To: Petronski; Marysecretary
It's simple, really. Protestants define "a Christian" as "one who is saved."(emphasis added) Catholics define "a Christian" as "one who believes Jesus was Christ." (Using shorthand here.) Roughly put: Since Protestants believe sola fide, they believe they can know they are saved, because they believe the salvation won by Christ protects them from the consequences of their sins continuously, imputing to them the merit before God that they themselves could never hope to achieve. Since Catholics believe the formula is faith-plus-works, they believe that they can bring themselves to a state of venal or mortal sin, at which time they would seek absolution for their sins. Since, thus, a Catholic can only hope and pray they are saved, but not know, they would never brag of being saved. Yet, they are Christians for they believe Jesus is Christ, the Messiah, their Lord and Savior, who suffered, was crucified and died for our sins before rising from the dead on the third day. Anyone who professes the Creed and believes himself a Catholic is by his faith a Christian, but by his own admission, not necessarily saved. Exactly correct and exactly what I was saying about there being two different Gospels and you can't be saved if you are mixing faith and works.
So, if you are not saved you are not a Christian, no matter what you call yourself.
5,090 posted on
06/12/2008 1:06:17 AM PDT by
fortheDeclaration
(Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Christus)
To: fortheDeclaration
So, if you are not saved you are not a Christian, no matter what you call yourself. Thank you for your personal interpretation of Scripture.
5,122 posted on
06/12/2008 6:27:09 AM PDT by
Petronski
(Scripture & Tradition must be accepted & honored w/equal sentiments of devotion & reverence. CCC 82)
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