Catholic teaching on Presumption

[Tannhauser]

This is from a Catholic encyclopedia:

It may be defined as the condition of a soul which, because of a badly regulated reliance on God’s mercy and power, hopes for salvation without doing anything to deserve it

newadvent.org/cathen/12403a.htm

Ephesians 2: 8-9

‘For by grace you are saved through faith… not of works that no man may glory.’

Why do we need to do anything to deserve salvation, when it is a gift of grace through our own faith in His only begotten Son? Why can we not have full assurance of our eternal salvation, if we have full and utter faith in Christ?

1 John 5: 11-13 …]‘These things I write to you, that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.’

 

[Church_Militant]

Probably because Our Lord Himself tells us that our works are important and relevant to our salvation.
[bibledrb]Matthew 25:31-46[/bibledrb]
Then too, St. James says,
[bibledrb]James 1:19-27[/bibledrb]
and further,
[bibledrb]James 2:14-26[/bibledrb]

 

[Tannhauser]

'For by grace you are saved through faith… not of works that no man may glory’

We are not saved of works: this is absolutely Scriptural. Works are then surely the fruits of faith: fruits. They do not get us higher up the ladder of salvation. We can have full and utter assurance of salvation through the grace that is our faith in Christ.

This seems to be an accurate and Scriptural evaluation… if it is not, then I would appreciate being corrected.

 

[Church_Militant]

'For by grace you are saved through faith… not of works that no man may glory’

Who said anything about glory? None of the passages that I cited in any way infer that the works in question are a source of pride, but of humble obedience.

We are not saved of works: this is absolutely Scriptural.

Nowhere in authentic and authoritative Catholic teaching will you ever find a source contradicting that.

Works are then surely the fruits of faith: fruits.

True, because faith influences us to obedience. However…
[bibledrb]Matthew 3:8[/bibledrb]
[bibledrb]Matthew 3:10[/bibledrb]

They do not get us higher up the ladder of salvation

. We can have full and utter assurance of salvation through the grace that is our faith in Christ.I don’t know what you mean, but I do know that the New Testament says,
[bibledrb]Matthew 16:27[/bibledrb]
and
[bibledrb]Romans 2:6[/bibledrb]
…so there is a “rendering” according to one’s works. And then…
[bibledrb]1 Corinthians 3:12-15[/bibledrb]

This seems to be an accurate and Scriptural evaluation… if it is not, then I would appreciate being corrected.

Consider yourself corrected by context of the New Testament and the teaching of the Catholic Church I guess.

 

[Nita]

This is from a Catholic encyclopedia:

It may be defined as the condition of a soul which, because of a badly regulated reliance on God’s mercy and power, hopes for salvation without doing anything to deserve it

newadvent.org/cathen/12403a.htm

Ephesians 2: 8-9

‘For by grace you are saved through faith… not of works that no man may glory.’

Why do we need to do anything to deserve salvation, when it is a gift of grace through our own faith in His only begotten Son? Why can we not have full assurance of our eternal salvation, if we have full and utter faith in Christ?

1 John 5: 11-13 …]‘These things I write to you, that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.’

Why do you say we don’t have to do anything when your very post shows we do have to do something. We have to believe; we have to have a full and utter faith in Christ.
Isn’t believing doing something? Isn’t coming to faith doing something? We “do” with our souls as well as our bodies.
Doesn’t having a “full and utter faith in Christ” mean believing every word He said is the truth (not just some of His words)? If so, then we need to read ALL His words and believe ALL of them. In addition to the few you’ve chosen, I’d suggest reading those Church Militant provided, to start with. Best of all, read the whole Bible.

 

[catharina]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"Hope

2090 When God reveals Himself and calls him, man cannot fully respond to the divine love by his own powers. He must hope that God will give him the capacity to love Him in return and to act in conformity with the commandments of charity. Hope is the confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God; it is also the fear of offending God’s love and of incurring punishment.

2091 The first commandment is also concerned with **sins against hope, namely, despair and presumption: **By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God’s goodness, to his justice - for the Lord is faithful to his promises - and to his mercy.

2092 There are two kinds of presumption. Either man presumes upon his own capacities, (hoping to be able to save himself without help from on high), or he presumes upon God’s almighty power or his mercy (hoping to obtain his forgiveness without conversion and glory without merit)."