Primary issues deal with those sound doctrines revealed in Scripture that pertain to salvation; those that do not are secondary. RC’ism fails to differentiate. But that’s not surprising since its primarily a works based religion.
All Biblical doctrines pertain to matters of salvation.
Jesus makes it possible for
everyone to receive His free “gift” of salvation, but He also has His own “conditions” attached to His gift as to how it must be “received” and also what must be done to “continue to keep His gift in our possession until death” so that it becomes an “everlasting” gift.
If you choose to call His Catholic/universal Salvation Plan “a works-based religion,” then this is something that you can take up with Him personally.
Catholics do not believe that their religion is “works based,” but we believe that there are conditions set forth by Christ which must be met in order for us to inherit eternal life when we die.
Catholics believe that Christ’s grace saves them. But, we also know that we must cooperate with His gift of grace in order to inherit eternal life after we die.
How must a person
cooperate with His
grace on earth in order to inherit eternal life after death?
This is why John 8:11 states "She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you;
go and sin no more.”
Jesus forgives the adulteress but He also “commands” that she “sin no more” because if she does sin, then His grace will no longer save her. Jesus’
sacrifice for the remission of our
sins (which we receive at baptism) no longer saves us when we deliberately break His commandments after we are first saved.
Hebrews 10:26-30 "
For if we sin willfully/deliberately after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.”
If you sin, then you insult the Spirit of grace, and He no longer abides/resides/remains in your temple/soul/heart and unless you repent before death, you will not inherit eternal life.
1 Cor. 3:16-
18 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17
If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
What happens if you do not believe what Paul teaches, what if you believe that once you are saved, that then you cannot lose your salvation? Paul continues with:
“
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.”
You deceive yourself if you think that you can disobey Jesus’ commandments and still inherit eternal life.
Jesus states in Matt. 19:17 "
But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
John states in Revelation that those who have not defiled their baptismal garments by sin are the ones who are
worthy to inherit eternal life.
Rev. 3:4 “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”
Jesus does not “do it all.” We cooperate with His Plan of Salvation by believing in Him and because of this belief, we are baptized and baptism makes us disciples of Christ. Then we are taught by the Church how to live good moral Christian lives in imitation of Jesus and the Saints so that after we have endured in the faith until death by believing and obeying the gospel of Christ, we are then deemed worthy/approved to inherit the crown of eternal life.
James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who
endures temptation; for when he has been
approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Only those who are worthy actually inherit eternal life and receive their everlasting crowns.
Who is worthy to inherit eternal life? Who is condemned?
John 5:28-29 “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—
those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
2 Thess. 1:7-8 "when
the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is what Christians desire to hear when they meet Jesus after death:
“His lord said to him, ‘
Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’” Matthew 25:23
The faithful servant actually had to
do something
well in order to inherit eternal life.
)
This is the Advocate Jesus promised to send us, after He was ascended! What a joy, that through belief in Christ, acceptanc of His offer of salvation, we can have the gift of the Holy Spirit! And I believe(hate to nit pick)that would be the Altar of God! And speaking of baptism, if as you contend, is a requirement to be saved, were the people that John the Baptist baptized “saved”?