Catholics & Salvation; And the answer is: Maybe.

A caller to our weekly radio program asked a question that has come up before: Are Roman Catholics saved? Let me respond to this as best I can. But I need to offer a qualifier because I think this is going to be somewhat dissatisfying for some because I am not going to say a simple "aye" or "nay." My answer is: It kind of depends. The reason I'm saying that is because of certain ambiguities.

My point is this, I think that in the area of the doctrine of salvation, Roman Catholic theology, as I understand it, is unbiblical because salvation depends on faith and works, not just faith alone. This was the specific problem Paul addressed in the book of Galatians and was the subject of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15: Is simple faith in Jesus adequate, or must gentile followers of Christ now keep the Law as a standard of acceptance before God?

I know not all Catholics would agree that this is a fair way of putting it, but I think that most Catholics would actually say the faith/works equation is accurate. Your faith and your works are what save you. I was raised Catholic and that’s what I was taught. (For my take on the biblical relationship between faith and works, see “Faith & Works: Paul vs. James.”)

Now, I need to add this too. Many Protestants feel the same way. Many Protestants are confused on this issue, so this is not a Catholic vs. Protestant concern so much. It's just that Catholicism across the board has more of an official position that amounts this, where Protestants have a more diversity of views, some that don't even seem to be consistent with Protestantism.

But the fact that one believes Jesus is the Messiah and that He is the savior, not our own efforts, is critical. If you reject this notion, like the Jews do, then as far as I can tell from the biblical revelation, there is no hope for you. That seems to be clear. But when somebody says they believe in Jesus and He is their Savior, but somehow works are mingled in with the picture, then I can't really say to you how much faith that person is putting in Jesus and how much faith that person is putting in their own efforts to satisfy God. If a person has all their faith in their own efforts, then they are going to be judged by their own efforts. It's as simple as that. If they have their faith in Jesus, they will be judged by the merits of Jesus. Anyone judged by their own merits is going to be found wanting. Anyone who is judged by the merits of Jesus is not going to be found wanting because Jesus is not wanting.

What if you are kind of a mixture? I think most Catholics are, frankly. Many Protestants are, as well.

I reflect often on a comment that was made by a friend of mine named Dennis. He was a Roman Catholic brother in Christ that I knew when I was a brand new Christian. He asked me this: "Greg, how much faith does it take to be saved?" I said, "A mustard seed." And he said, "There you go."

And so, it seems to me, there are many Christians—Protestant and Catholic—who believe in Jesus as their savior and have a mustard seed of faith, but are confused about the role of works. I think that Jesus is still Savior in those cases.

I never did understand why Protestants think that a one-time infusion of grace is all that needed to get to heaven and that it does not matter at all what one does afterward, how many or what kind of sins he commits, that he is still saved. This is obviously a very flawed theology. But since it makes for an easier life, it’s a popular one.

That obviously IS a very flawed theology. Thank God no one around here preaches it. :) It sounds like you have a long, long way to go before understanding even the basic precepts of Protestantism and especially Reformed theology. As Gamecock aptly said, we are NOT infused of grace, we are IMPUTED with Christ's righteousness. Huge difference.

Further, your second assertion also violates our beliefs. Reformed theology is often summarized by the acronym "TULIP" (Total Depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints). Perseverance of the Saints ("P") means that we WILL do good works, pleasing to God, after we are saved. We recognize that any idea that "it does not matter at all what one does afterward, how many or what kind of sins he commits, that he is still saved" is wholly unchristian. We know that because we are Bible-believing Christians and we know that Paul, for one, blows this idea completely out of the water. :

Heb 10:26-27 : 26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

Rom 6:1-18 : 6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey — whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

As unbelievers, we were slaves to sin, but now as believers we are slaves to righteousness. I hope you will believe me that mainline Protestantism and indeed the Reformed teach NONE of what you are talking about above. :)

FK: Yup. In fact it wasn't an hour ago that I had a nice discussion with my deacon about HOW Jesus answered questions in His ministry. It's fascinating to watch how He took completely different approaches depending on who the questioner was. Here, the blood-sucking lawyer rose to test Jesus so he got the answer he did. Others ask a similar question and are told to believe.

So, you'll cherry-pick the easiest route possible to Salvation? The Lord responded to the question of eternal life with the commandments in Matt 19:16, Mark 10:17, and Luke 18:18.

I'm sorry, I don't know what your first statement has to do with what I said. ALL of the passages you quote have to do with a man who loved his riches. Jesus responded exactly as He does to any false questioner. Do you really believe that Jesus was giving straightforward information that Jesus thought could be followed by the people He was talking to??? I really hope not, for if that is the formula you follow for salvation then you are like those men (man). Do you think the way to salvation is to follow the laundry list of deeds that Jesus lays out in these passages? Was that the point to you?

Sorry, the Good Samaritan story is a vital part of the Word. It's the narrow path.

No problem, I LOVE the Good Samaritan story. :) And indeed the path is narrow. That's one way we KNOW that God did not predestine all people to be saved, and indeed that God did not WANT all people to be saved (if He is really omnipotent).

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