P
pinky1414
Guest
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am in conversation with a born again, sola scriptura, etc… christian. I love her dearly and she has a true concern for my soul which I can clearly see when we talk together. She was a nominal protestant who was asked to teach Rel. Ed classes at a Catholic parish (her husband was Catholic) and ‘discovered’ contradictions between Catholic teaching and the scriptures. Soon after, she delved into the bible (and probably some anti-catholic writers) and soon after had a powerful conversion experience… repenting and giving her life to Christ and has been on fire for God ever since. I don’t doubt for moment the validity of her encounter with God, as it is very identical to a very real experience I had in high school at a protestant youth group after my nominal Catholic upbring. To make a long story short, this lady has challenged me and spurred me on to know my faith much deeper. I am going to post her email to me (it’s long, so if you can help where you can that would be wonderful) in the hope that we can work together to come up with the best answers to her questions and misunderstandings of the church. Here we go:
*Dear Jerry,
I hope all is well and that you are still seeking wisom from God.
In Sundays sermon Pastor John mentioned that a common thread and theme ran through the Bible. He stated that it was always by faith in the promises of God (the promised redeemer) that individuals were saved. It was how Abraham was declared righteous and it is how people today are declared righteous.
You stated that if the Roman Catholic Church taught that salvation is merited (this is me — what I meant was: if salvation is merited by ourselves outside of God’s grace), it would be a deal breaker for you. It was a deal breaker for me, the Reformers and many ex-Catholics that I know.
When I was at Our Lady we taught the 7th graders that one of the things they needed to do to obtain eternal life was to keep the 10 commandments. This was taught because it is what the RCC teaches.
.2068 The Council of Trent teaches that the Ten Commandments are obligatory for Christians and that the justified man is still bound to keep them;28 the Second Vatican Council confirms: "The bishops, successors of the apostles, receive from the Lord . . . the mission of teaching all peoples, and of preaching the Gospel to every creature, so that all men may attain salvation through faith, Baptism and the observance of the Commandments.
You yourself agreed that it is impossible for man to love God with all their mind, soul, heart and strength at all times. God clearly stated that no one except Jesus has ever kept the law, yet it is one of the requirements in the Roman system that you must meet to obtain eternal life.
Other requirements include being sprinkled by water by a human, observing the mass, observing holy days,
being subject to “the church”, being subject to the Pope…Here are a few of the teachings.
CCC1821 We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will.[92] In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere “to the end”[93] and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God’s eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ.
On Sunday, Pastor John was talking about saving faith-it is a vibrant working faith, but he clearly stated that it is not the works that save us, but that our works are the product of our salvation. This point is a point that separates our church from the Roman Catholic Religion.
From Trent:Canon 24.If anyone says that the justice received is not preserved and also not increased before God through good works,[125] but that those works are merely the fruits and signs of justification obtained, but not the cause of its increase, let him be anathema.
*(the next part of the email is in a new thread)
I am in conversation with a born again, sola scriptura, etc… christian. I love her dearly and she has a true concern for my soul which I can clearly see when we talk together. She was a nominal protestant who was asked to teach Rel. Ed classes at a Catholic parish (her husband was Catholic) and ‘discovered’ contradictions between Catholic teaching and the scriptures. Soon after, she delved into the bible (and probably some anti-catholic writers) and soon after had a powerful conversion experience… repenting and giving her life to Christ and has been on fire for God ever since. I don’t doubt for moment the validity of her encounter with God, as it is very identical to a very real experience I had in high school at a protestant youth group after my nominal Catholic upbring. To make a long story short, this lady has challenged me and spurred me on to know my faith much deeper. I am going to post her email to me (it’s long, so if you can help where you can that would be wonderful) in the hope that we can work together to come up with the best answers to her questions and misunderstandings of the church. Here we go:
*Dear Jerry,
I hope all is well and that you are still seeking wisom from God.
In Sundays sermon Pastor John mentioned that a common thread and theme ran through the Bible. He stated that it was always by faith in the promises of God (the promised redeemer) that individuals were saved. It was how Abraham was declared righteous and it is how people today are declared righteous.
You stated that if the Roman Catholic Church taught that salvation is merited (this is me — what I meant was: if salvation is merited by ourselves outside of God’s grace), it would be a deal breaker for you. It was a deal breaker for me, the Reformers and many ex-Catholics that I know.
When I was at Our Lady we taught the 7th graders that one of the things they needed to do to obtain eternal life was to keep the 10 commandments. This was taught because it is what the RCC teaches.
.2068 The Council of Trent teaches that the Ten Commandments are obligatory for Christians and that the justified man is still bound to keep them;28 the Second Vatican Council confirms: "The bishops, successors of the apostles, receive from the Lord . . . the mission of teaching all peoples, and of preaching the Gospel to every creature, so that all men may attain salvation through faith, Baptism and the observance of the Commandments.
You yourself agreed that it is impossible for man to love God with all their mind, soul, heart and strength at all times. God clearly stated that no one except Jesus has ever kept the law, yet it is one of the requirements in the Roman system that you must meet to obtain eternal life.
Other requirements include being sprinkled by water by a human, observing the mass, observing holy days,
being subject to “the church”, being subject to the Pope…Here are a few of the teachings.
CCC1821 We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will.[92] In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere “to the end”[93] and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God’s eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ.
On Sunday, Pastor John was talking about saving faith-it is a vibrant working faith, but he clearly stated that it is not the works that save us, but that our works are the product of our salvation. This point is a point that separates our church from the Roman Catholic Religion.
From Trent:Canon 24.If anyone says that the justice received is not preserved and also not increased before God through good works,[125] but that those works are merely the fruits and signs of justification obtained, but not the cause of its increase, let him be anathema.
*(the next part of the email is in a new thread)