What is salvation?

[dcdurel]

We know what salvation is not. It is not once saved always saved. It is not salvation by faith alone. It is not “assurance of going to heaven”.

But what is the primary meaning of salvation, as the Church teaches it, since Church teachings come from Jesus?

For example. Pope John Paul II said that Jesus was everything, because there is no salvation in anyone else but Him. What does he mean by salvation?

At mass we say that that “for us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven”
What is this primary meaning of salvation as taught by the Church?

Pope Paul VI says Jesus proclaims salvation as the kernal and center of the Gospel.
What does he mean by salvation. What is the basic, fundamental meaning of salvation, as the Catholic Church teaches it?

I don’t want a list of 10 different effects of salvation.
I want a short one sentence answer that I can give to others who don’t know why Jesus came.

 

[George_Craft]

Great question dcdurel;

In one sentence, salvation is the deliverance from the punishment of sin.

If you want to go deeper into what the punishment is, when it’s applied and how, the answer is in the Gospels. Plus I’m sure others as well as myself are more than willing to help you search.

With love,
George

 

[Tomster]

We know what salvation is not. It is not once saved always saved. It is not salvation by faith alone. It is not “assurance of going to heaven”.

But what is the primary meaning of salvation, as the Church teaches it, since Church teachings come from Jesus?

For example. Pope John Paul II said that Jesus was everything, because there is no salvation in anyone else but Him. What does he mean by salvation?

At mass we say that that “for us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven”
What is this primary meaning of salvation as taught by the Church?

Pope Paul VI says Jesus proclaims salvation as the kernal and center of the Gospel.
What does he mean by salvation. What is the basic, fundamental meaning of salvation, as the Catholic Church teaches it?

I don’t want a list of 10 different effects of salvation.
I want a short one sentence answer that I can give to others who don’t know why Jesus came.

Instaurare omnia in Christo - “to restore all things in Christ.”

 

[Nita]

I think there are two aspects to “being saved”.

1. We are saved from our sins. This means we are cured, they are no longer present. Compare to a leper. When he is saved from his disease of leprosy, it means he’s been cured of it. The disease is no longer present.
   As most of us know from experience, we don’t have an instantaneous, permanent “cure”. Thus, we can speak of “being saved”, as an ongoing process of conversion.
2. We are saved from having to undergo the punishment due for our sins - if we die in the state of grace.

Nita

 

[Priscilla_Ann]

We know what salvation is not. It is not once saved always saved. It is not salvation by faith alone. It is not “assurance of going to heaven”.

But what is the primary meaning of salvation, as the Church teaches it, since Church teachings come from Jesus?

For example. Pope John Paul II said that Jesus was everything, because there is no salvation in anyone else but Him. What does he mean by salvation?

At mass we say that that “for us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven”
What is this primary meaning of salvation as taught by the Church?

Pope Paul VI says Jesus proclaims salvation as the kernal and center of the Gospel.
What does he mean by salvation. What is the basic, fundamental meaning of salvation, as the Catholic Church teaches it?

I don’t want a list of 10 different effects of salvation.
I want a short one sentence answer that I can give to others who don’t know why Jesus came.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

We know what salvation is not. It is not once saved always saved. It is not salvation by faith alone. It is not “assurance of going to heaven”.

Salvation is the total and irrevocable commitment of the soul to God.
So once saved, always saved. However not everyone who claims to be saved is yet.

 

[Bishopite]

[dcdurel];1937567]We know what salvation is not. It is not once saved always saved. It is not salvation by faith alone. It is not “assurance of going to heaven”.

Yes and no. We can have a moral assurance and confidence indeed that we are going to heaven, and an assurance if we are in sanctifying grace. What the Church teaches is that we don’t have an absolute assurance of salvation, until we get there of course for we could fall into mortal sin and die in that state.

But what is the primary meaning of salvation, as the Church teaches it, since Church teachings come from Jesus?

The meaning of salvation is to be with God in heaven.

For example. Pope John Paul II said that Jesus was everything, because there is no salvation in anyone else but Him. What does he mean by salvation?

Eternal life with God. True happiness that’s without pain, suffering or sorrow. A state of perpetual and eternal joy. The gospel isn’t a word, it’s a person, Jesus Christ.

At mass we say that that “for us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven”
What is this primary meaning of salvation as taught by the Church?

Jesus who is God, the second person of the Trinity, took on flesh (became incarnate) dwelt among us, died on a cross as an acceptable sacrifice to God the Father for our sins. If we follow Jesus Christ we achieve salvation.

Pope Paul VI says Jesus proclaims salvation as the kernal and center of the Gospel.
What does he mean by salvation. What is the basic, fundamental meaning of salvation, as the Catholic Church teaches it?

I don’t want a list of 10 different effects of salvation.
I want a short one sentence answer that I can give to others who don’t know why Jesus came.

Salvation is eternal happiness, eternal joy with God in heaven, eternal peace; the peace we only find in Jesus Christ.

 

[dcdurel]

I had asked for the Church’s meaning of salvation.
No one quoted what the Church taught.
So I found what the Church taught in the teachings of the Pope’s and the documents they authorized.

As the kernel and center of His Good News, Christ proclaims salvation, 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

                                       Evangelization is the proclamation of salvation, which is a gift of God. Through the Word of God and the sacraments, man is freed in the first place from the power of sin and the power of the Evil One which oppress him; and he is brought into a communion of love with God. Following her Lord who "came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tm. 1:15), the Church desires the salvation of all people.

Instruction on Christian Freedom and Liberation
Authorized by Pope John Paul II

                                       101. The message of Jesus about God is Good News for humanity. Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God; (328) a new and definitive intervention by God, with a transforming power equal and even superior to his creation of the world. (329) In this sense, "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". (330) Catechesis transmits this message of the Kingdom, so central to the preaching of Jesus. In doing so, the message "is gradually deepened, developed in its implicit consequences", (331) and thus manifests its great repercussions for man and the world.

GENERAL DIRECTORY FOR CATECHESIS
Authorized by Pope John Paul II

                                        601.“He died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures”

The Scriptures had foretold this divine plan of salvation through the putting to death of “the righteous one, my Servant” as a mystery of universal redemption, that is, as the ransom that would free men from the slavery of sin.
Catechism of the Catholic Church.

                                          549. By freeing some individuals from the earthly evils of hunger, injustice, illness and death, [[274]](file:///home/dennis/Daddy/Apologetics/Apol.%20St.%20Peter/Homilies,%20teach/Church%20Docs/Catechism%20of%20the%20Catholic%20Church.html#7G274) Jesus performed messianic signs. Nevertheless he did not come to abolish all evils here below, [[275]](file:///home/dennis/Daddy/Apologetics/Apol.%20St.%20Peter/Homilies,%20teach/Church%20Docs/Catechism%20of%20the%20Catholic%20Church.html#7G275) but to free men from the gravest slavery, sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God's sons and causes all forms of human bondage. [[276]](file:///home/dennis/Daddy/Apologetics/Apol.%20St.%20Peter/Homilies,%20teach/Church%20Docs/Catechism%20of%20the%20Catholic%20Church.html#7G276)

Catechism of the Catholic Church.

 

[dcdurel]

From what I have been learning from the writings of the Popes, we receive this grace that frees us from the concupisence, or tendancy toward sin, through the sacraments, but primarily through the Eucharist. That is why the Church recommends frequent, even daily Mass and Holy Communion. This grace takes away most of the tendency we have toward sin and so we are free from the slavery toward sin. Of course, this grace does not force us not to sin. So, because we have a free will, we can still sin.

Since this grace takes away the tendency to sin, then it is the grace that Jesus merited by His death and resurrection, or the grace of salvation, since salvation means to be freed from the tendency or slavery to sin.

So since we receive the grace of salvation primarily through the Eucharist, the Church teaches

                                         1407. The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church's life, for in it Christ associates his Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all on the cross to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is the Church

**Catechism of the Catholic Church.
**
Salvation is the liberation from sin, by means of grace, which Jesus merited by His death and resurrection out of love for the Father and for us.

By liberation from sin, or being set free from sin, or saving us from sin, Jesus means that He gives us the grace that takes away our compulsion to sin. Thus, we are no longer slaves to sin, even though we still have free will and can sin easily when we want. We receive this grace that saves us from our sins, we receive this salvation, through the sacraments, but primarily through the Eucharist.

The Church also teaches that by fasting, etc., more of this grace is made available to us. And the more we are disposed to receive this grace, such as by means of prayer before mass, such as the Rosary, meditations, etc, the more of this grace we receive during mass. Thus, the more we can be freed from the slavery to sin, (salvation) and the happier we will be in this life.

In my personal experience this grace reduces my inclination to sin by about 90% if I go to mass daily and pray for this grace. At first I did not know why daily mass was so effective in freeing me from the inclination to sin. But when I starting reading that the Church taught this is why Jesus died for us, that this is the primary meaning of salvation and we primarily receive this grace through the Eucharist, then it made more sense.

  Does anyone else have this experience?

 

[Priscilla_Ann]

What is salvation? Try reading the New Testament.

 

[Nita]

From what I have been learning from the writings of the Popes, we receive this grace that frees us from the concupisence, or tendancy toward sin, through the sacraments, but primarily through the Eucharist. That is why the Church recommends frequent, even daily Mass and Holy Communion. This grace takes away most of the tendency we have toward sin and so we are free from the slavery toward sin. Of course, this grace does not force us not to sin. So, because we have a free will, we can still sin.

Since this grace takes away the tendency to sin, then it is the grace that Jesus merited by His death and resurrection, or the grace of salvation, since salvation means to be freed from the tendency or slavery to sin.

Hi dcdurel,

Catechism’s definition of concupisence: * Human appetites or desires which remain disordered due to the temporal consequences of original sin, which remain even after Baptism, and which produce an inclination to sin.*

It isn’t accurate to say grace frees us from concupisence. Rather, God’s grace (His supernatural life) present in our soul, strenthens our will so we can resist the sinful desires aroused by concupisence. Those desires may recede, even disappear, or not. They may disappear for a time and then flare up again later. I think it varies for each individual, according to God’s purpose. I heard of one saint who threw himself either into a thorny bush, a snowbank, or both (fuzzy on the details)- to battle a strong temptation to sin!!! Concupisence itself is not a personal sin; giving in to it in thought, word or deed is the sin.

Like you, I have experienced a reduced inclination to sin - in certain areas - after starting to practice my faith more fervently - daily Mass, regular confession, Scripture study and spiritual reading. I said “in certain areas”; I think God helps us clean up some of the more obvious areas of sin first. But, don’t be too surprised when concupisence rears its ugly head again. We all need to be tested lest we get too confident.

Nita

 

[dcdurel]

Hi dcdurel,

Catechism’s definition of concupisence: * Human appetites or desires which remain disordered due to the temporal consequences of original sin, which remain even after Baptism, and which produce an inclination to sin.*

It isn’t accurate to say grace frees us from concupisence. Rather, God’s grace (His supernatural life) present in our soul, strenthens our will so we can resist the sinful desires aroused by concupisence. Those desires may recede, even disappear, or not. They may disappear for a time and then flare up again later. I think it varies for each individual, according to God’s purpose. I heard of one saint who threw himself either into a thorny bush, a snowbank, or both (fuzzy on the details)- to battle a strong temptation to sin!!! Concupisence itself is not a personal sin; giving in to it in thought, word or deed is the sin.
Like you, I have experienced a reduced inclination to sin - in certain areas - after starting to practice my faith more fervently - daily Mass, regular confession, Scripture study and spiritual reading. I said “in certain areas”; I think God helps us clean up some of the more obvious areas of sin first. But, don’t be too surprised when concupisence rears its ugly head again. We all need to be tested lest we get too confident.
Nita

I agree that grace does not remove all concupisence, but for me it removes about 90%.   Of course, that 10% remaining is a a big problem.  
 I experienced the teaching even before I knew what the Church taught. I noticed that whenever I skipped  mass more than 2 days in a row, I almost always fell into serious sin, even if I did not want to do so.
  The Roman Catechism says baptism reduces concupisence and both say that the Eucharist preserves us from mortal sin.    It does this by increasing our love for Jesus, and also by reducing the drive to sin, at least that is how I experience it.  I sure I am could find more explicit Church teachings that explain what happens in my case.  All I know for sure  is that it works.

 

[jonk]

In my personal experience this grace reduces my inclination to sin by about 90% if I go to mass daily and pray for this grace. At first I did not know why daily mass was so effective in freeing me from the inclination to sin. But when I starting reading that the Church taught this is why Jesus died for us, that this is the primary meaning of salvation and we primarily receive this grace through the Eucharist, then it made more sense.
Does anyone else have this experience?

Actually, yes, I noticed that too and I didn’t even know what it was. Just praying for grace I have found effective.

And especially true of confession and the Eucharist. Invalid confessions and sacrilegious Eucharist are big no-nos, however. Once I am in a state of mortal sin, it becomes very difficult to stop sinning mortally in all sorts of ways until my next confession. If confession is delayed, over time it even becomes difficult to repent and to go to confession. I stop praying, stop thinking about God, and eventually am tempted to stop going to Church. That’s when praying for grace helps.

I really think that regular monthly, fortnightly or weekly confession has an enormous effect, because it allows one to participate in Eucharist most of the time and receive the associated graces. Having said that, I’m hardly an exemplary Catholic - I often remain in the pew. I know what sort of Catholic I want to be so there’s hope yet.

 

[DLC]

Do I see myself as a guilty, lost sinner who stands condemned before a holy and righteous God (Romans 3:10-19,23)? Do I recognize that my own heart is deceitful and wicked and incurably sick (Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23)? Do I see myself as deserving of death and hell (Romans 6:23)? Do I realize that if God were to give me what I deserve and repay me for the way I have lived, then I would be totally destroyed (Psalm 130:3; compare Psalm 103:10)?

Do I recognize that there is absolutely nothing I can do to save myself (Titus 3:5)? Do I understand that trying my best to perform good works will never gain me or earn me an entrance into heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9)? Do I realize that my church or my religious system cannot save my soul (Jeremiah 17:5)? Am I convinced that my own righteousness and my own goodness falls far short of the righteousness that God requires and demands (Romans 3:10-12; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)? Do I, in and of myself, have any personal credentials that are acceptable before God (Isaiah 64:6)?

Do I believe that Jesus Christ is God’s only Solution to my sin problem (Acts 4:12)? Do I recognize Him as the only way to God (John 14:6), the only Door to salvation (John 10:9), the only Saviour for sinners (Matthew 1:21) and the only One who can give me eternal life (John 10:28; 17:3)? Do I understand that Jesus Christ is the eternal God (John 1:1-3) who came into this world and became a man to save me (John 1:14; 1 Timothy 1:15; John 3:17)? Am I convinced that He loved me even when I was a great sinner (Romans 5:8; John 3:16) and that He died and rose again to save my soul (Romans 4:25)? Am I persuaded that the Lord Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that He died in my place as my perfect Substitute, dying in my stead and paying completely the full penalty for my sins (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21)?

Am I trusting in Him and in Him alone to save me (Acts 16:31)? Have I come to Him in simple, child-like faith (John 6:35,37; Matthew 11:28)? Have I, by faith, personally received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour (John 1:12)? Am I resting my entire self on who He is (John 8:24), on what He has done (1 Cor. 15:3-4) and on what He has said (John 6:47)? Do I believe that He is able to completely save all those who come unto God through Him, including me (Hebrews 7:25)? Do I believe the statement of Christ found in John 5:24? Is John 3:16 true of me? Have I ever shared with others that Jesus Christ is my Saviour (Romans 10:9-10; Matthew 10:32)? Am I able to say from my heart: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name. On Christ the solid Rock I stand—all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand!” [Edward Mote]

 

[jmcrae]

I want a short one sentence answer that I can give to others who don’t know why Jesus came.

Jesus became the all-sufficient Sacrifice for our sins on the Cross, and opened the doors of Heaven to the human race by His resurrection on the third day.

By making the choice to follow Jesus (which means living according to His example and laws) and at the same time putting away our selfishness, bad habits, and sinfulness (meaning that we stop doing these things), we begin to apply Christ’s sacrifice to our own sins, and we begin to become the kind of human beings who will go to Heaven.

This is what is meant by “salvation.”

The surest way to Christ is through the Church that He established.

 

[parkly]

We know what salvation is not. It is not once saved always saved. It is not salvation by faith alone. It is not “assurance of going to heaven”.

But what is the primary meaning of salvation, as the Church teaches it, since Church teachings come from Jesus?

For example. Pope John Paul II said that Jesus was everything, because there is no salvation in anyone else but Him. What does he mean by salvation?

At mass we say that that “for us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven”
What is this primary meaning of salvation as taught by the Church?

Pope Paul VI says Jesus proclaims salvation as the kernal and center of the Gospel.
What does he mean by salvation. What is the basic, fundamental meaning of salvation, as the Catholic Church teaches it?

I don’t want a list of 10 different effects of salvation.
I want a short one sentence answer that I can give to others who don’t know why Jesus came.

dcdurel,
We are saved by grace . Eph.2:8-9, Rom.10:9-10, Jesus Christ said from the cross, “It is finished.” The pope is right. Jesus did it all.

God bless,
parkly