An honest question

[DrDave]

mango_2003:

Also…this doesn’t really address the scripture in question. It says (my paraphrase) "Believe and confess orally that Christ is your Lord and your God…and that He was raised from the dead, and you shall be saved.

~mango~

To me, the obvious response to this proposition is “Believe what?”

I would suggest that one who believes and confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord is bound by the logical consequences of that confession to also accept everything Jesus taught, and obey everything that Jesus commanded.

Nowhere does the Bible either define itself or claim that it teaches everything that Jesus taught or record everything that Jesus commanded. It does however historically record the establishment of a Church, The Church. It is this church that teaches all that Jesus taught and passes on all that Jesus commanded (including but not limited to the bible).

Some Protestants might have an apoplexy reading this for the bible does say that 2Tim 3:16 “All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice” but it does not say “ONLY scripture”. Rather the bible also says 2Thessalonians 2:15 “Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.” and 1Tim 2:15 “…the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

This is why one should be Catholic, because it is a natural consequence of accepting Jesus Christ as one’s personal Lord and Saviour.

Regards,
Dave

 

[petra]

Charles:

The relationship between Grace, Faith and Works fascinates me. We are saved by Grace, most Christians would agree with that. After God’s grace is poured out to us, God asks something of us in return; namely Faith and Works. God does not require either our Faith or our good deeds for salvation (his grace is freely given), but the Bible is clear that he expects both.

God doesn’t require faith for salvation? How does this differ from His expectation?

I’m a new Catholic, so this is my imperfect understanding:

It seems to me that some kind of response to God’s grace is required to be saved: faith in Him that demonstrates a changed life of obedience to Him. Simply calling out to him may not be salvific if love and obedience are not the result. Obedience to specific commands (even baptism or receiving the Eucharist) is not what saves us, otherwise it could be said that we are saved by our merits. But it is our compliant heart to His will and trust in Him (which includes baptism and receiving the Eucharist) that saves us. Refusing these, once we understand they are commanded, is rebellion against Him.

Since Protestants don’t understand the Eucharist, they are not rebelling against God or rejecting Him by not receiving it. But we should hope and pray for them to find God more fully in the Catholic faith because they are missing out on so much.

The relationship between grace, faith and works facinates me, as well. It is a huge topic of study.

 

[agname]

mango_2003:

This might be a tired and/or juvenile question, but seeing as I’m tired and/or a juvenile, I figure I’ll give it a go.

My question is…why? Why does it matter if one is Catholic or not??? I have found the following necessary for salvation through my own reading of the Bible. It seems to me that it’s all very simple.

Romans 10:9 (KJV) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Maybe I’m wrong in saying so…but it seems pretty clear what’s necessary.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matt 7:21). Scripture shows that one’s final salvation depends on the state of the soul at death. As Jesus says, “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13; cf. 25:31–46). So basically, one who dies in the state of friendship with God (the state of grace) will go to heaven. The one who dies in a state of enmity and rebellion against God (the state of mortal sin) will go to hell.

Why be Catholic? Because it’s the Church that Jesus founded upon Peter…it’s Christ’s Church.

 

[Malachi4U]

One verse does not a Bible make.