The Gospel for Roman Catholics

Recently there has been a surge in prominent Evangelicals calling for unity with Roman Catholicism. In one sense there seems to be strong foundational similarities that would justify these calls to unity. Catholics are baptized in the name of the Trinity. God’s revealed word in the Bible -- setting aside their addition of the Apocryphal books, for argument’s sake -- is foundational to their worldview. Catholics love Christ and believe that he died on the cross and rose again to provide grace for sinners.

Obviously there are theological differences associated with the specific teachings of each one of these perceived similarities, and I do not want to minimize the importance of these differences. But for argument‘s sake, at least on the surface, there is some common ground.

There is also a strong agreement in ethical standards. Both Roman Catholics and Evangelicals ground morality on God’s holy nature as revealed in the law of God. This means that on the hot button moral issues of the day; the murder of the unborn, human sexuality, the sanctity of marriage there is solidarity between Roman Catholic and Evangelical ethics because they are coming from the same source. Again, this seems to justify a call to some sense of unity.

Are these good enough reasons to publically stump for visible unity with Roman Catholics? That question is beyond the scope of this post. But there is a more fundamental question that must be answered first. That question serves as the dividing line between followers of Christ and the world, which separates biblical Christianity from every other worldview; does Rome possess and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

The author of the book of Hebrews in chapter 10 contrasts the gospel with that which is but a shadow of the gospel. He argues:

The argument being presented here makes it clear that Christ’s singular sacrifice, his death on the cross, perfects those for whom it is made for. This is the gospel. It is contrasted with the shadow of the gospel in which sacrifices were repeatedly made year after year because though they symbolized the atoning and perfecting sacrifice of Christ, they never themselves perfected those for whom they were made. The gospel of Jesus Christ perfects and any other religious strategies cannot.

This principle is directly applicable to the question of Roman Catholicism and the gospel of God. Roman Catholic worship centers on the mass. The mass is a series of liturgical practices that culminates in the Eucharist which according to paragraph 1068 of the Catholic of the Catholic Church (hereafter CCC) is a divine sacrifice. Paragraph 1367 of CCC calls the Eucharist a “truly propitiatory” sacrifice. This sacrifice is performed repeatedly in the life of a Catholic.

The reason the Eucharist is performed repeatedly is because even though it is claimed to be a propitiatory sacrifice that can make reparation for sins (CCC, 1414), it is a sacrifice that never perfects anyone. According to the Catholic message grace is something that you get from God by performing certain acts. First, God gives you the grace for faith in Jesus (CCC, 2000). Second, when you are baptized God graciously erases the sin of Adam from your record (CCC 1257). From that point on you get more grace by doing things like participating in the sacraments, including the Eucharist. The problem is that when you commit sins, you lose some of the grace you have gained and now need more lest your grace be found wanting at final judgment. This forces the Catholic into a position where they need to return day after day, week after week, and year after year to a priest who serves to repeatedly re-present the same sacrifice which never perfects those for whom it is made, since it only offers grace to cover some sin.

Roman Catholics need the gospel for the same reason we all need it. We are all sinners with such a messed up and low view of how holy holiness really is that we think somehow through our own efforts we can attain it. If we just had enough time and willpower we could somehow have our good deeds outweigh our bad, and this will please God just enough for me to be acceptable to him. This is a satanic lie. A satanic lie that to some degree or another we have all bought into at some point in our life.

But the truth is glorious. God is good and God is holy. He is more good and more holy than we can possibly imagine. God is so good and so holy that anything less than absolute perfection is unacceptable in his presence. It is because of God’s awesome goodness and awesome holiness that in his wisdom he has offered us grace, through faith in Christ. A good and holy sacrifice that absolutely without question completely perfects everyone for whom it is made.

Not that’s any of your business, I haven’t donated personally because a few years ago I lost a good paying job at the same time my husband was diagnosed with avascular necrosis,aka his left hip was “dead” and broke. He worked with a broke hip for a yr trying to save our home to no avail.
In the last 6 months I had to help pay for my sisters funeral who passed away unexpectedly which put me in a great financial strain and now my sister in law just died of pulmonary fibrosis June 2nd. Our whole family, what’s left of it,is taking care of her husband who has seizure disorder and lung cancer with mets. I could go on but I choose not to.

I didn’t say I don’t donate because of it. People are so judgemental and don’t have a clue about what people are going through. I’ve lost so many people I love in the last 5 years and after losing my sister, losing Free Republic wouldn’t cause me to lose a seconds worth of sleep. So if you wanna turn me in thinking I’m a hostage holding reprehensible hell bound sinner go right ahead.

It’s the “and your household, too” part that’s so interesting. Would you care to share what you think that means?

Think it means??? We don't have to think what it means...All we have to do is read it and BELIEVE it...

And while it IS so interesting, it is not a mystery...

Act 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Act 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Act 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

Act 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
Act 16:34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

EVERY ONE IN THE HOUSE BELIEVED...

Ok, I think I understand now. For simplicity sake then just start with what Petrosius posted in 175. I regret posting the list I did to you now; it seems to be confusing the issue. I just wanted to be sure to “get it all out there” so to speak.

Just start with love of God really. Then everything else flows from that. It’s only reasonable.

Love God with all your heart and mind and being, and love your neighbor as yourself. On these, rest the entirety of the Law. That is as true today as it was 2000 years ago. It obviously necessitates understanding “What is Love?”

That’s a pretty basic question that often gets overlooked in all these debates. But you have to start there. To understand what God wants from you, and what He wants to give you.

How can we understand what God wants from us, and what He wants to give us? God is Love, we know that, therefore we must start by asking, “What is love?” But is it that difficult to know?

Indeed, what does it mean to “love someone”, in our own, human experience?

Do you say to your wife, “I love you” and that’s enough? No, of course not. You know you love her because you want everything good for her, over your own concerns. You want to know everything there is to know about her too.

Does a loving husband say to his wife, “I love you” and that is it? Does he not also want to know her favorite food for breakfast? Does he also want to know what is her favorite color? What are her opinions on politics, and on the afterlife? Does he also not want to know these things too about her? Of course he tries to KNOW these things, because he loves her.

It is this kind of love we are talking about, that God wants to give to US, and we should want to give to HIM. Thus, will it suffice to say, “I love you God” and leave it at that? Should we not expect to see in ourselves a need to know everything there is to know about Him, and to be sure we do? Of course we should expect that. Otherwise, to say “I love you God” has no meaning.

Does a husband say to his wife “I love you”, yet does nothing for her? Does he not buy her roses sometimes “just because”? Does he not wake up to feed their crying baby, so that she may sleep? Does he not protect her from harm? Does he not provide her a roof over her head? Praise for things she has done for him? Of course he DOES these things, and it is not burdensome for him to do it, because he loves her, not because he expects anything in return.

This is the kind of love that fulfills the law, every jot and tittle. Not that the Law saves, but the love for God is what saves. A love that says “yes” I will seek to KNOW as much as I can about You, and DO things for you God, not because I expect anything in return, but because I, Love, YOU.

So I exhort you brother, to go and discover as much as you can about the one you love, and do as much as you can for Him. It’s the only way “love” has any meaning. It’s the only path to salvation. He already knows you. Just love Him back as best as you can in your broken humanity. In every sense of the word “love” as exemplified above.

He doesn’t care how wrong you get things all the time, He only loves you. In every sense of the word “love” as exemplified above. We can’t be as perfect as Him ever, but that doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we love Him as much as we are able, in our broken humanity.

Remember, He came to US, as a Man, we aren’t expected to come to Him, as if we are a god. He only expects us to love us as much as any human being can.

This means, therefore, that we needn’t look for any complicated, high-minded theological “way” to God. We only need to love Him like we love our wives (or husbands). As described above. Just more than even them. If we do that, the theology flows FORTH from that, because Love CREATES.

It’s not that the theology is a requirement for salvation, in of itself. It’s only a “requirement” in the sense that it’s a RESULT of an intense love for God, a love as described above. So you have to start there, with the origin of salvation, which is love of God above all others. Then it’s all a natural result. Then nothing I’ve listed or any Catholic has listed is a burden at all. It’s just a by-product, really, of loving God, a “requirement” only insomuch as it’s impossible to NOT believe such things, to not DO such things, if one loves God as described above. As a husband loves his wife. This is the Catholic claim.

It’s not that complicated.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.