What saves you

[georgemiller]

Need help before I share this with a non Catholic friend. Is anything incorrect that follows?

What saves us?

Nothing we can do on our own can save us, nothing! We are saved only through our cooperation with the grace of God. All things we do are done through the grace of God. Things like repentance, Baptism, Confession, eating the flesh of Jesus, loving God and neighbor, doing good works are things we do to be in union with the Will of God. But, nonetheless are still things that depend on the grace of God and when done they are a fulfillment of an obedience of faith that St Paul teaches about in Romans.

  Romans 1:5, “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake”

An “obedience of faith” fulfillment that also results in one growing in the grace of God and thus also one’s relationship with God.

  2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen”

And just as one can grow in the grace of God one can also reject or waste the grace of God and that can lead to a growth away from God.

 “In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God’s grace not to let it be wasted.”

The bottom or starting line is, based on Scripture; we are initially saved through the grace of Baptism.

  Acts 22:16   Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away… 
                        
 Mark 16:16, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

 1 Peter 3:21,  This prefigured baptism, which saves you now…..

After Baptism one needs to continue to grow in grace by acts of faith or an obedience of faith that strives to be in union with the revealed Will of God.

 

[thistle]

Need help before I share this with a non Catholic friend. Is anything incorrect that follows?

What saves us?

Nothing we can do on our own can save us, nothing! We are saved only through our cooperation with the grace of God. All things we do are done through the grace of God. Things like repentance, Baptism, Confession, eating the flesh of Jesus, loving God and neighbor, doing good works are things we do to be in union with the Will of God. But, nonetheless are still things that depend on the grace of God and when done they are a fulfillment of an obedience of faith that St Paul teaches about in Romans.

  Romans 1:5, “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake”

An “obedience of faith” fulfillment that also results in one growing in the grace of God and thus also one’s relationship with God.

  2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen”

And just as one can grow in the grace of God one can also reject or waste the grace of God and that can lead to a growth away from God.

 “In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God’s grace not to let it be wasted.”

The bottom or starting line is, based on Scripture; we are initially saved through the grace of Baptism.

  Acts 22:16   Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away… 
                        
 Mark 16:16, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

 1 Peter 3:21,  This prefigured baptism, which saves you now…..

After Baptism one needs to continue to grow in grace by acts of faith or an obedience of faith that strives to be in union with the revealed Will of God.

Baptism and dying in a state of grace.

 

[Jim_Baur]

How does one inherit eternal life?

(Just before the parable of the Good Samaritan.)

LOVE!!!

His love saves us!!!

How? It is a mystery!

The parables of the kingdom of God add a great deal of light!

 

[kkollwitz]

Repent of your sins and accept God’s forgiveness. One’s good works would be the verifying fruit of that repentance.

 

[casey_cates]

It’s more of a Who than a what.

 

[Ignatius]

Need help before I share this with a non Catholic friend. Is anything incorrect that follows?

What saves us?

Nothing we can do on our own can save us, nothing! We are saved only through our cooperation with the grace of God. All things we do are done through the grace of God. Things like repentance, Baptism, Confession, eating the flesh of Jesus, loving God and neighbor, doing good works are things we do to be in union with the Will of God. But, nonetheless are still things that depend on the grace of God and when done they are a fulfillment of an obedience of faith that St Paul teaches about in Romans.

  Romans 1:5, “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake”

An “obedience of faith” fulfillment that also results in one growing in the grace of God and thus also one’s relationship with God.

  2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen”

And just as one can grow in the grace of God one can also reject or waste the grace of God and that can lead to a growth away from God.

 “In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God’s grace not to let it be wasted.”

The bottom or starting line is, based on Scripture; we are initially saved through the grace of Baptism.

  Acts 22:16   Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away… 
                        
 Mark 16:16, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

 1 Peter 3:21,  This prefigured baptism, which saves you now…..

After Baptism one needs to continue to grow in grace by acts of faith or an obedience of faith that strives to be in union with the revealed Will of God.

We are saved by Gods free gift of Grace.

 

[hu324b]

The sacrifice Christ made for me - nothing that I have done.

 

[fred_conty]

Although the above answers are good and correct for catholics, I think the average non-catholic will yawn and say that it is only thru accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour that saves you. Catholics can be correct but impotent in the eyes of others. I think what casey cates said will probably be the answer most given.

Somehow, without changing the answer, the answer must be given in a way that will open up a few eyes and hearts.

Now “personal Lord and saviour” has been challenged by catholic apologists many times because this isn’t exactly what was said in the bible. And for catholic apologists it seems a good way to prove that others don’t just accept the bible but also accept oral tradition of some kind.

However this taking of Jesus as a personal Lord and saviour is a good and wonderful act of love for him. And even in the Catholic Catechism it says that we also should have this very deep and personal love for our saviour and that we should cultivate it.

So georgemiller, the answer I would give you would be that, altho you are correct, I believe you should take the approach of making the person aware of the desire of Jesus that they accept him as their personal Saviour and Lord. For this is a good thing, and what people want is warm relationships and not really cold answers.

And after explaning how good Jesus is and what he wants to do for us, then say that we have the best way of all of making Jesus our personal Lord and saviour by celebrating the Last Supper. At every one of our Masses, is the catholic way of fulfilling this relationship. By making him one with us and he making us a part of him in the most intimate way thru communion with his personal presence. That we are given the best way of all to be the closest to him of any way possible. And catholics have this. And when was the last time that any other church said that they have this? They have preaching but they don’t have him, Jesus himself, in this very personal way.

It just seems to me we should try to make our approach worthwhile to them by helping them understand the great love and desire that Jesus has to be one with them. What they are going to have with Jesus is very important, and I believe that is the way to start out. In the beginning give them consolations, what they are going to receive. Later there will be time to fill in what they need to know.

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.

 

[fhansen]

Need help before I share this with a non Catholic friend. Is anything incorrect that follows?

What saves us?

Nothing we can do on our own can save us, nothing! We are saved only through our cooperation with the grace of God. All things we do are done through the grace of God. Things like repentance, Baptism, Confession, eating the flesh of Jesus, loving God and neighbor, doing good works are things we do to be in union with the Will of God. But, nonetheless are still things that depend on the grace of God and when done they are a fulfillment of an obedience of faith that St Paul teaches about in Romans.

  Romans 1:5, “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake”

An “obedience of faith” fulfillment that also results in one growing in the grace of God and thus also one’s relationship with God.

  2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen”

And just as one can grow in the grace of God one can also reject or waste the grace of God and that can lead to a growth away from God.

 “In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God’s grace not to let it be wasted.”

The bottom or starting line is, based on Scripture; we are initially saved through the grace of Baptism.

  Acts 22:16   Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away… 
                        
 Mark 16:16, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

 1 Peter 3:21,  This prefigured baptism, which saves you now…..

After Baptism one needs to continue to grow in grace by acts of faith or an obedience of faith that strives to be in union with the revealed Will of God.

A problem separating most Protestant theology from Catholic is that Protestantism generally separates justification from sanctification whereas Catholicism sees them as intricately interwoven, inseparable. We cannot enter heaven without holiness, as Scripture tells us. For Protestants, the call to holiness is fulfilled by faith alone, which causes holiness/righteousness to be imputed. For Catholics, holiness is fulfilled by, well, holiness, which is infused at baptism but then must be continued to be retained, cultivated, and even increased, as God gives us the grace to do so, a cooperative, “synergistic” effort rather than a “monergistic” one.

 

[Abu]

Christ has redeemed humanity by His crucifixion, death and resurrection. We are redeemed by Christ’s Passion and Death (heaven was opened); we are not saved until we co-operate with Him. “Faith without works is dead.” [Jam 2:26].

St Paul: “I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His Body which is the Church.” (Col. 1:24). What is lacking in Christ’s suffering is precisely what only we can do – take up our cross and suffer, repent and ask forgiveness, following the dictates of our conscience. We see here that Christ’s Catholic Church (the Bride of Christ) is His Mystical Body through whom all salvation comes.

The foundation of the Catholic Church by Jesus was His complete Way of enabling you and I to attain salvation after His redemption of mankind – through participating in His sacrifice on the Cross and receiving His Body and Blood in Holy Communion, through His sacraments of Confession and the other six according to our state – through Her teaching enabling us to live holy lives and repent of transgressions.

As Jesus the Christ founded His Church on St Peter there is ONLY ONE WAY – His Way through His Church. Thus, just as without Christ there is no salvation, so without the Church there is no salvation. *Catechism of the Catholic Church *# 846 - # 848]. The Catholic Church, regardless of whether or not a person knows of its divine origin and founding, is the body through which ALL salvation comes to anyone whom God deems worthy to receive it.

The “necessity of the Catholic Church for salvation” = no salvation without the Catholic Church; the doctrinal meaning of the phrase, means that whether they know it or not, salvation for anyone can come only through Christ’s Church. Christ offers the actual graces which can enable them to follow the natural moral law, and come home if they have the opportunity to so do.

 

[bmonk]

God saves us through grace–and the ordinary means of grace are the means God has given us: in particular, the community of disciples, entrusted with the Gospel. This community continues as the Catholic Church, and grace is given us through the sacraments, that join us to the saving sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. And these sacraments begin with Baptism, joining the community Jesus gave us. This is not to say that God cannot use other means to grant grace–but we do not presume to second-guess God and rely on other means that may not be effective. Go that way, and you take your chances–which is never a good idea when an approved, effective option is available.

We certainly cannot rely on our own good works. Any good we do is already due God, and there is none left over to merit or earn salvation on our own. Indeed, quite the reverse: as sinners, our good works are always less than they ought to be, so depending on the good we do is a losing proposition: we always end up more in debt than when we started. This is why we must rely, not on our own efforts, but on the free gift of God.

 

[OrosiRiley]

A problem separating most Protestant theology from Catholic is that Protestantism generally separates justification from sanctification whereas Catholicism sees them as intricately interwoven, inseparable. We cannot enter heaven without holiness, as Scripture tells us. For Protestants, the call to holiness is fulfilled by faith alone, which causes holiness/righteousness to be imputed. For Catholics, holiness is fulfilled by, well, holiness, which is infused at baptism but then must be continued to be retained, cultivated, and even increased, as God gives us the grace to do so, a cooperative, “synergistic” effort rather than a “monergistic” one.

True justification is by Grace and Grace alone, supplied by the saving Blood of our savior. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit and comes naturally after justification.

 

[fhansen]

True justification is by Grace and Grace alone, supplied by the saving Blood of our savior. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit and comes naturally after justification.

In Catholicism, the two cannot be separated. We’re justified initially at Baptism but then that justice is continuously tested and challenged, and it can increase or decrease. God judges how we’ve performed in the end. Sanctification is all about becoming more righteous/holy after all-more* just *-and without holiness no one will see God (Heb 12:14); sinners don’t enter heaven. And this why the doctrine of Purgatory is what it is, BTW-and why all Catholics believe in it.