heliumspark:
catholicisim teaches a lot of false truths.
i’ll just point out one…reconciliation
the Bible teaches…all sins are forgiven at the point of salvation, because Christ’s death satisfied all God’s wrath against sin [cols 2:13-14]
Catholicism teaches…sins are only potentially forgiven, and must be worked off through a process mediated by the church and its sacraments over the lifetime of the believer.
Know, you are dealing with people who believe “being saved” allows one to do whatever you want - because “all sins are forgiven at the point of salvation”. According to them, since Christ’s death has forgiven all your sins past, present, and future… one does not need to worry about sinning/offending God because everything is forgiven, perhaps even before you commit the sin.
Even St. Paul was not completely sure of his salvation. Of course, Paul had faith in Christ he was going to be saved. Still, he knew he could loose his salvation if he did not do the will of God.
St Paul wrote, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that
you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; 27 but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest
after preaching to others I myself should be
disqualified.” [1 Cor. 9:24-27]
Therefore, St. Paul thought he could be ***disqualified ***from achieving the ULTIMATE and IMPERISHABLE prize - Salvation. How could that be when according to Fundamentalists, St. Paul had nothing to worry about;
after being “saved”, there are NO disqualifications, all sins - past present and future sins are forgiven. However, St. Paul knew he could sin (against the Holy Spirit) and not be saved.
I may be mistaken, but every Christian who is in Hell is present there because he/she committed a sin/blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:
These are a few of the Sins against the Holy Spirit.
- Despair: is to lack all hope of God’s forgiveness.
- Presumption of God’s mercy: is to expect God to forgive you even though you lack sorry and conversion. Presumption can also include presuming you were responsible for your salvation.
- Obstinacy in sin: is to persist in sin and thus to resist the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit.
- Final impenitence: is to be unrepentant - to die without remorse.
The Sacrament of Confession contains remedies to combat the Sins against the Holy Spirit.
The person who receives the Sacrament of Confession does not need to despair because they have full confidence their sins are forgiven as prescribed in John 20:23. Jesus gave his apostles, and thus their successors, the authority to forgive sins:
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” [John 20:23]
The person who gives a valid confession, does not presume God’s forgiveness, they **seek **God’s mercy and forgiveness with a contrite heart and in obedience to His will.
The person who gives a valid confession, is not obstinate in sin because a part of a valid confession requires a person to “go and sin no more”.
The person who gives a valid confession, is not impenitent because for the confession to be valid, there must be sorrow for your sins.
“Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” [Mt. 12:32]
“But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” [Mk. 3:29]
“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” [Lk. 12:10]
Now the Fundamentalists will probably not accept despair, presumption of God’s mercy, obstinacy in sin, and final impenitence as sins against the Holy Spirit. Nor will they accept the apostles’ authority in forgiving sins.
Note:
If I am incorrect in anything, please correct me. I never learned this as a whole. I kind of put it all together.
The WHOLE CRUX of OUR faith is this, and there:
penWindow(‘cr/1257.htm’)
The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.60 He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them.61 Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.62 The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.