Catholic soteriology in theory only) teaches salvation by grace through faith, but then condemns its people based on Law: Transgression of the 10, which it calls “mortal” sin.But you do teach that they must be followed so as not to condemn you. Thus, placing Catholics right back under the Law. This is the inconsistency of Catholic soteriology. And for this reason Catholicism emulates the Law by employing its own priesthood (connected to its sacramental system) and sacrifice.
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I don't think you understand what St. Paul was speaking of when He said Jewish Christians were no longer "under the Law".
The law of Moses consisted not only in the moral law, the 10 commandments, but a civil law and a ceremonial or ritual law. This was because when the Israelites came out of Egypt they had no civil law. So Moses gave them a civil law. Then they also had to have a way to worship, and how to administer those under the Jewish religion, thus, they had a ceremonial and ritual law.
Now the moral law, the 10 commandments are just part of the natural law which applies to everyone, even pagans. Thus, stealing, murder, adultery, etc are wrong and were wrong for everyone, not only the Israelites. God gave the Israelites the 10 commandments so that they could know clearly and explicitly the moral law written on everyone's hearts.
Jesus came and gave the Law of the Gospel. As the Catechism states "The Law of the Gospel fulfills the commandments of the Law. The Lord's Sermon on the Mount, **far from abolishing or devaluing the moral prescriptions of the Old Law, **releases their hidden potential **and has new demands arise from them."**
Thus the Law of the Gospel did not abolish the moral law.
But, since the Law of the Gospel would not apply only to Jews but to all nationalities, it no longer had civil laws. Each country would have their own civil laws. Since the Law of the Gospel had different ways of worship and a new source of grace, the grace of salvation, which frees us (saves us) from the slavery of sin, then it had new ceremonial laws.
Notice JESUS DID NOT ABOLISH THE LAW OF MOSES.
The law of Moses still existed and the Jews were still under the Law of Moses.
But when a Jew became a Christian, then he was no longer “under the law” of Moses. Now he was under the Law of the Gospel.
Just as when a person moves from California to Mississippi, after a year or so, he is no longer under the laws of California. He is now under the laws of Mississippi. Does that mean the state of Mississippi will no longer prosecute him for murder, if he commits murder. Of course not. Some laws in both states are the same.
In the same way, while the Law of the Gospel no longer had the civil laws and same ceremonial laws (which were replaced by the sacraments and new ways of worship) the moral law remained and even had new demands arise from it.
Thus while Christians were no longer under the law of Moses, they were still under the Law of the Gospel. The law of the Gospel still had the moral law. It is still wrong to commit murder, etc, even if one is a Christian. That is why in every book of the new Testament, on judgment day, those who continued in sin and did not repent would still end up in hell. That is why in Galatians 5:19-20 St. Paul told those Christians that if they did not quit their mortal sins, such as fornication, etc, they would NOT go to heaven.
So we come to the matter of salvation.
When Adam sinned and lost sanctifying grace, he became under the bondage of sin. He and the whole human race became slaves to sin. That means that all men are inclined to sin. This is called concupiscence.
Now as the Catechism teaches,
1963. According to Christian tradition, the Law is holy, spiritual, and good,[[14]](file:///home/dennis/Documents/Church%20Docs/CATECHISM%20OF%20THE%20Catholic%20Church.html#18G14) yet still imperfect. Like a tutor[[15]](file:///home/dennis/Documents/Church%20Docs/CATECHISM%20OF%20THE%20Catholic%20Church.html#18G15) it shows what must be done, but does not of itself give the strength, the grace of the Spirit, to fulfill it. Because of sin, which it cannot remove, it remains a law of bondage. According to
St. Paul, its special function is to denounce and disclose sin, which constitutes a “law of concupiscence” in the human heart.[[16]](file:///home/dennis/Documents/Church%20Docs/CATECHISM%20OF%20THE%20Catholic%20Church.html#18G16) However, the Law remains the first stage on the way to the kingdom. It prepares and disposes the chosen people and each Christian for conversion and faith in the Savior God. It provides a teaching which endures for ever, like the Word of God.
Thus, the law of Moses could not free anyone from this slavery to sin, that is it could not save them from this slavery to sin. It could not free them i.e. save them, from this inclination to sin. It could not free, save them, them from this concupiscence. The law of Moses could not confer the grace to save anyone from this inclination to sin. Everyone was still under bondage, or slavery to sin. While they could still receive some grace through prayer, it was not enough to free them, that is save them, from this bondage to sin. They could still repent, thus escape the fires of hell, but they were still without the grace to free them from the slavery of sin, so that they could live the way God wanted them to live.
Jesus came to save everyone from this slavery to sin. He came to restore everyone to the state of grace that Adam had before he sinned. Jesus came to undo what Adam had done. “You shall name Him Jesus, for he will save men from their sins” the angel told Joseph. Thus, Jesus came to free us from our slavery to sin, that is save us, thus giving us the gift of salvation.
The Church defines salvation as “this great gift of God which is liberation from everything that oppresses man but which is above all liberation from sin and the Evil One, in the joy of knowing God and being known by Him, of seeing Him, and of being given over to Him.”
**Evangelium nuntiandi **
Pope Paul VI
So Jesus suffered and died to give us the grace which frees us from bondage, from being slaves to sin.
And of course, the Church teaches we receive this grace that frees us from the slavery to to sin though the sacraments. First baptism. But since baptism does not remove all of our inclination to sin, Jesus gives us other sacraments, especially the Eucharist, which more fully frees us from the slavery to sin. That is why the mass is so important. It continues and makes present the work of salvation, the work of the cross, in which Jesus gives us more of the grace of salvation to free us from the slavery of sin.
A savior is one who saves, that is frees us. Thus the acclamation at mass says, “By your cross and resurrection you have set us free, you are the savior of the world.”
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Of course, if we continue to obey Jesus by means of His grace and live the way we should then this salvation, this liberation from sin, will continue till the next life where we will have final salvation, since the grace of salvation also atones for our sins and makes us righteous, children of God, and gives us the right to heaven.
Luther had to restrict salvation almost entirely to final salvation to justify his new theory of "faith alone". Thus, most protestants think by salvation, the bible means final salvation, or going to heaven. Thus many think that being saved means being assured of going to heaven. This is wrong. Being saved, means PRIMARILY being freed from the inclination to sin.
Notice how Jesus describes His mission, in terms of liberation from the slavery of sin, and NOT primarily final salvation, or going to heaven.
First defininition of “save”:
“to rescue, or free, from injury or danger.”
“for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world”
John 12:47 **
Thus, Jesus came to free us from our slavery to sin.
“Christ came into the world to save sinners”
1Tim 1:15
Thus, Jesus came to free us from our slavery to sin.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Ephesians 2:8
Thus, Jesus came to free us from our slavery to sin. We cannot free ourselves from this slavery to sin. The Law of Moses could not free us from this slavery to sin. Only Jesus could merit the grace that saves us, frees us from this slavery to sin.
Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ** John 8:34
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“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:36
(Jesus came to free us, save us, from the slavery to sin)
“For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Mark 10:45
"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. "
Matthew 20: 28
To ransom means to free a slave, prisoner, or a captive in return for something of value. By His suffering and death out of love, Jesus earned the grace that frees us from being a slave to sin, from being a prisoner to sin, from being a captive to sin, from being blinded by sin, from being oppressed by sin.
Thus He considers Himself to be a ransom (something of value given to free a captive from being a slave or prisoner. ) Jesus considers us all as prisoners to sin, as slaves of sin.
“He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,”** Luke 4:18. **
Sin oppresses us. Thus Jesus came to free us from the oppression of sin.
“Our old self was crucified with him so that…we might no longer be enslaved to sin”
Romans 6:6
Notice how St. Paul continues the teaching of Jesus. That sin enslaves us, but that through the crucifixion was might no longer be enslaved to sin.
But, while this grace frees us from the slavery of sin, it does not do so entirely. We still have some inclination to sin. We can remove most of this inclination through the sacraments and prayer, especially daily mass. But we still need to fast, perform mortifications, use private prayers such as the rosary, etc. to further free us from this slavery to sin. That is why Paul exhorts Christians to pray, “mortify the deeds of the flesh”, fast, etc.
And all this grace does not force us to obey God. It frees us from the slavery of sin, and it increases our love of God, but we still have a free will. We can still freely choose to sin, thus rebel against God and lose our salvation.
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There are already numerous posts showing how Jesus and St. Paul both taught we can lose our salvation, lose the grace that frees us from the slavery to sin, lose this grace that gives us the right to heaven by our rebellion against God when we sin.
Thus, through grace and obedience Christians can live the way Jesus wants us to live, thus be members of the Kingdom of God, and when we die, enter heaven.
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Now some Jewish Christians taught that this grace and obedience was not enough. They taught that Christians also had to follow the law of Moses, specifically the ceremonial laws of circumcision. But, since Christians were no longer under the law of Moses, then following the ceremonial laws was NOT obedience to God, thus it could not lead to final salvation. These Jewish Christians taught that men had to do something in addition to having faith and obedience to God. They had to earn their salvation on their own, without God.
But Paul pointed out that the law of Moses could not save them, that is, it could not give them the grace that freed them from their slavery to sin. Thus it was useless to go back to the law of Moses. Even when they were under the the law of Moses, it could not save them, that is free them from the slavery to sin. If it could, then Jesus died for nothing.
Thus, St. Paul makes it clear that it was only through grace and obedience to God that we can be freed from our sins and continue in holiness that will one day lead to final salvation in heaven. Those parts of the law of Moses which were not continued in the law of the Gospel were useless for our salvation. And those who made up a new man made teachings that demanded that Christians go back and be circumcised were voiding the cross of Christ. Thus it is only through faith in Jesus and obedience to His laws that we can be saved from our slavery to sin starting in this life and being fulfilled in the next life in heaven.
