Questions For Catholics

[Will_Pick]

I have been asking dear Roman Catholics, so faithful and loyal to their Religion to explain to me what exactly is the official doctrine of the religion of Roman Catholicism concerning “HOW TO GET SAVED” and/or “HOW TO BE SURE THAT SOMEONE WHO IS A ROMAN CATHOLIC WILL GO TO HEAVEN”?

I was really hoping that someone would provide official Roman Catholic Doctrine on this topic, say from the Roman Catholic Catechism, for example.

HERE ARE MY MAIN QUESTIONS:

Is Salvation through the Roman Catholic Church?

Is Salvation through Good Works?

Is Salvation through Water Baptism?

Is Salvation through Mary?

Is Salvation through Religious Sacraments? Are they necessary for salvation?

Is Salvation a combination deal, a little help from God and a lot of effort on my part to earn salvation?

Is Salvation something I can be “assured of” by being a good Roman Catholic?

 

[mercygate]

I have been asking dear Roman Catholics, so faithful and loyal to their Religion to explain to me what exactly is the official doctrine of the religion of Roman Catholicism concerning “HOW TO GET SAVED” and/or “HOW TO BE SURE THAT SOMEONE WHO IS A ROMAN CATHOLIC WILL GO TO HEAVEN”?

I was really hoping that someone would provide official Roman Catholic Doctrine on this topic, say from the Roman Catholic Catechism, for example.

HERE ARE MY MAIN QUESTIONS:

Is Salvation through the Roman Catholic Church?

Is Salvation through Good Works?

Is Salvation through Water Baptism?

Is Salvation through Mary?

Is Salvation through Religious Sacraments? Are they necessary for salvation?

Is Salvation a combination deal, a little help from God and a lot of effort on my part to earn salvation?

Is Salvation something I can be “assured of” by being a good Roman Catholic?

*The Catechism of the Catholic Church. *Enjoy yourself!

 

[amills]

Is Salvation through the Roman Catholic Church?

Is Salvation through Good Works?

Is Salvation through Water Baptism?

Is Salvation through Mary?

Is Salvation through Religious Sacraments? Are they necessary for salvation?

Is Salvation a combination deal, a little help from God and a lot of effort on my part to earn salvation?

Is Salvation something I can be “assured of” by being a good Roman Catholic?

**From the Catechism of the Catholic Church. **

**169 **Salvation comes from God alone; but because we receive the life of faith through the Church, she is our mother: “We believe the Church as the mother of our new birth, and not in the Church as if she were the author of our salvation.” Because she is our mother, she is also our teacher in the faith.

Does this answer your questions? For more information on this topic I think the last poster was right. Just look up salvation in the catechism and you should find your answers. There is a lot on this topic.

 

[VociMike]

Your question is like asking “what is the absolute minimum I can do to be married and to have absolute assurance that I will stay married for the rest of my life.”

Real relationships don’t work that way. In a true, loving relationship, you don’t look to have the emptiest relationship with your beloved, but to have the fullest relationship. One can only have the fullest relationship with Christ here on this earth by being a faithful and committed member of the Catholic Church. Everything else is to be separated from Christ to some degree or another.

 

[wcknight]

Salvation comes from God alone, just as grace comes from God alone. He saves whom he pleases. There is nothing that you can “do” to assure yourself of salvation, because faith is a gift from God. BUT faith alone does not assure you of salvation either, because by itself it is nothing.

However we believe that folks who believe in Jesus Christ crucified and who lead holy and upright lives are saved, but no one knows for sure whether any one particular person is saved (or condemned), except for saints who are officially declared as such.

The best reassurance that Catholics have of salvation is to remain in the state of grace (ie commit no moral sins), perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy, and to receive the sacraments especially the Eucharist and Penance frequently.

We rely totally on the mercy of God, which is what everyone is subject to, including protestants.

 

[Gerry_Hunter]

The question is posed through a Protestant frame of reference – "once saved, always saved; are you assured of your salvation; have you been ‘saved’, – not a Catholic one. It is therefore not open to direct, point-by-point, yes-no answers for that reason.

Karl K gave one of the best answers to the “are you saved” question from the Catholic frame of reference. It goes, I am a Catholic Christian, and I have been redeemed. Like the Apostle Paul, I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling, with hopeful confidence, but without false assurance. This I do as the Church has taught, unchanged, since the time of Christ.

The particulars behind that response, as noted in earlier posts, are well set out in the Cathechism.

Blessings,

Gerry

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

QUOTE=Will Pick;1550617]
Is Salvation through the Roman Catholic Church?

Is Salvation through Good Works?

Is Salvation through Water Baptism?

Is Salvation through Mary?

Is Salvation through Religious Sacraments? Are they necessary for salvation?

Is Salvation a combination deal, a little help from God and a lot of effort on my part to earn salvation?

Is Salvation something I can be “assured of” by being a good Roman Catholic?

Salvation is in the ordinary way through the institution Jesus set up to offer the sacraments and promte His teachings, that is to say, the Church. If you try to seek salvation outside of the Church then, at best, you are doing so in a way that is not recommended.

Good works are virtually essential to salvation. If a man is struck by lightning the instant after his baptism, he might be saved without actually doing any works.
Baptism by water is essential for being a member of the Church, except that baptism in blood is also recognised, to cover those who give their lives for Jesus without being baptised. There is also a “baptism of desire” whereby those deprived of baptism through no fault of their own are recognised as members in spirit if not in law.

Mary was essential for salvation in so far as she consented to bear the child Jesus. However it is not necessary to pray to Mary to enter heaven. Nor can Mary forgive sins.

Baptism is the only sacrament which is necessary for salvation. However almost everyone commits some serious sin at some point in their lives, so Reconciliation or “confession” is virtually necessary. It is necessary that the Church celebrate the Eucharist to fulfil Jesus’ command to do so. Because of poor theological understanding at some points in the church’s history, some Catholics did not receive the eucharist, or did so extremely rarely. They are not deprived of salvation thereby. Confirmation is not necessary, but is necessary to be an adult member of the church, and the church needs asome confirmed memebrs to continue. Marraige and ordiantion are, obviously, not essential. Extreme unction or annointing of the sick is very important is signifing our intention that a soul be saved, but is agian not essential.

The man who tries to be saved through “faith alone” is a bit like a schoolboy, who on being entered into a school which has sent a hundred percent of pupils to university for as long as anyone can remember, concludes that if he does nothing he can be assured of a place. Probably the teachers have ways of dealing with that. The boy who says “mathematics, don’t like that and don’t want to do it, but physics, that’s my favourite subject, I’m going to be a nuclear scientist when I grow up” has a great deal to learn, but his time will be much more pleasant for all involved. If you don’t cooperate with your own slavation then you make things extremely difficult for everyone, including maybe for God.

We shouldn’t claim assurance of salvation unless, and this is extremely unusual, we have been assured of it by some private vision or revelation. If the Queen invites you to dinner every Sunday and you turn up, then surely you can expect an invitation to the big royal wedding. However it wouldn’t do to print up a fake invitation to put on the mantlepiece for friends to admire. However, and this is a mistake that a lot of Catholics have traditionally made, we should not be worried about our personal prospects either. Be a good Catholic, and let God take care of things you can’t take care of yourself.

personal.leeds.ac.uk/~bgy1mm

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

Is Salvation through the Roman Catholic Church?

Is Salvation through Good Works?

Is Salvation through Water Baptism?

Is Salvation through Mary?

Is Salvation through Religious Sacraments? Are they necessary for salvation?

Is Salvation a combination deal, a little help from God and a lot of effort on my part to earn salvation?

Is Salvation something I can be “assured of” by being a good Roman Catholic?

Salvation is in the ordinary way through the institution Jesus set up to offer the sacraments and promte His teachings, that is to say, the Church. If you try to seek salvation outside of the Church then, at best, you are doing so in a way that is not recommended.

Good works are virtually essential to salvation. If a man is struck by lightning the instant after his baptism, he might be saved without actually doing any works.
Baptism by water is essential for being a member of the Church, except that baptism in blood is also recognised, to cover those who give their lives for Jesus without being baptised. There is also a “baptism of desire” whereby those deprived of baptism through no fault of their own are recognised as members in spirit if not in law.

Mary was essential for salvation in so far as she consented to bear the child Jesus. However it is not necessary to pray to Mary to enter heaven. Nor can Mary forgive sins.

Baptism is the only sacrament which is necessary for salvation. However almost everyone commits some serious sin at some point in their lives, so Reconciliation or “confession” is virtually necessary. It is necessary that the Church celebrate the Eucharist to fulfil Jesus’ command to do so. Because of poor theological understanding at some points in the church’s history, some Catholics did not receive the eucharist, or did so extremely rarely. They are not deprived of salvation thereby. Confirmation is not necessary, but is necessary to be an adult member of the church, and the church needs asome confirmed memebrs to continue. Marraige and ordiantion are, obviously, not essential. Extreme unction or annointing of the sick is very important is signifing our intention that a soul be saved, but is agian not essential.

The man who tries to be saved through “faith alone” is a bit like a schoolboy, who on being entered into a school which has sent a hundred percent of pupils to university for as long as anyone can remember, concludes that if he does nothing he can be assured of a place. Probably the teachers have ways of dealing with that. The boy who says “mathematics, don’t like that and don’t want to do it, but physics, that’s my favourite subject, I’m going to be a nuclear scientist when I grow up” has a great deal to learn, but his time will be much more pleasant for all involved. If you don’t cooperate with your own slavation then you make things extremely difficult for everyone, including maybe for God.

We shouldn’t claim assurance of salvation unless, and this is extremely unusual, we have been assured of it by some private vision or revelation. If the Queen invites you to dinner every Sunday and you turn up, then surely you can expect an invitation to the big royal wedding. However it wouldn’t do to print up a fake invitation to put on the mantlepiece for friends to admire. However, and this is a mistake that a lot of Catholics have traditionally made, we should not be worried about our personal prospects either. Be a good Catholic, and let God take care of things you can’t take care of yourself.

personal.leeds.ac.uk/~bgy1mm

 

[Reedolo]

I have been asking dear Roman Catholics, so faithful and loyal to their Religion to explain to me what exactly is the official doctrine of the religion of Roman Catholicism concerning “HOW TO GET SAVED” and/or “HOW TO BE SURE THAT SOMEONE WHO IS A ROMAN CATHOLIC WILL GO TO HEAVEN”?

I was really hoping that someone would provide official Roman Catholic Doctrine on this topic, say from the Roman Catholic Catechism, for example.

HERE ARE MY MAIN QUESTIONS:

Is Salvation through the Roman Catholic Church?

Salvation is through Jesus Christ. We believe that the Catholic Church is the Body of Christ, so therefore there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church. However, the doesn’t mean specifically the Roman Catholic Church. Non-Catholics and even Non-Catholics can be saved, depending on their degree of ignorance, but that salvation is still through the Catholic Church because it is still through Jesus Christ.

Is Salvation through Good Works?

No, salvation is through Faith and good works together. See James 2.

Is Salvation through Water Baptism?

Water Baptism is the ordinary way to receive baptismal grace, but God can grant the same grace outside of Baptism in extraordinary circumstances. See the Catechism, it explains this pretty well.

Is Salvation through Mary?

No.

Is Salvation through Religious Sacraments? Are they necessary for salvation?

The Sacraments are the ordinary way to receive grace, but God can grant the same grace without the sacraments in extraordinary circumstances. But we shouldn’t count on extraordinary graces, we should take advantage of the Sacraments that God has given us for the purpose of receiving grace.

Is Salvation a combination deal, a little help from God and a lot of effort on my part to earn salvation?

Salvation is a totally free gift, it’s completely by God’s grace. Our cooperation is necessary, but we do not earn salvation in any way. It’s a free gift.

Is Salvation something I can be “assured of” by being a good Roman Catholic?

It would be better for you to use the term “Catholic” instead of “Roman Catholic”, because Roman Catholic only describes that Latin Rite of the Church, and there are several Eastern Rites that are just as Catholic as the Latin Rite. “Roman” Catholic only describes one particular tradition.

And salvation is something we hope for, not something we are assured of. We want to practice the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love… not Faith, assurance, and Love.

Basically, you can be sure that if you have a living faith in Jesus Christ you will be saved. But Christ is the ONLY judge on such matters, we don’t have the authority to speculate anyone’s salvation, not even our own. We put it all in His hands, and trust in His mercy.

take care

 

[julebenn]

The question is posed through a Protestant frame of reference – "once saved, always saved; are you assured of your salvation; have you been ‘saved’, – not a Catholic one. It is therefore not open to direct, point-by-point, yes-no answers for that reason.

Karl K gave one of the best answers to the “are you saved” question from the Catholic frame of reference. It goes, I am a Catholic Christian, and I have been redeemed. Like the Apostle Paul, I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling, with hopeful confidence, but without false assurance. This I do as the Church has taught, unchanged, since the time of Christ.

The particulars behind that response, as noted in earlier posts, are well set out in the Cathechism.

Blessings,

Gerry

Sounds like having to walk in fear all the time wondering if I’m saved or not. NO THANK YOU!

 

[julebenn]

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
**1 Peter 1:3-5 **

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
**John 10:27-29 **

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
**Romans 8:38-39 **

“I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
**Philippians 1:6 **

“The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
**2 Thessalonians 3:3 **

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
**Jude 1:24-25 **

“Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.”
**Isaiah 40:26 **

“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
**Psalm 23:6 **

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”
**John 6:27 **

“Who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”
**2 Corinthians 1:22 **

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
**Ephesians 1:13 **

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
**Ephesians 4:30 **

“We desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
**Hebrews 6:11-12 **

“That by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
**Hebrews 6:18-20 **

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

Is Salvation something I can be “assured of” by being a good Roman Catholic?

Will

I wanted to focus on this question. I guess I would want to know your definition of what a “good Roman Catholic” is. Either way I can say that to be a devout and faithful Roman Catholic is to be an equally faithful Christian. Someone does not gain salvation by virtue of being Catholic. Like wise Non-Catholics would not gain salvation by acting like a Catholic. Salvation for everyone comes by the Grace of God and the saving work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. While it can be said that we Catholics believe that Christ’s saving work is realized through the sacraments, our salvation is God’s work in us, not ours in Him.

God Bless

 

[6glargento]

Sounds like having to walk in fear all the time wondering if I’m saved or not. NO THANK YOU!

So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, **work out your salvation with fear and trembling **
(philipians 2:12)

 

[irishmac]

How can you be so cavalier about that? Even St. Paul demanded that we should “work out [your] salvation through fear and trembling.” (Phil. 2:12-13). I would consider that maybe the Apostle Paul knew what he was talking about when he wrote that letter to the Christians in Phillipi. We, all of Christianity, should be constantly working on our salvation, despite any “perceived” assurances one has!

 

[wcknight]

Sounds like having to walk in fear all the time wondering if I’m saved or not. NO THANK YOU!

You really don’t have a choice whether you are Catholic or not. Jesus tells us even the just man bows before the Almighty begging forgiveness and mercy, for all have sinned and no one is worthy.

Only Jesus is perfect and anyone who thinks otherwise may be in for a rude awakening, and maybe even more so for folks who believe in the once saved always saved philosophy.

 

[wcknight]

For those OSAS folks out there, be careful of your attitude and judgement towards others. Remember what Jesus says about the proud and the humble.

The man who goes before God and says, thank God, I am an upright man and I am no sinner like those other folks, will go away empty and their sins remain, but the man who humbles himself and begs forgiveness for all his sins will go away justified.

 

[mercygate]

Sounds like having to walk in fear all the time wondering if I’m saved or not. NO THANK YOU!

Faithful Catholics do not walk around all the time fearing that they will go to Hell. Such a thought would be a trivialization of Catholic teaching. And what is so terrible about fear? We stand in a magnificent fear because “fear of the Lord” is a gift of the Holy Sprit, to be treasured. A faithful Catholic knows that separation from God, especially irrevocable separation (i.e., Hell), is the worst thing that can possibly happen to him and he “fears” it with a supernatural, holy fear that is quite unlike natural, or servile, human fear.

Although we know that nothing can snatch us out of the hand of God, there is no promise that we cannot jump out of it by an act of our own free will. God will never take away our free will because without it, we cannot love. And the first commandment is to love God.

 

[Magicsilence]

I have been asking dear Roman Catholics, so faithful and loyal to their Religion to explain to me what exactly is the official doctrine of the religion of Roman Catholicism concerning “HOW TO GET SAVED” and/or “HOW TO BE SURE THAT SOMEONE WHO IS A ROMAN CATHOLIC WILL GO TO HEAVEN”?

I was really hoping that someone would provide official Roman Catholic Doctrine on this topic, say from the Roman Catholic Catechism, for example.

HERE ARE MY MAIN QUESTIONS:

Is Salvation through the Roman Catholic Church?

Is Salvation through Good Works?

Is Salvation through Water Baptism?

Is Salvation through Mary?

Is Salvation through Religious Sacraments? Are they necessary for salvation?

Is Salvation a combination deal, a little help from God and a lot of effort on my part to earn salvation?

Is Salvation something I can be “assured of” by being a good Roman Catholic?

Salvation is from Christ Jesus, our God.

Him and Him alone.

Keeping out of hell however, is another story.

Peace and God Bless.

 

[VociMike]

Sounds like having to walk in fear all the time wondering if I’m saved or not. NO THANK YOU!

So you believe in OSAS because it is more psychologically comforting? Not the best of reasons. In fact, I as a Catholic most certainly do not walk in fear, but rather in trust and in love. So you are simply speaking about something which you do not understand.

Regarding all those OSAS proof-texts you posted, let me ask you a simple question. How do you know they apply to you?

Here is a former evangelical preacher turned atheist. There can be no possible doubt that he once thought those verses applied to him as well. Did they? Is he, now a professed atheist who seeks to talk others out of Christianity, still saved? If not, then can anybody ever know durning this life if they are saved? How can OSAS possibly account for this person, and all the others like him?

 

[irishmac]

So you believe in OSAS because it is more psychologically comforting? Not the best of reasons. In fact, I as a Catholic most certainly do not walk in fear, but rather in trust and in love. So you are simply speaking about something which you do not understand.

Regarding all those OSAS proof-texts you posted, let me ask you a simple question. How do you know they apply to you?

Here is a former evangelical preacher turned atheist. There can be no possible doubt that he once thought those verses applied to him as well. Did they? Is he, now a professed atheist who seeks to talk others out of Christianity, still saved? If not, then can anybody ever know durning this life if they are saved? How can OSAS possibly account for this person, and all the others like him?

Watch out, VociMike, here comes the “He was never truly saved to begin with” retort! DUCK!