Posted on 07/07/2008 10:39:05 PM PDT by Gamecock
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.
Interesting urge you express there, to suppress free speech.
Not sure that that is/was possible.. unless a demon is a spiritual idea.. but then all ideas could be spiritual.. That ideas originate in the spirit and are manifested through the soul to the flesh.. or something like that...
Given all the Scriptural givens,
gross ignorance of demonic forces; their implications and operations . . .
is unlikely to cause any protection from them whatsoever.
The Lord God Almighty has taught me and blessed me with the freedom to forgive immediately and to avoid holding any of that list of things against anyone.
BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.
Remember we're talking followers of Santeria here, whose psuedo gods can be easily worshipped through idols.. which are used to bring to remembrance "the god".. or demi-god in question.. Santeria devotees don't worship "the statue" but what the statue "stands for".. real or imagined.. Basically all idol worshippers do that.. Upon being accused of idol/statue worship they(the shamans) say thats rididulous..
They ended up forming a house church . . . that ended up collecting a lot of the hopeless cases from the mental hospitals and churches of all denominations all over Southern California.
They implemented strict spiritual house cleansings as a condition for joining the congregation.
In every case, where there were such figurines, dreadful things that had persistently plagued the family stopped when the figurines were destroyed and the houses cleansed and prayed over.
I’ll go with their explanation.
No, we're talking about the Catholic owner of the theoretical statue of Mary with a secret statue baked right in.
Being unaware of it, they cannot be worshiping (honoring, venerating, etc.) it or what it represents.
The [Roman] Catholic Church was founded by Christ, circa AD 32.
What unmitigated balderdash!
This level of lack of awareness of such aspects, forces etc. in such contexts could go a long ways toward explaining the
utter . . . . -ness and lack of awareness of
the dynamics, import etc. of idolatry in the RC edifice.
NGR invoked.
Me too.. considering where they come from.. They might know things "we" don't...
Thanks.
I think the Scriptural commandments and exhortations are plenty clear.
THOU SHALT HAVE
NO
OTHER
GODS
BEFORE ME
—Almighty God.
Rationalizing away the plastic, stone, wooden Mary’s, etc. won’t wash when face to face with God Almighty.
Catholicism does not teach that Mary is a God.
At every celebration of the Mass the congregants begin a profession of faith by saying “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth...”
ACTIONS
speak louder than words.
Lying about Catholic faith is an action too.
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