Posted on 02/23/2015 9:53:14 AM PST by Gamecock
Question: "I am a Catholic. Why should I consider becoming a Christian?"
Answer: First, please understand that we intend no offense in the wording of this question. We genuinely receive questions, from Catholics, along the lines of “What is the difference between Catholics and Christians?” In face-to-face conversations with Catholics, we have literally heard, “I am not a Christian, I am Catholic.” To many Catholics, the terms “Christian” and “Protestant” are synonymous. With all that said, the intent of this article is that Catholics would study what the Bible says about being a Christian and would perhaps consider that the Catholic faith is not the best representation of what the Bible describes. As a background, please read our article on “What is a Christian?”
A key distinction between Catholics and Christians is the view of the Bible. Catholics view the Bible as having equal authority with the Church and tradition. Christians view the Bible as the supreme authority for faith and practice. The question is, how does the Bible present itself? Second Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” This text tells us that Scripture is not “just the beginning,” or “just the basics,” or the “foundation for a more complete church tradition.” On the contrary, Scripture is perfectly and fully sufficient for everything in the Christian life. Scripture can teach us, rebuke us, correct us, train us, and equip us. “Bible Christians” do not deny the value of church tradition. Rather, Christians uphold that for a church tradition to be valid, it must be based on the clear teaching of Scripture and must be in full agreement with Scripture. Catholic friend, study the Word of God for yourself. In God’s Word you will find God’s description of, and intention for, His Church. Second Timothy 2:15 declares, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
A second key difference between Catholics and Bible Christians is the understanding of how we can approach God. Catholics tend to approach God through intermediaries, such as Mary or the saints. Christians approach God directly, offering prayers to no one other than God Himself. The Bible proclaims that we ourselves can approach God’s throne of grace with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). The Bible is perfectly clear that God desires us to pray to Him, to have communication with Him, to ask Him for the things we need (Philippians 4:6; Matthew 7:7-8; 1 John 5:14-15). There is no need for mediators or intermediaries, as Christ is our one and only mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), and both Christ and the Holy Spirit are already interceding on our behalf (Romans 8:26-27; Hebrews 7:25). Catholic friend, God loves you intimately and has provided an open door to direct communication through Jesus.
The most crucial difference between Catholics and Bible Christians is on the issue of salvation. Catholics view salvation almost entirely as a process, while Christians view salvation as both a completed status and a process. Catholics see themselves as “being saved,” while Christians view themselves as “having been saved.” First Corinthians 1:2 says, “To those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy.” The words “sanctified” and “holy” come from the same Greek root. This verse is declaring that Christians are both sanctified and called to be sanctified. The Bible presents salvation as a gift that is received the moment a person places faith in Jesus Christ as Savior (John 3:16). When a person receives Christ as Savior, he/she is justified (declared righteous – Romans 5:9), redeemed (rescued from slavery to sin – 1 Peter 1:18), reconciled (achieving peace with God – Romans 5:1), sanctified (set apart for God’s purposes – 1 Corinthians 6:11), and born again as a new creation (1 Peter 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Each of these is fully accomplished at the moment of salvation. Christians are then called to live out practically (called to be holy) what is already true positionally (sanctified).
The Catholic viewpoint is that salvation is received by faith, but then must be “maintained” by good works and participation in the Sacraments. Bible Christians do not deny the importance of good works or that Christ calls us to observe the ordinances in remembrance of Him and in obedience to Him. The difference is that Christians view these things as the result of salvation, not a requirement for salvation or a means of maintaining salvation. Salvation is an accomplished work, purchased by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (1 John 2:2). God offers us salvation and assurance of salvation because Jesus’ sacrifice was fully, completely, and perfectly sufficient. If we receive God’s precious gift of salvation, we can know that we are saved. First John 5:13 declares, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
We can know that we have eternal life, and we can have assurance of our salvation because of the greatness of Christ’s sacrifice. Christ’s sacrifice does not need to be re-offered or re-presented. Hebrews 7:27 says, “He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself.” Hebrews 10:10 declares, “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” First Peter 3:18 exclaims, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice was absolutely and perfectly sufficient. Jesus declared on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus’ atoning sacrifice was the full payment for all of our sins (1 John 2:2). As a result, all of our sins are forgiven, and we are promised eternal life in heaven the moment we receive the gift God offers us – salvation through Jesus Christ (John 3:16).
Catholic friend, do you desire this “so great salvation” (Hebrews 2:6)? If so, all you must do is receive it (John 1:12) through faith (Romans 5:1). God loves us and offers us salvation as a gift (John 3:16). If we receive His grace, by faith, we have salvation as our eternal possession (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once saved, nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can remove us from His hand (John 10:28-29). If you desire this salvation, if you desire to have all your sins forgiven, if you desire to have assurance of salvation, if you desire direct access to the God who loves you – receive it, and it is yours. This is the salvation that Jesus died to provide and that God offers as a gift.
If you have received Jesus Christ as Savior, by faith, because of what you have read here today, please let us know by clicking on the “I have accepted Christ today” button below. Welcome to the family of God! Welcome, Catholic friend, to the Christian life!
I think you might like the following.
All heaven rejoices when a single sinner repents
The silence truly had been golden. I hadn’t heard or spoken many words for a couple of days — save for at the Liturgy of the Hours in the chapel. The immersion in the silence had been one of the most special, holiest gifts I could receive.
That had been one of the overriding reasons my two friends and I chose the monastery in rural Missouri for our retreat. The weekend at Assumption Abbey would provide us the opportunity to pray the Divine Office with the Trappist monks who lived there. It was a “personal-directed” retreat, which meant we could do whatever we wanted: pray, read, attend Mass, take in nature.
The silence was a powerful attraction, too. I definitely didn’t expect to hear God communicate to me audibly — using the words of a Vietnamese monk.
In addition to the promised silence of the retreat, my friends and I also knew we would enjoy the sacrament of reconciliation. For me, no retreat is complete without that sacrament.
So on that August Saturday, I humbly entered the room — much larger than your average confessional, a room with wood-paneled walls that served as a library and dining room most of the time. The priest sat waiting for me at the table. Once he spoke, in his Vietnamese accent, his initial words caught my attention in a way I never had experienced.
“All the angels and saints in heaven are rejoicing,” he said, “because one sinner is about to repent.”
Suddenly, my attitude changed.
I had spent the previous half-hour or so in prayerful preparation for my confession. I went through an examination of conscience; I took an inventory of my sins. I have come to accept the last few years that it’s foolish for me to expect perfection of myself — though occasionally I have to remind myself forcefully of that — and in that acceptance, the love of Jesus makes its greatest impact.
“I have sinned.”
The surest sign of God working in your life comes when you sit down with a priest, say those words and genuinely mean them. Feeling anything less is merely sorrow for making foolish mistakes. Children typically perceive the sacrament at that basic level: coming up with a list of committed sins and then rattling off those “foolish mistakes.”
In Psalm 51, David writes: “Against you alone have I sinned.” That’s subtly yet profoundly different from merely admitting mistakes that have broken a rule. One concept is that sins are wrongdoings against the Church, against the people of God. Then there is the concept of sin not as a wrongdoing but as a wrong being. It’s a state of choosing separation from God, a determined independence on anything other than Him.
A true examination of conscience involves both concepts. That isn’t a fun activity. Whether kneeling in a church or sitting on a comfy couch in a monastery, accepting the fact that you have purposely chosen to turn away from God at times is a painful admission. When you confess sin, you’re admitting to a fault, acknowledging guilt.
Most of my reconciliation experiences the past 35 or so years have been powerful. The idea of recognizing my sinfulness and mentally creating the inventory of the times I had hurt God was intimidating, and the guilt often overwhelmed me emotionally. In receiving absolution, though, I found a formal freeing of those sins that stretched beyond mere forgiveness. I knew that God had completely forgotten everything.
In those moments, God and I had been reconciled, somewhat similar to a couple of friends settling a quarrel. Our lives were back in harmony. I can’t describe how good that felt. The world actually looked different, brighter.
But when the Trappist priest welcomed me into the room that day, when he referenced Jesus’ words in the 15th chapter of Luke’s Gospel, he made me understand the true impact of the sacrament. I was about to receive absolution and have my slate wiped clean.
Indeed, heaven was far from silent. Angels and saints and God Himself were rejoicing amazingly, all because of me.
Mike Eisenbath, a former award-winning sportswriter, is a member of St. Cletus Parish in St. Charles. You may contact him at meisenbath@gmail.com
http://stlouisreview.com/article/2015-02-18/man-house-all-heaven
I've heard believers eat their own. It's a delicacy on this forum.
Just on a whim I searched the vatican website for the words Christian (about 42600 hits) and Catholic (about 36600 hits), not that it makes any difference one way or the other, I just found it interesting.
Beyond that, in encyclicals and other papal documents the people are almost always addressed as the Christian faithful, in Spe Salvi I found 55 times the word Christian was used, 10 times for Catholic.
Some examples:
ON CHRISTIAN HOPE
According to the Christian faith
Peter exhorts Christians
the early Christians
compare the Christian life with life prior to faith
a distinguishing mark of Christians the fact that they have a future
Christianity was not only “good news”
That’s just from the first two paragraphs of one rather spiffy encyclical...
Jesus began that by saying that those who came to Him would never be hungry or thirsty.
John 6:23 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
So you think He was talking there about being literally hungry or thirsty or spiritually? Have you come to Jesus? Do you still get physically hungry or thirsty? He was speaking spiritually hungry or thirsty not physically.
In that same speech Jesus said people would live forever if they "eat of this bread".
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever:
Do Catholics live forever physically? Do you think He was talking about living forever physically or spiritually? This physical body is still going to die but spiritually we will live forever if we ingest and internalize the words of God.
Jesus went on to specifically say He was talking spiritually.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Those who left Him that day were not given the "eyes to see or the ears to hear" the spiritual aspect of what He was saying. They wee Jews and Knew that by eating blood God would "cast them out". Jesus said only those who "the Father would enable" would come to Him and stay.
John 6:65 ..“This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” Jesus wasn't talking about eating literal physical flesh and blood any more then He meant to literally eat the scroll when He told John "eat this scroll" in Revelation.
No they were justed bigoted
Um.....what? That was my post. Why would I respond to that?
You put Our Lord in such a small box. Why are we not to eat the blood? God gave us the answer in your very first citation above... Deuteronomy 12:23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh. Again, Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. 4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. God said the blood is the life and we are not to eat life of others with the flesh. All of prohibitions you noted come from this prohibition... and this reason for the prohibition.
Even in the New Testament, we are to refrain from the eating of blood... blood that is not Jesus's. Your prohibitions from Acts note this. So where do we get that we are to eat of Christ's body and blood?
John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
We take Christ at His Word. We are not to eat of the flesh of anyone except Him. Just as man wasn't made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was made for him, we weren't made to eat of the flesh of anyone but the manna come down from Heaven. For in the blood of the flesh is the life and it is His Life He came to give us.
Your cry of "sinner!" against Christ for this rings as hollow as the cry of the Pharisees who branded Christ a sinner for saving people on the Sabbath. The Jewish people lived under the Deuteronomy ("Second Law" or Law of Moses) as a chastisement against their hardness of hearts. Jesus saved His people from the strictures of the Law through His death and resurrection in the sharing of His Life in His Blood. Did Christ sin when he changed well-known commands in Matthew 5? No. He is the Lord of the commands and He gives them context as He does with the breaking of the bread.
There is so much you ignore in the words of Christ to hold the position you so stridently defend.
Catholics are Christian. Well, maybe not all are practicing Christians (ie, those pushing abortion and the homosexual agenda, etc.), but that would also apply to some protestants.
All:
Discuss the issues all you wish, including debating the pros and cons, dogma, traditions, history, customs, beliefs, etc, of various religions or sects, but do not make it personal.
(per the religion forum rules: http://www.freerepublic.com/~religionmoderator/ )
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
That all sound wonderful to the carnal mind. God didn’t allow us to simply ignore error in teaching or those teaching another gospel then the one the apostles taught. He told us that if we simply stay quiet we would be guilty of those same errors. If I stay true to what scripture says I will never be “wasting my time”.
Excerpt from from the Religion Moderator’s rules for the Religion Forum page:
http://www.freerepublic.com/~religionmoderator/
The main guideline to posting on the Religion Forum: ”Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.”
Whereas posters may argue vigorously for and against beliefs on “open” Religion Forum threads it is never tolerable to use ad hominems in religious debate because they invariably lead to flame wars when the subject is one’s deeply held religious beliefs.
For something to be “making it personal” it must be speaking to another Freeper, personally.
“Protestants are heretics” is not making it personal. “You are a heretic” is making it personal. “Catholics worship Mary” is not making it personal. “You worship Mary” is making it personal. “Mormons worship many gods” is not making it personal. “You worship many gods” is making it personal.
However, when a poster paints with a brush that accuses an entire religion of criminal behavior - his post will be pulled as flame bait. For example, posts that say “Protestants kill babies” or “Catholics molest children” or “Mormons kill non-Mormons” will be pulled. However, if the post is specific about a non-Freeper, I will not pull it. For example “Rev. Doe says abortion and infanticide are not sin” or “Father Doe was convicted for molesting those kids” or “Mormons killed non-Mormons at Mountain Meadows” would not be pulled.
Statements formed as questions are rarely “making it personal.”
“Are you a heretic” is not making it personal. “You are a heretic” is making it personal.
Forms of “making it personal” include mind reading, attributing motive, accusing another Freeper of telling a lie (because it attributes motive, the intent to deceive) - making the thread “about” individual Freeper(s), following a Freeper from thread to thread and badgering a Freeper over-and-again with the same question.
The words “prevarication” “dishonesty” “slander” “deceit” “calumny” and “subterfuge” are synonymous with “lie” because they entail intent.
Words such as “false” “error” “wrong” “inaccurate” “misstatement” do not attribute motive and are not “making it personal.”
Other words push the envelope of motive but are not synonymous with “lie” for purposes of modding the RF. However, they can be “making it personal” if applied to another Freeper, personally, in such a way the discussion becomes “about” the individual Freeper instead of the issues. Those words include “misrepresentation” “detraction” “disinformation” “distortion” “hyperbole” and “doublespeak.”
Another example, calling a group of Freepers “anti-Mormon” attributes motive to them as a group which is not technically “making it personal” - but saying that another Freeper, personally, is anti-Mormon instead of anti-MormonISM is an ad hominem. It is “making it personal.”
Another example, a poster may say on an “open” RF thread that a particular belief, diety, religious authority, etc. is “Satanic.” But he must not say “You are Satanic.” That would be “making it personal.” The Bible is always a legitimate source on the Religion Forum, so a poster might quote the Bible where Jesus called Peter “Satan.” If a post serves no debate purpose (flame bait or ‘making it personal’ by devious means) - it would be pulled.
When in doubt, avoid the use of the pronoun “you” and Freeper’s names - or put yourself in the other guy’s shoes.
So do you have rivers of water flowing from your belly? Do you never get hungry or never get thirsty? Do you gauge out your eye if you have ever looked at anything with envy? Cut off your hand if you ever did anything wrong with it? Have you sold all you have and given it to the poor? Or are you simply a hypocrite?
Not one of those verses condemning the eating of blood made reference to exceptions. Jesus was bound under those laws as a Jew. If you can’t show scripture that shows that the exception was Christ and that He was exempt from that law show it. If not, Jesus was sinning by eating blood.
Did you read Jim's post?
Did your parents ever sternly correct you when they saw you were doing something that would cause you pain? Did they still love you? Did they do it because they love you? Accusing someone of not loving because they warn you about what they perceive as error would be a misuse of that passage I do believe.
You are well named. Read Matthew 5 again and see that Christ made manifest the purpose of the Law... and ushered in a change to each meaning. Your challenges show your ignorance of Christ, not mine.
I asked you a question.
Catholics are Christians. In fact the first followers of Christ were Catholics. Christ established his Church on the apostlels, the first Bishops.
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