Stone:
. How does the cross of Christ directly effect the salvation (more accurately, “precarious salvation”) of a Catholic?
. . . So based on Felicity’s list, I truly do wonder of what or any kind of significant roll the cross even plays in the Catholic gospel of salvation.
“Ncgolf” says a Catholic’s salvation is based on faith plus “works of love.” But what’s the content of that faith if it (faith’s content) does not, nor cannot, save completely, but requires meritorious works of love as well? I can understand doing works of love because one IS saved, but faith plus works of love is order to get saved is very different.
So, tell me, please, of what significance is the cross in respect to salvation to a Catholic?
Let me answer from a pastoral rather than an intellectual perspective. And, FWIW, I think you’re still clingng to a residue of the erroneous view that Protestants sometimes have of Catholic teaching, i.e., that works = “works righteousness.” (BTW, you say St. Felicity’s list included “self-will” but it did not.)
When Catholics are accused by Protestants of not having “a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” we scratch our heads because for us, being in what St. Paul calls “the race” is a vital and intimate way of being in personal relationship – as is the theme of this thread: not walking away from the Eucharist.
When Catholics read Scripture, we recognize
all those passages, like Hebrews 6:4, 2Tim:4, Heb 12:1, and Phil 2:12, taken together with the 80+ NT references to “hope” of salvation, and so on, that
clearly indicate that our assurance of salvation lies not in a single faith-act of ours but on our contining by grace in faith and living according to the promise. Our personal relationship with Jesus Christ is a constant affirmation of faith in his promise. Let me quote a good illustration posted by Genesis315 on another thread:
With original sin, we are essentially put in a debtors prison with no way to pay our debt. When Jesus died he paid our debt and purchased our release. This just means the door to our cell is opened; it doesn’t mean we are beamed out of the prison. The only way we can leave the prison is by taking Jesus’ hand and walking out with Him. We can choose not to take His hand and remain in our prison cell. If we do take His hand, we will begin our walk towards the door. Every time we sin mortally, it’s like we let go of Jesus’ hand and fall down. He reaches His hand out to us again and we can choose to take it again, get up, and continue walking with Him, or we can choose not to. If we make it to the door (when we die) and we are still holding his hand, we have persevered and are saved. If we get to the door and are separated from Jesus, in essence we let Him walk out the door and we close it behind him, choosing to remain alone in our prison forever.
This view in no way denigrates the efficacy of the Cross, demeans its finality, limits its scope or denies its sufficiency. [We could start a whole 'nother thread on the nuances of perfect, condign and congruous merit, but let’s hold on that.] Just as Jesus persevered to the end, so must we, by grace through faith, persevere with him.
We find this not burdensome, but exhilarating. Knowing that Christ gives us his grace, moment by moment, intimately throughout our lives, to live by the power of his Cross is a dynamic hope of hearing the master say: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
