God's Grace and how it fits into Catholicism?

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I have a Baptist/Nazarene boyfriend who is challenging me with this question (he is trying to make me reflect… and I don’t even have an answer):

“Where does God’s grace come into your faith and the Catholic teachings?”

I want to give him a solid answer and not “shake” in the middle of the conversation. So here I am to get your encouragement and ideas and explanations. Thanks in advance.
 
The Catholic Faith is inundated with grace from the very beginning. The sacraments of the Catholic Church are all about grace!

If you are hungry for God’s Grace, the Catholic Church is the place where you can potentially receive the most grace of any other christian community on the planet.

Here is the definition of sacrament:

-an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.

Here is a quick resource on grace and the sacraments to take a look at:

http://www.baltimore-catechism.com/lesson13.htm
 
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Also you should become familiar with the Baptist/Nazarene teaching on grace and how it differs from Catholic understanding.

Baptist/Nazarene teaching on grace is different than most Protestant churches and also different than the Catholic teaching.

Again, if you feel that your understanding of Catholic teaching is week you should speak to a priest about this, pray, and perhaps not engage in arguments/discussions with a boyfriend before your understanding is stronger.

There is the danger of rejecting the true Catholic faith if you are influenced by an emotional attraction to someone who is perhaps looking to convert you.
 
Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
PART THREE
LIFE IN CHRIST

SECTION ONE
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

CHAPTER THREE
GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE

Here is a link…
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c3a2.htm

Often times protestants will have a skewed ideas about Catholic’s view of grace…especially in regards to justification.
Don’t feel overwhelmed by the protestant arguments, the truth lies in the Catholic understanding of grace.
Pray before discussing it.
Ask yourself if he open to the fullness of truth, or is he trying to set up an argument to refute the Catholic teaching…
Is he willing to “reflect” as well, or is it a way to get you to convert to his church’s teaching?

Any argument he can make against the Catholic view of grace has been effectively dealt with by saints and apologists many times before. Don’t feel that you need to be an expert and have an immediate answer. Each time he questions the Catholic understanding it is an opportunity for both of you to grow in knowledge of the faith.

See also this explination from Catholic Answers…

 
Tresp said:
“Where does God’s grace come into your faith and the Catholic teachings?”
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This is how I would answer this question. Always remember never answer a question without asking one in return.

The word grace in Greek is charis (χαρις) it literally means a favor. God is doing us a favor, he is bestowing upon us his mercy and kindness. He washes our sins away.

There are two primary categories of grace: actual and sanctifying.

An easy way to understand actual grace is to remember that it enables us to act. It is the strength that God gives us to act according to his will.

Sanctifying grace is a state in which God allows us to share in his life and love. When we speak of being in the state of grace, we mean the state of sanctifying grace. There is no mortal sin in us. This grace comes to us first in baptism and then in the other sacraments.

That’s the basics. I would leave it at that. Don’t try to get into to much detail, this is a very deep subject from a Catholic perspective. If he has a followup question don’t be afraid to say I am not sure, I will get back to you. And don’t forget to ask him the where does God’s grace come into his Baptist faith and why?

Also, keep in mind that even though Baptists and Catholics use the same words in their explanations, these words can have very different meanings. So asking him how he defines God’s grace might actually be a good question to ask before you present your answer.

God Bless
 
@Tresp:

My advice in these sort of conversations is to be short & simple rather than long. You’re not a professional apologist and neither is your boyfriend. A long-winded eloquent response will often overwhelm a casual person with information and won’t benefit them. You might “win” with a great response, and yet not actually accomplish anything.

For a Catholic, we receive grace every day and every hour. God gives inspirations within us to do good and to avoid evil. We also receive grace in a special way in all of our sacraments. Every time we receive Eucharist, God is giving us his eternal Son and strengthening us until the day when we get to see Him face to face.

I wouldn’t try to go any further than that. At least not at first. If eventually you & him want to dig deeper you can do that, but at the beginning stage, most evangelization among everyday people is going to be short, simple, and easily digestible. Not a diatribe. And of course, always be gracious, humble, and honest. We should always be radiating an inner beauty and inner peace.
 
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Tresp said:
“Where does God’s grace come into your faith and the Catholic teachings?”
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You’ve received great answers. But, here’s what I would say,

The Catholic Church Teaches that we are saved by grace, through faith.

If he asks what that means, point him to Eph 2:8-10 and Titus 3:5

And explain that it means that we are saved by the grace of God, through faith, when we are baptized professing our faith in Jesus Christ. At that point, God reads our hearts and seeing our righteousness, pours out His grace into our souls and we are reborn, children of God.

Make sure to look up those verses and ask questions if you don’t understand how they fit into the explanation I provided.
 
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