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.
Well put.
It is a false accusation to assert that
‘bashing’ RC herecies
is ‘bashing’
RC folks wholesale.
False accusations . . . not one of God’s favorite things.
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
Go back and read what I wrote.
NOWHERE in my statement did I accuse ANYONE here of blind hatred.
Are you somehow suggesting that NO Protestant has blind hatred of Catholicism?
Again, go back and read what I wrote, because I NEVER said it was.
As an aside, I do not recognize your authority to even question Church teaching, much less declare it heretical.
“Yes. Christ even bought false prophets and false teachers who deny Him. (2 Peter 2:1)”
Yes. They are plentiful and covet their own self-righteousness.
WHOOOOP T DOO!
Yes, there are a great many Protestants who did not reject all Church teaching out of blind hatred.
Couple that with the frequent wailing and whining and accusing of hatred purportedly by Prottys hereon.
Are your hands 100% clean on that score?
Sure there are folks in the world who have blind hatred for all kinds of ‘out-group’ individuals.
Seems like there’s likely a dozen or more RC’s who have a fair amount of blind hatred for Prottys hereon. Some seem to be off the scale on it.
You have submitted your intellect to the Magisterium and can't be expected to do an independent study.
intellect to the Magisterium and can’t be expected to do an independent study.
Tooo true for far tooo many.
If I have ever implied hatred of Protestantism, then I apologize; however, seeing as how I don’t hate Protestants, I doubt that I have ever expressed it.
So log off and stop wasting everyone's time.
Big’ol, scholarship is not going to impress these people. You’d just as well brag to a vegetarian of your favorite steakhouse.
hmmmmmmmmmmmm
Nope.
But Simon bar Jonah (Peter I) was.
I suppose you missed the statue of a person praying to a statue?
Again the conflation of foreknowledge with foreordainment.
They are NOT the same.
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