Christ is everything

[underdog]

Hi underdog, Im a Catholic Charismatic. I have the Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ and at the same time have an intimate relationship with Him through powerful worship through the Holy Spirit. By the way we have Catholic Priest as our spiritual advisers as well.

True, Jesus Christ is everything, He is the Way, the Truth and Life. I’m satisfied by His kindness and mercy. His love endures forever. I proclaim He is my King, my Savior, my Lord and my Friend. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, now and forever.

Hi Catholic Charismatic,

Thanks for sharing. I think it’s not about the church Christ founded. It’s about the church Christ purchased by His blood. It is an understatement to proclaim a church Christ founded, because He died for the church. Do you see by your response how you are leaning to elevate the Roman Catholic Church. The Apostles and all that God added to the body of Christ (church) had great adoration, worship, praise and joy in Christ. I have yet to get an answer to the question below. Maybe you can answer for the Roman Catholic Church. What did Jesus Christ accomplish by His perfect life and sacrificial death for the body of Christ?

 

[notsmart]

Hi Catholic Charismatic,

Thanks for sharing. I think it’s not about the church Christ founded. It’s about the church Christ purchased by His blood. Do you see by your response how you are leaning to elevated the Roman Catholic Church. The Apostles and all that God added to the body of Christ (church) had great adoration, worship, praise and joy in Christ. I have yet to get an answer to the question below. Maybe you can answer for the Roman Catholic Church. What did Jesus Christ accomplish by His perfect life and sacrificial death for the body of Christ?

What did he do for you…
What did you do for Him?
Merely accept he is the saviour?

 

[underdog]

I am going to be catholic because Christ is most important to the catholic from what I can see so far.
I can not see him held as high anywhere else.
Good day sir

Are you saying that the Roman Catholic Church teaches the highest view of the person and work of Jesus Christ in all of Christendom? If so, what did Jesus accomplish in His life and death for you according to Roman Catholic official teaching?

 

[notsmart]

Are you saying that the Roman Catholic Church teaches the highest view of the person and work of Jesus Christ in all of Christendom? If so, what did Jesus accomplish in His life and death for you according to Roman Catholic official teaching?

Question number one:
“Are you saying that the Roman Catholic Church teaches the highest view of the person and work of Jesus Christ in all of Christendom?”

Yes.

“If so, what did Jesus accomplish in His life and death for you according to Roman Catholic official teaching?”

I love the “for you” part. What is in it for you?

I could care less about that.
I believe, as you do that Jesus is God.
God came in the flesh to dwell amoung us.
He suffered, died and rose again in fufilment of the holy scriptures.
His resurrection is our hope.
He shared with us his humanity, so that we could share in his divinity.
Good night.

 

[underdog]

What did he do for you…
What did you do for Him?
Merely accept he is the saviour?

What did he do for you?

He paid the price for my sins on the cross as my substitute. He bore the wrath of God for me, and died for me, since the wages of sin is death. He lived a perfectly righteous life for me; therefore God the Father is able to pour out His eternal blessings on me. Because of Christ, I am reconciled to God and adopted into the family of God.

What did you do for Him?

Praise Him for His glorious grace, and point other sinners to Jesus Christ. Christ is superior and is to be treasured above all things including the denominational church that we belong to. The Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church, Methodist Church, Baptist Church, and Anglican Church is not who will treasure above the living God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Okay, do you mind answering my questions to you? Or, maybe you can give me your answers to your two questions. What did He do for you? What did you do for Him?

 

[notsmart]

What did he do for you?

He paid the price for my sins on the cross as my substitute. He bore the wrath of God for me, and died for me, since the wages of sin is death. He lived a perfectly righteous life for me; therefore God the Father is able to pour out His eternal blessings on me. Because of Christ, I am reconciled to God and adopted into the family of God.

What did you do for Him?

Praise Him for His glorious grace, and point other sinners to Jesus Christ as being the greatest treasure of all things. Christ is superior.

Okay, do you mind answering my questions to you? Or, maybe you can give me your answers to your two questions. What did He do for you? What did you do for Him?

I told you what He did.
What I do for him is very simple. I follow his instruction. The best I am able to.

I do not look at myslef as having a “personal” relationship with Him. I look at myself as having been blessed to be a child of God.
God has many children.
He did not do anything just for me. But he would have, if I were the only one left that did believe.
But, I wasn’t and neither were you.

 

[Callin]

I believe Jesus Christ is everything for the Christian. All of the unsearchable riches are found in Christ. All of the promises are yes in Christ. I am confused why the Catholic Church is so important to Catholics when Christ is everything to the Christian. Do you want to help me understand why the Catholic Church is so important to Catholics when our life is hidden in Christ?

What does it mean for Christ to be everything to you (or anyone)?

For me, a large part of it is knowing truth - the fullest sense of the truth that we are capable of understanding while we’re still here on earth. Knowing more about Christ is one way in which we grow closer to him. That’s why solid doctrine and scripture interpretation is important to me. Does that make sense?

I’m Catholic because, to me, the Catholic Church does possess a very large amount of truth. This is a conclusion I reached after a lot of study and thinking. I don’t consider the church more important than Christ anymore than I consider the Bible more important - if he didn’t exist, I wouldn’t consider it very important at all. It’s only important to me insofar as it brings me closer to him.

Jesus didn’t just leave behind a book. No, he hand-picked disciples, assigned Peter the leader, and even in the Bible (acts 15), they are debating which doctrine to believe, and they don’t split when they disagree. To me, this indicates a single, important, united church, in possession of great truths and very close to Christ.

 

[RubyT]

I think you have discerned the issue at hand. We are suppose to discern the will of God. You made the statement of “but Christ finds His riches in the Church”. I’m not sure if you can support that concept in the Bible, do you?

Repeatedly throughout the Bible Jesus tells us of His Love for us. In loving Him back we also give Him glory. God doesn’t want one sided love, their is no glory in that. Thus as a Church we gather and give Him Glory(His Riches). Can you refute this with Bible verse? I can support this with Bible verse.

Support from Bible verse:
Matt 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and Glorify your Father who is in heaven”.

As individuals or as the ‘church body’ we let our light shine and Glorify God. When we Glorify God He finds His riches. Yes, this is Bible verse to support my claim. It is important to ask not what God can do for us but rather ask what we can do for God. The answer is simple; be His Church. Be a light. Be a representative for Christ. Try to follow Christ teachings, follow the ten commandmenst, etc. All these things give the Glory to God. Including what we do at Catholic Mass.

What do we do at Catholic Mass? We follow what Jesus said to do at the last supper. Luke 22:19 and 20, in doing so we glorify God by following Jesus instructions.

God did not come in the flesh to exalt the church. God came to rescue a people (body of Christ - church) from condemnation for His own glory, and to the praise of His glory. It seems you have a reverse understanding of what God has done in Christ. It’s all about the glory of God, and not the people whom He has saved. Do you think I am wrong according to the Bible?

We are proclaiming to the world that Jesus is the Truth, The way and The light. We proclaim this as the church. There is no exalting of the church, there is only exalting of Christ through utilization of the church.

My faith is between God and myself. The Church is a venue which I use to worship my God and receive His Holy sacrament of the eucharist. It pleases God to have built His Church or He would not have sent Jesus to Peter.

Matt: 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it”.

What is the rock?

Read 1 Cor 11:18 through 28
Tell me what you think Jesus is trying to say?

1 Cor 11:22
“What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the Church of God, and shame those who have nothing”

 

[redeemedbyJesus]

I find it interesting that when catholics read the word “church” in the bible they assume it means the catholic church!

How do you know that is true?

Because the catholic church told you so? When you give ultimate authority to a church because you believe it was given by Jesus… that doesn’t necessarily make it God’s church!!!

If I asked a mormon or Jehovah’s witness which church is God’s church, what do you think they are going to say?

Unfortunately the external doctrines of the watchtower and the book of mormon prove them a false religion… as do the external doctrines of the catholic church.

God does not need a man centered church to save men’s souls! He’s God!! Everything that is needed for salvation, God has already accomplished on the cross at calvary.

Any additions to that salvation is adding to the gospel of Jesus Christ!

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” [Galatians 1:6-9]

Paul marveled at how quickly the gospel of Jesus Christ was perverted. I don’t care if you church is 2000 years old, adding to the gospel is preaching another gospel.

 

[po18guy]

I find it interesting that when catholics read the word “church” in the bible they assume it means the catholic church!

How do you know that is true?

Because the catholic church told you so? When you give ultimate authority to a church because you believe it was given by Jesus… that doesn’t necessarily make it God’s church!!!

If I asked a mormon or Jehovah’s witness which church is God’s church, what do you think they are going to say?

Unfortunately the external doctrines of the watchtower and the book of mormon prove them a false religion… as do the external doctrines of the catholic church.

God does not need a man centered church to save men’s souls! He’s God!! Everything that is needed for salvation, God has already accomplished on the cross at calvary.

Any additions to that salvation is adding to the gospel of Jesus Christ!

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” [Galatians 1:6-9]

Paul marveled at how quickly the gospel of Jesus Christ was perverted. I don’t care if you church is 2000 years old, adding to the gospel is preaching another gospel.

It is only in the last 500 years that “Church” did not mean catholic, as it is in the Apostle’s creed. As in “Adding”??? It only looks like something has been added if the observer has lost so much. We do not have a new gospel as in “once saved always saved”, “sola scriptura”, “sola fide”, no baptism needed, private and fallible interpretation of scripture, etc. or other heresies, if that’s what you mean.

 

[RubyT]

I see the main problem with the Catholic church is they are reliant on the Catholic church and not Jesus Christ, the true head of the church.

As an ex-catholic, I thought the church was right… but I didn’t know any different. It wasn’t until the holy spirit grabbed hold of me and showed me His truth did I realise that I wasn’t right with God just because I’d been baptised as a baby and participated in the sacraments. My heart still wasn’t right before God and I was still dead in my sins… why? Because I’d never realised my hopelessness and sinfulness and my absolute lack of ability to save myself by doing good works and living a good life!

The Holy Spirit came to you, not because of removal from any denominational church, but by the grace of God. The timing is Gods choice. You learned that just being baptized and going to church is not enough when the Spirit came to you. Rest assured now that you have the Holy Spirit in you God still wants you to participate in the Holy Sacrament at church.

You claim that the Church is what caused you to not be right with God. That you were blinded because you thought baptism and going to church was enough. Now you know, it is not enough. You did not realize your sins until the Spirit came to show you.

If you were reliant on the Church for all your answers instead of Christ himself that may be why the Spirit had not come to you yet. Don’t blame it on the Church itself. It was your reliance on the Church of your own accord. The Church did not tell you to rely on it, you did that all on your own. The church teaches us to rely on Gods word the Bible and the Love of Christ. The Spirit shows us what sinners we are and shows us the love of God and gives us the knowledge to understand it all.

Ah, but the Spirit is just the proverbial icing on the cake my friend.
Now imagine having both the Spirit inside and the Holy Sacraments of the church! You are on your way back to God but don’t forget that Jesus wants us to follow His teachings. Jesus wants us to “do this in rememberance of me” sorry that means going to confession and then church and receiving the eucharist.

I used to be like you thinking I am full of the Spirit, so now I truly am saved and I understand more of what God wants of me. Then I went to confession and went to church and found even a greater knowledge. The Spirit is ten fold what it used to be, not to mention the deeper love of God, some amazing miracles and incredible blessings, just try it. Now that you know the Holy Spirit take it to the next level.
Just try it! Go to confession, go to church and receive the Eucharist. My friend in Christ you will be glad you did.
Be well and God Bless you.

 

[ralphinal]

underdog,
You want to see the name “Roman Catholic Church” in the Bible, but you will not. The word Catholic is in there, as posted by others. However, the reason that you will not see Roman Catholic is because that name was created much later by men to tell the True Church of Jesus Christ from all the man-made denominations.

I will offer a simple comprimise. If you think that Catholics put too much emphasis on the Church and not enough on Jesus, then I challenge you to remove anything that can be traced back to us from your faith. Simply put, remove anything from your faith that was ever discussed or settled in a Catholic Council over the last 2,000 years, then tell me what you have left. You will be forced to follow the Mosaic Laws, worship on Saturday, you will not have the understanding of the Trinity, You can leave your Bible at the door. I can go on. THe only reason Christianity exists is because the Catholic Church preserved it through the centuries, especially the first few centuries where we were hunted.

The reason that we can say that we have Jesus FULLY in the CAtholic Church is because we have him BODY, BLOOD, SOUL, and DIVINITY. I cannot help if all CAtholics do not appriciate it. Nor can you say that all Protestants experience Christ in any sort of meaningful way.

The fact is that had Jesus not started a Church, he would be a forgotten foot-note in history. Yes, he would have died for us, but we could not be able to beleive in him.

Please re-read all of John 3:16. We are required to beleive in Jesus. Jesus siad that he would build his Church. He said that his Chuch would have authority.

Again, I will ask you: who founded your church and when?

 

[ralphinal]

As we are called to be light and salt the people of God when they are together should be a like a city on a hill where each individual light is added to the collective light to be very biright light.
Gods people are those that carry Him and are true temples of the living God. they can be Catholic but are not necessarily so.

Then how can a collection of people have authority? Was the Council of Jerusalem in Acts just a group of Christians or did they create dogma? What about taking someone before the church? How do you do that if there is no church structure?

How could Paul or John write to anyone to correct them if it is each to his own conscience?

I do not disagree that a Christian may or may not be Catholic. Please understand that. What I do disagree with is this idea that it is Biblically acceptable to follow the “Me and Jesus alone” construct that has only existed for the last 200 years, and primarily in the United States.

 

[Hisalone]

Christs presence in a believers life is a marvelous thing. One experiences the Spirit of God as we live our life and He guides us, embraces when others would reject us, answers our questions,testifies of Jesus and the things of the Father. How great and marvelous is He. He has embraced us so we know that we are His and if we are His how can we believe anyone who says the we are not part of Christs Church?

 

[ralphinal]

Hisalone,
What does that last post have to do with this conversation? A CAtholic can feel that same way. Besides, all properly baptised beleivers are part of the Christ’s Church.

 

[inJESUS]

If am a non-religious person who decided to follow Jesus, where do i go?

If i choose Protestantism , which denom do i choose?

If i choose to only read the Bible, who guarantees i won’t get a JW understanding of Jesus instead of a Christian one?

The Bible alone is not enough. Protestantism is too problematic since they can’t be all right.

I study history to see how the Bible and faith were understood and lived since 2000 years ago and this is what gives the Catholic church it’s place and importance.

 

[CHESTERTONRULES]

Do you know what God teaches about salvation?
Do you know salvation is of the Jews?

Of course I do.

Who wrote, preserved andcompiled the books in your New Testament?

There is a great book called ‘Salvation is from the Jews’ by Roy Shoemann. You should check it out.

 

[chris_molter]

The only reason we know about Christ is that he gave us His Church (which is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic) to spread the Gospel.

Without the Church, there is no Gospel, no Christianity. The Church is the Body of Christ.

 

[CHESTERTONRULES]

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” - Matt 1

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 1 Tim 1:15

 

[CHESTERTONRULES]

Hi Catholic Charismatic,

Thanks for sharing. I think it’s not about the church Christ founded. It’s about the church Christ purchased by His blood. It is an understatement to proclaim a church Christ founded, because He died for the church. Do you see by your response how you are leaning to elevate the Roman Catholic Church. The Apostles and all that God added to the body of Christ (church) had great adoration, worship, praise and joy in Christ. I have yet to get an answer to the question below. Maybe you can answer for the Roman Catholic Church. What did Jesus Christ accomplish by His perfect life and sacrificial death for the body of Christ?

Just to clarify that you might not have heard before.

The Catholic Church teaches that all Christians subsist within the Catholic Church, even though not all Christians are in full communion with the Church.

Please read this from the catechism:

817 In fact, "in this one and only Church of God from its very beginnings there arose certain rifts, which the Apostle strongly censures as damnable. But in subsequent centuries much more serious dissensions appeared and large communities became separated from full communion with the Catholic Church - for which, often enough, men of both sides were to blame."269 The ruptures that wound the unity of Christ’s Body - here we must distinguish heresy, apostasy, and schism270 - do not occur without human sin:

Where there are sins, there are also divisions, schisms, heresies, and disputes. Where there is virtue, however, there also are harmony and unity, from which arise the one heart and one soul of all believers.271

818 "However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers . . . . All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church."272

819 "Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth"273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements."274 Christ’s Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him,275 and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity."276