Salvation And The Roman Catholic Church

Salvation And The Roman Catholic Church By Dr. Gary M. Gulan 1978, (Rev. 84,92,95,04) Introduction: Salvation within the Roman Catholic Church is built on a system of grace. Salvation which is referred to as "eternal life" or "divine life" in the Roman Catholic Church's dogma is based on having "sanctifying grace" or "deifying grace." 1 Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace. Sacraments serve as channels through which divine grace reaches the soul of each individual recipient. Grace is obtained through merit (or works). The administration of the sacraments has been given to the Church to which Christ gave complete jurisdiction. The Roman Catholic Church governs over the deposit of truth and the means of sanctification. 2 1. THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE ROMAN CATHOIC CHURCH A. SIN (1.) Original sin (loss of grace) "Scripture portrays the tragic consequences of this first disobedience. Adam and Eve immediately lose the grace of original holiness..." 3 "...Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents." 4 "The doctrine of original sin is... that all need salvation..." 5 "How did the sin of Adam become the sin of all his descendants?...the transmission of original sin is a mystery that we cannot fully understand....it is a sin which will be transmitted by propagation to all mankind that is, by transmission of a human nature deprived of original holiness and justice. And that is why original sin is called 'sin' only in an analogical sense: it is a sin 'contracted' and not 'committed,' a state and not an act." 6 (2.) Venial Sin (weakens or wounds sanctifying grace) Venial comes from the Latin "venia" meaning "pardoned or pardonable." Venial sin does not deprive sanctifying grace but impedes spiritual progress. Venial sins are sometimes called "daily sins." Venial sins are light sins or minor infractions and do not bring eternal punishment. It is not always necessary to confess venial sins in the sacrament of confession to the priest. 7 "Venial sin allows grace to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it." 8 "One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law... but without full knowledge or without complete consent." 9 "Venial sin weakens grace... it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However, venial sin does not break the covenant with God." 10 (3.) Mortal Sin (destroys sanctifying grace) Mortal comes from the Latin meaning "death." Mortal sin causes the supernatural death of the soul. It destroys the soul and "sanctifying grace." Mortal sin is a turning away from God. The

Council of Florance stated, the souls of those who depart in actual mortal sin... descend immediately into hell but to undergo punishment of different kinds. 11 "Mortal sin destroys grace in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law..." 12 "Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us, that is, grace, necessitates a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the setting of the sacrament of reconciliation..." 13 "Mortal sin has three conditions: one, grave matter is specified in the Ten Commandments... two, full knowledge, and three, deliberate or complete consent..." 14 B. JUSTIFICATION "The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us 'the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ' and through Baptism." 15 "...Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man." 16 "Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification." 17 "By his good works the justified man really acquires a claim to supernatural reward of God." 18 C. BAPTISM Baptism, the means where a person enters into a state of "sanctifying grace" was called the "laver of regeneration" by the Council of Trent. 19 (1.) Infant Baptism (receives "sanctifying grace") "...The overwhelming misery which oppresses men and their inclination toward evil and death cannot be understood apart from their connection with Adam's sin and the fact that he has transmitted to us a sin with which we are all born afflicted, a sin which is the 'death of the soul.' Because of this certainty of faith, the Church baptizes for the remission of sins even tiny infants who have not committed personal sin." 20 "Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God... The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism. The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth." 21 "Baptism is the sacrament of faith... The faith required for Baptism is not perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop..." 22

"The Lord Himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation....baptism is necessary for salvation for those whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than baptism... God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism..." 23 "As regards children who have died without baptism, the Church can only trust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them....all the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism." 24 (2.) Adult Baptism (receives "sanctifying grace") "...Adult baptism is the common practice where the proclamation of the Gospel is still new. The catechumnate (preparation for Baptism) therefore occupies an important place. This initiation into Christian faith and life should dispose the catechumen to receive the gift of God in baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist." 25 "By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. In those who have been reborn [through baptism] nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God." 26 "...The Church finds the reason for this possibility in the universal saving will of God and the necessity of Baptism for salvation." 27 "Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte [the baptized individual] a 'new creature,' an adopted son of God, who has become a 'partaker of the divine nature,' member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit." 28 "The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification... Thus the whole organism of the Christian's supernatural life has its roots in Baptism." 29 "Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ..." 30 Summary: 1. "The Catholic is "being saved" as he or she cooperates with grace. To be 'eternally saved' a Catholic must persevere to the end. In reality, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that no one knows until the "particular judgment" what his or her fate will be. Anyone committing a mortal sin at the last moment, and die in that condition, will be eternally lost." 31 2. Roman Catholic system of salvation is a long unsettling process of works. (1.) Baptism gives "sanctifying grace" which takes care of original sin. (2.) Baptism gives "sanctification" because of the "sanctifying grace." (3.) Baptism's "sanctifying grace" justifies the soul. (4.) During one's life time, of the sacrament of penance re-justifies and reinstates "sanctifying grace." (5.) During one's life time, of the sacraments gives "actual grace" which is a temporary strengthening to help us do the good works needed for salvation. (6.) During one's life time, "indulgences" can be acquired which are special credits that can cancel out temporal punishment of purgatory after death. (7.) During one's life time, "indulgences" can be earned by doing specific acts of piety such as saying the Rosary or performing special acts with a perfect disposition accompanied by

reception of the sacrament of confession, holy communion, and prayer for the Pope's intentions (his personal prayer requests). (8.) At death, a Catholic must die in a "state of grace." This means that at the moment of death his soul must be in possession of "sanctifying grace" in order to achieve final perseverance. (9.) At death, if at the particular judgment God finds a person in the state of grace, the individual's ultimate salvation is ensured. Before the person can enter heaven, however, the person may need to make atonement for temporal punishment that was not paid on earth. 32 2. THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN VIEWPOINT A. Works-salvation Roman Catholic dogma makes numerous statements that the Roman Catholic is not saved by their works alone, but in practice this is not true. "Roman Catholic doctrine,...speaks of the work of Christ and asserts that without the Atonement of Christ, salvation would be impossible. 'Works-salvation' would refer to the concept that human works are necessary for salvation; that is, that the work of Christ, in and of itself, without human works, actually saves no one at all. If it is asserted that God has simply made a way of salvation available that is still dependent upon works (whether these be penance, baptism, whatever), this is 'works-salvation.' Works are a necessary part of this kind of doctrine, and it is this that Protestants say is in direct contradiction of the Word of God. It is not necessary that God's grace or mercy be absent in salvation for a teaching to be branded 'works-salvation.' The key issue is whether those works are necessary and determinative to salvation." 33 "Roman Catholicism speaks of our doing works, in a state of grace, that make satisfaction or atonement for sin." 34 B. Justification Comes Before Sanctification. "Though the Christological foundation for Romanism and evangelicalism is virtually the same, significant soterological disagreements persist. Evangelicals contend that Roman Catholicism refused to embrace the truth of justification during the period when it was most actively and clearly discussed. Instead, Rome opted for a very strong stream of medieval thought, which isolated the efficacy of saving grace to the sacraments and included the sinner's progressive sanctification by infused grace as an essential element of their definition of justification." 35 "The New Testament word for justification is from a root word meaning upright, just, or righteous. To justify means to show to be righteous or to declare to be in a right state. Justification is an act of God in which He declares an unworthy sinner to be righteous in His sight, (Rom. 4:3)." 36 We believe justification is not after sanctification but rather before it. We also believe justification is not a process and is not the same as sanctification. "When a person (Roman Catholic) is finally baptized, original sin is said to be removed from the soul and in its place sanctifying grace is 'infused.' At this point the person experiences 'initial justification.' No one can merit or earn grace, and hence this initial aspect of justification is said to be by grace. When the soul is infused with sanctifying grace of God, inherent righteousness becomes one of the soul's characteristics."...catholics believe that following initial justification,

there is a second aspect of justification that occurs throughout life as the person continues to cooperate with God's grace and progresses in good works, thereby meriting the further grace that is necessary for him or her to enter eternal life. This means the person must sustain his new relationship with God and continue cooperating with God's grace to gain full and final justification." 37 "The reformers rightly emphasized the biblical term 'justification.' They preached that justification was by faith alone, or as they put it 'sola fide.' Forced to respond to this constant emphasis in Reformed proclamation, the Council of Trent early on addressed the doctrine of justification. The dogmatic decree that resulted from the Council of Trent contained sixteen chapters and thirty-three canons condemning various teachings, including, of course, those presented by the Reformers." 38 "The Roman concept of 'being justified' is hardly permanent, for it can be 'undone' by the commission of a mortal sin. It is in clearest sense of the term a 'conditional' justification, one that is not permanent but dependent on the continued faithfulness of the person." This is an "incomplete" justification from Christ. 39 The Roman Catholic Church believes in the idea of "achieving justification" because no one with certainty of faith can know if he has or has not fulfilled all the conditions which are necessary for achieving justification. 40 "Justification, in Roman Catholic theology, involves an infusion of grace, the grace justification, into the individual. This involves a subjective change in the person. Because of this, he or she is enabled through the power of grace to do good works. These works are, according to the Council of Trent, meritorious in God's sight. It must be emphasized that eternal life is merited by the good works performed by the person in the state of grace....trent said that a person is justified by baptism; that this justified person then does good works; and that these good works fully satisfy the divine law..." 41 "The Baptist Confession of Faith (1689) is in full agreement with the Westminister Shorter Catechism... Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone." 42 C. Sanctification Does Not Produce Justification "Justification involves the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, both His perfect life as well as His perfect, all-sufficient atoning sacrifice, to the believer. Justification is by grace, through faith. Justification while distinct from sanctification, cannot possibly be separated from it. In Roman Catholic theology justification and sanctification are synonymous; in Protestant theology a very important distinction is made between the two terms. God changes us in regeneration and sanctification; God declares us righteous in justification. Anyone who is justified will be sanctified. It is impossible to separate justification and sanctification, but it is absolutely necessary to distinguish them." 43

"Roman Catholicism confuses and merges justification with sanctification. Catholics believe that a person's increasing level of righteousness (sanctification) eventually enables him or her to gain final justification. The goal of the individual Roman Catholic is to continue to cooperate with God's grace and grow in sanctification (righteousness) and good works, and participate in the various Roman Catholic sacraments, with a view to attaining final justification before God. What all this means is that in Roman Catholicism, good works (sanctification) precede final justification. Justification is conditioned upon good works." 44 We believe sanctification comes after justification. We believe sanctification is: (1.) positional sanctification, it becomes a reality for the believing sinner at the moment of his conversion, (1 Cor. 6:11; Heb. 10:10,14,29); (2.) progressive sanctification, which has to do with the believer's daily growth in grace, a process of becoming more like Christ while on earth, (1 Pt. 1:16; Rom. 6:13; 12:1,2); and (3.) perfective sanctification, which is attained when the church is glorified in heaven, (1 Jn. 3:2; Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 1:8; Eph. 5:27). D. All Sin is mortal "Just how serious is sin? The Bible teaches that the spiritual consequence of every sin is the death penalty, eternal separation from God, (Rev. 20:14,15; Ez. 18:4; Rom. 6:23)" 45 E. Assurance or Security Is A By-product Of The Sufficiency Of Jesus Christ's Finished Work On The Cross The Roman Catholic will only know for certain that he or she is finally justified at the end of the process, that is when he or she dies. 46 F. Eternal Life Is Solely By Grace, Solely By Faith, Solely Through Christ Baptism cannot produce "sanctifying grace" or "justification." If baptism produces grace enough for salvation then baptism is work, and you cannot be saved through works, (Eph. 2:8-9). Man cannot "will" his salvation through his activity, (John 1:13). Conclusion: "Taken in its totality, Roman Catholicism espouses a works system of salvation. According to Catholics, salvation does involve grace and faith, but it is not by grace alone through faith alone, as the Reformers taught. Grace alone is not sufficient, without human works, to yield final and full justification. While Catholics acknowledge the necessity of grace, they do not acknowledge the exclusivity of grace. One of the more disturbing aspects of Roman Catholic theology is the teaching that the grace of justification can be gained and lost and gained and lost, on and on. It is a conditional justification. Catholics believe that committing a mortal sin virtually erases sanctifying and justifying grace from the soul for a person who commits such a sin, the only remedy is to become 're-justified' through the sacrament of penance." 47 Notes: 1 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Ed., promulgated by Pope John Paul II, Libreris Editrice Vaticana: Citta del Vaticano, second edition, 1997, Paragraph #1996-1999 2 The Roman Catholic Controversy, James White, Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1996, p. 126, quoting The Faith of Millions, John O'Brien, Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor, 1974, Pp. 142-143 3 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #399

4 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #390 5 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #98 6 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #404 7 The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 85 8 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1855 9 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1862 10 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1863 11 The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 693 12 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1855 13 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1856 14 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs #1857,1858,1859,1860 15 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1987 16 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1989 17 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #2010 18 The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 264 19 The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 126, quoting Council of Trent, Sixth Session, 4. 20 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #403 21 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1250 22 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1253 23 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1257 24 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1261 25 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1247 26 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1263 27 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1256 28 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1265 29 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1266 30 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #1267 31 The Gospel According to Rome, James McCarthy, Eugene: Harvest House, 1995, p. 92 32 The Gospel According to Rome, Pp. 91-98 33 The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 130 34 The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 152 UNDERSTANDING THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Lesson 14: Salvation By Dr. Gary M. Gulan (1978, Rev. 84,92,95,04) Page 9 35 Roman Catholicism, John Armstrong, Ed., Chicago: Moody, 1994, p. 33). 36 The Gospel According to Rome, Pp. 29-30 37 The 10 Most Important Things You Can Say To A Catholic, Ron Rhodes, Eugene: Harvest House, 2002, p. 66 38 The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 131 39 The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 132 40 The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 126, quoting Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Ludwig Ott, Rockford: Tan Books, 1974, p. 262 41 The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 133 42 Roman Catholic Controversy, Pp. 142-143 43 Roman Catholic Controversy, Pp. 144-145

44 Reasoning From The Scriptures with Catholics, Ron Rhodes, Eugene: Harvest House, 200, p. 342) 45 The Gospel According to Rome, p. 84 46 The 10 Most Important Things You Can Say To A Catholic, p. 66 47 The 10 Most Important Things You Can Say To A Catholic, Pp. 66-67