I am not setting anybody up here but I would like to ask the question…how are the sacraments necessary
for salvation?
1129 The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation. “Sacramental grace” is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. The Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with the only Son, the Savior.
Thanks,
Linkowski
First, salvation has to be defined. If this key term is not defined then it is almost pointless to continue as this definition is almost never articulated, therefore how can one proceed if the starting point is not clear?
“Christ proclaims salvation as the outstanding element and, as it were, the central point of his Good News. This is the great gift of God which is to be considered as comprising not merely liberation from all those things by which man is oppressed, but especially liberation from sin and from the domination of the evil one, a liberation which incorporates that gladness enjoyed by every man who knows God and is known by him, who sees God and who surrenders himself trustingly to him”. (General Directory of Catechesis #101).
So understood this way, as Jesus teaches through his Church, salvation is being set free, here and now, on earth, at this minute, from what oppresses us, but especially the slavery of sin (“He who commits sin is a slave to sin”). Sickness, emotional, physical and spiritual, result when one is stuck in habitual mortal sin as this is acting against our nature. If we are freed from the slavery of sin in this life then the second part of salvation can result - the reward of eternal life.
Notice that Jesus teaches us through his Church that the primary meaning of “being saved” is NOT getting to heaven. Even the bible doesn’t say that. Jesus says through the Popes that the primary meaing of being saved is to be freed from what oppresses us, especially sin and the domination of the devil. That is the center point, the kernel of the Gospel.
Understood this way one can see why Jesus instituted the sacraments. Through Baptism God makes us his adopted children, we can receive the other sacraments and the devil loses his grip on us - but only to a certain extent. Since we still have a fallen human nature and a strong inclination to sin even after baptism, we need the Eucharist in order to maintain freedom from habitual grave sin, or if need be, to break away from being a prisoner (slave) of grave sin.
The Eucharist is necessary as it gives us the grace to stay in God’s favor, or sanctifying grace (“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”) Jn 6:53-54
Of course the Sacrament of Reconciliatin is necessary too for forgiveness of our sins. Without the Eucharist though, it is almost impossible to break away from the slavery of mortal sin should one ever fall into it’s tentacles. If one is stuck in grave sin throughout his life and does not repent, he will not have experienced salvation on earth. Nor will he be saved at death since he did not want to obey God on earth he will certainly not want to obey him in eternity.
