Posted on 03/02/2015 11:21:42 AM PST by RnMomof7
The New Testament is clear about the nature of saving faith. “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Romans 3:28). “A man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus . . . since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5).
According to Scripture, salvation is by faith in Christ alone through God’s grace alone. When you put your trust in Jesus Christ He declares you righteous—not because you are, but because He imputes His righteousness to you, and because He paid the penalty for your sin. Christ bears our sin and we receive His righteousness. That is the indescribable glory of the doctrine of justification (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church stands in stark opposition to that biblical understanding. Rather than salvation by grace through faith, they preach a false gospel of works.
The words of the Council of Trent—convened to affirm and codify the teaching of the Catholic Church in response to the Reformation—clearly spell out the Catholic version of justification that still stands today. “Hence, to those who work well unto the end and trust in God, eternal life is to be offered, both as a grace mercifully promised to the sons of God through Christ Jesus, and as a reward promised by God himself, to be faithfully given to their good works and merits.” Salvation in the Catholic system is something you earn “by those very works which have been done in God, fully satisfied the divine law according to the state of this life and to have truly merited eternal life.”
That is an absolute and total contradiction of the Word of God. It’s a completely foreign gospel, manufactured by the Catholic Church and able only to condemn, not save. No amount of repetitious prayers, veneration of the saints and other church relics, or masses attended can redeem a sinner’s soul. No priest has the power to forgive sins, and no indulgence bought and paid for can hold back the due punishment of those sins.
At the heart of the merit-based Catholic system is the unbiblical concept of purgatory. In fact, it’s the invention of purgatory that makes Catholic dogma attractive at all—without it, Catholicism would be a very hard sell. Catholics are never really on solid spiritual ground. They can’t know for certain if they’re saved or whether they will ever make it into heaven. And even confident, pious Catholics live in perpetual fear of committing a mortal sin that will throw them out of favor with God and the church.
It’s the false doctrine of purgatory that provides Catholics their spiritual safety net, bringing false hope to people trapped in a hopeless system. It’s the one relief in their entire guilt-ridden, fear-ridden system of works righteousness. And it is complete fiction—a tragic farce that’s led countless souls to hell.
The apostle Paul could not have been clearer about the true nature of justification: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). That gracious, glorious gospel has been rejected by the Catholic Church, and they have replaced it with a corrupt, unbiblical system of works righteousness and merit-based salvation.
Presiding over that twisted system of satanic lies is the pope. And that is where we’ll pick it up tomorrow.
2010 Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God's wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.
"we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification... and the attainment of eternal life."
Hmmm. Doesn't seem misrepresented to me.
Oh look...
"2027 No one can merit the initial grace which is at the origin of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary temporal goods."
Seems to me the Roman Catholic Church is teaching that we can merit "all the graces needed to attain eternal life...."
We cannot merit grace. We cannot merit ANYTHING. Grace is UNMERITED favor.
Seems like you might do better to actually get familiar with these "peddlers" and start reading for content. Might actually help you out!
Hoss
I don't think so; but if you can actually find fault with it, why don't you instead of just trashing it out of hand? If it's such a "crashing bore" you should have no trouble refuting it, right?
Hoss
See? Simple. Just as it's written in scripture. As taught by Christ himself. Not the butchery that the Catholic Church has committed to the scripture.
Hoss
What's to explain? Jesus is separating the righteous from the unrighteous. He's putting the sheep on His right and that goats on His left. We can find what determines who is righteous in Romans 4:5.
Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
It's faith in Christ that obtains our righteousness. It's the faith in Christ with the resulting indwelling of the Holy Spirit that caused those who were righteous to do those deeds. Trying to inject righteousness because of works into your Matthew passage conflicts with other scripture.
You don’t know me and you don’t certainly don’t know my motives. You don’t know the motives of anyone else here either. What you call anti-Catholic garbage, others call the gospel. If it upsets you so much maybe you should only read Catholic caucus threads. I take the time to share the truth because there was a time someone I barely knew cared enough to share the truth with me.
Maybe you don’t need saving, but others who read do need saving. Grace is for the guilty because He came to seek and save that which was lost, not the righteous. If you aren’t lost, if you aren’t a sinner in need of mercy and grace, you don’t need Christ and there’s no need for you to read anything I post here.
Luke 19:10 (KJV)
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Matthew 9:10-13 (KJV)
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Proverbs 16:18 (KJV)
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
Grace is for the Guilty
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=3130809223
Maybe it’s time for Freeper Catholics to start Protestant bashing threads, thankfully we aren’t a bunch of cherry picking judgmental clowns like you and the rest of the anti Catholic crowd.
LOL They’ve been doing it for years. The anti-Protestant threads over the past few years outnumber all threads that could be considered anti-Catholic twenty to one.
I can only speak for myself, but I don’t care what Catholics say or think about me or my beliefs. It just doesn’t upset me. I know what I believe and I know why I believe it. I also know Whom I believe. There is absolutely nothing that can be said here to shake my faith. Nothing. I see all the anti-Protestant threads as witnessing opportunities, and I’m not the only one, so bring them on. I appreciate the chances Catholics provide to spread gospel truths.
The statement that you quoted is right from the council of Trent.
Council of Trent, On Justification, Ch. XVI
Therefore, to men justified in this manner, whether they have preserved uninterruptedly the grace received or recovered it when lost, are to be pointed out the words of the Apostle: "Abound in every good work, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. For God is not unjust, that he should forget your work, and the love which you have shown in his name"; and "Do not lose confidence, which hath a great reward." Hence, to those who work well "unto the end" and trust in God, eternal life is to be offered, both as a grace mercifully promised to the sons of God through Christ Jesus, and as a reward promised by God himself, to be faithfully given to their good works and merits.
For the Catholics it's both grace and works. And then eternal life is to be offered, not guaranteed, just offered. I would say "a miserable way to muddle through life" indeed. But alas, I do believe Catholics are obliged to believe it.
God will not be gamed. Mt 25:31-46
He knows we WILL be motivated to good works out of gratitude and a desire to please Him. He knows the heart of the false Christian that thinks he has a free ride to Heaven because he “accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior” and then set his cruise control for the clouds. He also knows when our motivation to “good works” is self serving.
Yesterday, on a Catholic Caucus thread, my wording in a response drew immediate fire, until I explained myself. I think that a great deal of the Catholic Catechism in the same way needs ironed out to clarify the very point that is being criticized and defended here. I believe in my heart that the quotes of CC used here are quite the conviction against Catholic teaching when read at face value.
When I answer the questions of new believers, non-believers, and confused believers, it requires a great deal of explaining background and context to give a concise answer and display the utter consistency of God. Your use of Mt 25:31-46 is a good piece of background and a terrific foundation for an answer to this question of Catholic heresy. Please expand and explain where some of us read “merit” wrongly.
I keep reading Catholic Caucus and other threads that support or criticize Catholic teaching, commenting occasionally, and never see explanations that clarify what I see as stretches and inconsistencies if not complete contortions of Scripture. I would love to believe so many people aren’t embracing heretic teaching.
Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
But they are. We see it here every day.
Most catholics assume that their loved ones went to "purgatory"then heaven and that they too are going there .Purgatory gives them a false hope .
See they have a very distorted view of the true Holiness and perfection of God.. they measure themselves, not against His righteousness, but the righteousness of other men... you know "Ohh I am not as bad as So&So.. I have not cheated on my wife or robbed a store"
What they have done can be "cleaned up " in purgatory so they will be clean enough to be in the presence of God... Ohhh so sad...Ohhh so blind..
Have they not read that ALL liars will go to hell?? Have they not read that if you break one law you are guilty of all??
I want to weep when I hear a RC say of a dead loved one "He is in a better place"
Ohhh no I want to scream..If he has not repented at the foot of the cross he is burning in eternal flames ...
They have a very false assurance that will lead them right into the flames of Hell
“In the meantime, care to give specifics where the author is wrong, in your opinion?”
Nope. I don’t see the point of doing that at this time. When someone says, “Not going to happen” where is there to go?
They have a very false assurance that will lead them right into the flames of Hell"
Here is the grim reality that Catholics do not get. Their manufactured belief system is not "close enough", but they cling to the centuries of lies told them by the bathrobed mafia. Gonna' be a long eternity.
The catholic religion is Satans greatest work of deception ever.
Could you point out THE EXACT lies?? Instead of just slandering the author?
Without specifics , accusations against the author are just blowing air.. could you be more specific ?
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