You seem very misinformed about salvation if you think Protestants have it right, and that only now Catholics should start to believe the same way. Do you understand what you teach if you do not believe that we receive salvation based on merit? Play that out and you will have made God a liar who says He is no respecter of persons. If merit does not exist, then God randomly predestines people for salvation. You are confusing the salvation of humanity with each individual’s personal salvation. Of course it is wrong to think that you will ascend to Heaven by your own means, only God has made this possible. But he also says we will be judged by our works, that we build up treasure in heaven, receive crowns and rewards, etc.
God bless Pacloc,
In your post you are dealing with three separate issues:
**1. Predestination of the elect.
- Judgment of the elect.
- Justification/Salvation. **
From your declaration I know you are a member of the Orthodox Church.
Unfortunately I don’t know what is the teaching of the Orthodox Church on the above issues, but I know reasonably well the teachings of the RCC on the above issues.
**1. PREDESTINATION OF THE ELECT
Tuesday, April 2, 2013 Fr William Most
What does the Catholic Church teach on Predestination?**
Predestination is gratuitous: …**for even before God considers human merits, He
predestines,** and because the sole and total cause of predestination is the goodness and
love of the Father which moves spontaneously without stimulus, merit, or condition.
God’s grace appears to all men (e.g.Tit. 2:11), and man’s initial “response” is the omission
of resistance, which he identifies as an “ontological zero,”
meaning man does nothing, to enter a state of justification.
In a related paragraph:
The second stage follows, in which grace moves us further, so that **we do make a decision: **
**“It is God who . . . works in you both the will and the performance.” **
Of course, we do actively cooperate with grace
in the second stage.
The entire process need not take more than one instant of time. (#82)
So, in summary the initial response is one of omission of resistance, followed by a positive response in grace.
Another school of thought which Fr. Most considers is known as
Molinism, which he describes thusly:
For in Molinism, even though it is
grace that gives the power to consent, and cooperates
with man,
the work of the man himself seems to be the chief thing in consent.
But St. Paul says that: ". . . for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good
pleasure."
These words at least seem to give a lesser role to man in the consent.
Similarly, the Council of Orange says that **“in every good work, we do not begin.” **(#329.2)
In other words, when God commands,
He capacitates the hearer to respond.
Yet the ability to respond is also His gift.
**ST. AUGUSTINE ON GRACE AND PREDESTINATION
Fr. William Most
On human interaction with grace:
Every good work, even good will, is the work of God:**
De gratia Christi 25, 26:
"For not only has God given us our ability and helps it, **but He even works [brings about]
willing and acting in us;** not that we do not will or that we do not act, but that without His
help
we neither will anything good nor do it."
De gratia et libero arbitrio 16, 32:
"It is certain that we will when we will; but
He brings it about that we will good. . . . It is
certain that we act when we act, but
He brings it about that we act, providing most effective powers to the will."
John 15:5; “…
for without Me you can do nothing.”
Strictly speaking
only a person in the STATE OF GRACE can merit, as defined by the Church (Denzinger 1576, 1582).
2 Tim.1:9; “God who saved us and called us with holy calling, **NOT ACCORDING TO
OUR WORKS, but ACCORDING TO HIS OWN PURPOSE** …”
Eph.1:11; “…
being predestined ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE of Him …”
SUMMARY
As we see above: Our calling, our salvation and our predestination
NOTHING TO DO with our works, but everything to do with GOD’S OWN PURPOSE.
Our calling, our salvation and our predestination is
NOT RANDOM.
God have been called us, saved us, predestined us,
NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, but ACCORDING TO HIS OWN PURPOSE.
Continue
If my Priest or a Cardinal who was the Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine on Faith advises that something is discouraged as it may be harmful to my spiritual life, I pay careful attention and take it on board and research further on why it is discouraged.
