot have it both ways: either God is sovereign, holy, and perfect... or He is not.
If I'm not mistaken, Roman Catholicism teaches that justification is an ongoing issue. And this is where Roman Catholicism fails and adds to God's word that which God's word does not teach.
Hoss
If I'm not mistaken, Roman Catholicism teaches that justification is an ongoing issue. And this is where Roman Catholicism fails and adds to God's word that which God's word does not teach.Yes, Rome confuses justification and sanctification. They do not recognize imputation of Christ's righteousness, calling it a "legal fiction".
Rome believes in infusion of "grace" into the soul. Rome believes water baptism infuses initial saving grace into the soul, however like a glass of water, the soul is only "half full" of grace. One must be full of grace, like Mary, to actually merit heaven. The Catholic must continually attend the sacraments, do good works, etc.. to build in enough "grace" where the soul ACTUALLY becomes pleasing to God and attains heaven. If one can "merit" the grace to make ones soul pleasing to God then one is not saved by Christ's righteousness alone. The RC is saved at best by his own merit and Christ's merit.
This is obvious merit and is excused by saying all good works to get merit are done by grace. Is Grace a heavenly currency that one collects or is it unearned favor given to sinners?
The sacrifice on the Cross only makes salvation POSSIBLE for the RC. He/She must "cooperate" with "grace" to attain enough grace where the soul is pleasing to God for entry into heaven.
FAITH is altogether another misunderstood issue by Rome. Faith to Rome is not trusting in the Resurrection merits of Christ alone for salvation but belief in ALL the various doctrines and dogmas of Rome. According to Rome, one cannot dismiss any doctrine including all the Marian doctrines on penalty of loss of salvation.
AMEN!
You cannot have it both ways: either God is sovereign, holy, and perfect... or He is not.
If I'm not mistaken, Roman Catholicism teaches that justification is an ongoing issue. And this is where Roman Catholicism fails and adds to God's word that which God's word does not teach.
Yes, Roman Catholics believe justification and sanctification are essentially the same thing -- both ongoing changes within the individual according to the individual's own actions with a little help from his friends.
As has been shown over and over, the Bible tells us Christ's justification of His sheep was a one-time event and was accomplished by Christ's offering on the cross being accepted by God as having paid-in-full for the sins of His flock.
Sanctification is a life-long process of the Holy Spirit bringing the believer closer to Christ.
"Initial justification."
They really don't read the Bible or they could not make an error like that.
"And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." -- Acts 13:39
Nothing "initial" or temporary or progressive about it.
"It is finished." Christ has atoned for all the sins of His sheep. That's the Good News of the Gospel. Very sad that some don't hear it.