How does salvation work?

[OnWings]

I’ve read that salvation is a matter of cooperation with God’s grace. But what does that actually mean, in concrete terms?

Will a person be saved if they pray for the graces of conversion, repentance, and mercy? I would think probably not necessarily, since we know that some people will be practicing Catholics and yet ultimately not be saved. But if it’s not enough to be Catholic and pray for these things, what else does a person need to do to be saved?

Maybe that the person needs to do good works, bear fruit, and stay away from mortal sin. But what does a person need to do in order to be able to do these things? Is it enough for the person to pray for the graces of conversion, repentance, and mercy? But then we have the same issue as before, we can’t say yes because some do these things and aren’t saved.

What if prayer makes it possible to do those things, but doesn’t guarantee that the person actually will? Then what does a person need to do so that they’ll actually do these things? Pray for conversion, repentance, mercy, etc.?

What if a person really needs to just plain choose it and actually act, after having prayed for the grace for it to be possible? But what if their attempts to make themselves do these things don’t work, as seems to be a common struggle?

Could anyone help me understand how salvation works and what specific actions a person needs to do to be saved, taking into account the fact that some Catholics will seem to do all the things they’re supposed to do yet not be saved, and explaining the difference between what they do who do get saved vs those who don’t get saved?

 

[annad347]

Will a person be saved if they pray for the graces of conversion, repentance, and mercy?

That’s a start. To recieve salvation first you need to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. That belief will lead you to want to recieve the Holy Spirit through baptism… which will lead you to do the works you are speaking of to show the world you are filled with God’s Spirit.

The first step to receiving salvation is accept Jesus Christ as your savior and to pray for repentance, mercy and grace… for God to give you a new heart filled with the Holy Spirit.

The repentance part you might want to do with a priest though… but you can pray for God’s mercy and grace anytime.

…since we know that some people will be practicing Catholics and yet ultimately not be saved

If a person is who is Catholic loses their salvation they never had it to begin with… what makes you think someone can lose their salvation?

 

[OnWings]

If a person is who is Catholic loses their salvation they never had it to begin with… what makes you think someone can lose their salvation?

Sorry, I should specify that I mean Roman Catholic. I’m only looking for responses within Roman Catholic theology. I don’t know if there’s a subforum specific to that.

 

[annad347]

Its okay… I dont think theres a subform, but Im positive you will get an answer soon.

 

[aThomist]

What a good Question

“A matter of cooperation with God’s grace”

This is what we call in the Thomistic tradition
The Doctrine of Predestination

Which simply states the recognition of the Primacy of Christ and The Primacy of Grace

“Only Christ can save” and “only God’s grace can save and not your works”

So does it mean works are not needed for salvation?

Well to answer that let us also take into account what first is Grace and how it fits on the bigger picture of Catholic Theology.

We Humans are “Imago Dei” or image of God.
We are composed of lower faculties of souls such as the faculties of plants(Growth, Nutrition, Reproduction) and faculties of animals (Movement,Sense Perception, Sense appetite)

But Men are Imago Dei we have a special faculty comprised of “The Will and Intellect”

When Men are first Created our Will and intellect are subordinates to God which in effect controls are lower faculties this is the state of “Original Justice”

But then Men have destroyed this Original Justice since men chooses to depart his Intellect and Will from God and in effect Men have a hard time managing his lower faculties(which in turn is what we call Sin)

And this what we call “Original Sin” which is the root of all sins.

Then now Grace.
Men always desire for this Original Justice

But Grace from Christ is the Preservation by Christ of ourselves to the Return of Original Justice (which is what we call Salvation.)

 

[aThomist]

I think you missed the fact of being a Catholic

If a Catholic have a job well done on being a Catholic then he would Enter Heaven

For Being Catholic is to know Christ the source of Grace and Salvation

And we can only get grace trou Christ if we truly Love Him and to Love him is to KNOW him (for how can you truly Love what you don’t know?)

And this Grace also moves our action and turn us away from sin. for remember we only sin if our intellect and will is not subordinated to God and thus us having a hard time controlling the Lower Faculties (which is Sin itself)

That’s why to know if you are in a state of Grace reflect at your actions

Since Grace has a great impact on our actions.

 

[aThomist]

So what do we need to do to obtain Grace and thus to impact our good actions

To obtain grace in the Catholic Theology is
Trou Sacraments

Sacraments in a Nutshell is a FloodGate of Grace. And this is the Fundamental way to obtain Grace (For No one is save until he eats my flesh and drinks my blood John 6)

And again to know that you have benefited from this Sacraments is trou reflection trou your Actions