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Questions for Catholics

CatholicConvert

New Member
1. Salvation is entirely by faith, and not by works.

Correct. Salvation is entirely accomplished by Christ on the Cross, is entirely given by Christ in baptism, and is entirely unable to be earned, which is why infant baptism is such a perfect picture of God's grace, for the child can do nothing but receive God's grace.

2. Salvation can never be earned.

Correct again. Salvation is purely by the grace of God in coming to sinners and calling them into the Church by His grace. Whether it be that He call adults to believe in His Word and accept His Christ, or infants to be part of the Church through the faith of their parents, it is nonetheless of grace and the Church teaches that man has nothing in it.

3. Works have nothing to do with salvation.

Indeed they do not. Salvation is as free as the wind. Your problem, however, is that you #1 do not believe in the covenant, even though Jesus Himself said that He was establishing the New Covenant in His Blood, and # 2, you confuse salvation with eternal life. Works have everything to do with eternal life and both Jesus and St. Paul say so in scripture.

4. Replacement theology, the teaching that the church replaces Israel is a wrong theology, for in no way can a Christian be called a Jew.

Wrong. Very wrong, according to scripture.

Ro 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Care to argue with St. Paul on that one? I think he knows a tad more about it than you do.

Ga 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

Scripture is teaching right there that believers are now the Jews (i.e., children of Abraham.)

Why don't you put down yer mezzuzah and stop being a shill for the Kabbalists?


5. There are two judgments: one for believers and one for unbelievers. What you believe on this fact alone will skew your interpretation of this passage of Scripture.

That idea is nowhere found in scripture except through a torturing of scripture. Furthermore, it contradicts Romans 2: 5 - 10 and John 5: 28 - 29 which speak of the Day of Judgment in which ALL who are in the graves shall come forward and be judged by what they have done.

I have found that a great deal of teachings from Protestantism have come from twisting scripture around, especially in the ignoring of the covenantal relationship of the believer to his God.

You are certainly no exception to that rule.
 

gb93433

Active Member
Site Supporter
My comments are in italics.

Originally posted by CatholicConvert:
Nope....didn't leave ya. I just have a whole lots of other much more important things in my life than this board.

Now, as for your post....

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Well to answer your question according to what the entirety of what the NT teaches is that there is a judgment. For the believers there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus but for the non-believer there is a terrifying judgment.

Well, here's the first issue right here. You can be either in or out of Jesus as a believer. This idea of OSAS is a myth, a lie of the devil which has sent millions of people to hell (just as the German people of Luther's time who decided that OSAS meant "you can live any way you wish and still have heaven!").

then how would you interpret 1 John 5:11-13 and 1 Peter 1:4

1 John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

1 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

The word for reserved in verse 4 is a perfect participle. It is reserved from a point in time in the past and is continuing to be reserved now. While the emphasis is on the existing result.


But more than that, this is simply NOT how a covenant works. A covenant is a relationship between persons. It is a union. The best picture of this is marriage (the old Puritans used to refer to the covenant of marriage -- about the only thing they got right in their twisted theology). Marriage is union.

So is covenant. You may find the Biblical example of covenant in Ezekial 16. Notice ESPECIALLY verse 8:

Eze 16:8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

Any Jew reading this would immediately recognize the language of marriage in this particular verse. Marriage is the picture of the covenantal relationship between the believer and Christ.

And as you know....a relationship CAN BE BROKEN!!
Just ask any divorced person who married when they were "so in love!!"


There is no salvation in works of any kind. Ephesians 2:8,9, Titus 3:5-7 and Romans 4:4-8 are very clear on that.

That is quite correct. What you do not understand, just as DHK does not understand it even after repeated discussions with scripture attached, is that salvation and eternal life are two entirely different things.

Salvation is that act of God's sheer grace by which we are brought to Christ. We can do nothing to make it happen. It is Christ along who dies to effect its program, sends the Holy Spirit to call all sinners, and makes effacacious the removal of our sins when we respond to His grace. Nothing of the sinner is involved, and if you read both the canons of the Council of Orange and the Council of Trent, this is made quite clear. So clear, in fact, that I was SHOCKED when I read them as a Protestant.

I am not sure what you mean by, “This contradicts your paradigm of once and forever done perfection.”

It means that OSAS is a lie, pure and simple. Protestantism teaches that once one believes, all his sins, past, present, and future are "under the blood" so to speak, and will never face him again.


What protestant believes, “and will never face him again.” ?

That is NOT what the Bible teaches, especially according to Romans 2: 5 - 10 and John 5: 28 -29. Both passages state that all men shall be judged according to their works, either good (righteous works) or bad (sinful works).

basically Paul is saying to the assembly to get off the fence. In Romans 2:1,” Therefore you have no excuse...” Look at who the “you” is., In John those who do evil deeds are non-believers and good deeds, believers.

Could you point me to some scripture that teaches the point of good and bad being tied to eternal life?

Besides Romans 2: 5 - 10, which is rather clear, the best way to understand how one obtains eternal life is to understand the nature of the covenant and how it works. Ray Sutton wrote a book (as a Presbyterian, not a Catholic) in which he outlines what a covenant is and how it works. It is called THAT YOU MAY PROSPER - Dominion by Covenant, and you may read it online free at the I.C.E. Freebooks Website

After you read that, get the book A FATHER WHO KEEPS HIS PROMISE by Scott Hahn. Also get Hahn's tape series, THE COVENANTAL KINGDOM. Sutton will give you the foundational idea of the kingdom, Hahn will put the beauty of the familial kingdom around that skeleton.

All covenants can be broken. They are broken by severing the union (relationship) we have with the one we are in covenant with. We do this by doing that which offends the other party (such as a wife -- ever try having intimacies with a wife who is offended? Good luck!!)

When we commit "mortal sin", those are sins which are so bad that they sever our relationship with God. The picture of this is the Prodigal deeply insulting his father by asking for the inheritance. It is only repentance and restoration which can restore the lost relationship. But if we refuse to do so, and die in that state, then how can we be "saved"? How do we have eternal life when that life is in God alone and we have left Him?

Unh uh....don't work that way!

If you truly believe the statement you made then how many good works would be acceptable to God to attain eternal life?.

]Interesting. That's the exact same question I used to think of as a Protestant. It has NOTHING to do with QUANTITY!! It has to do with eternal life and keeping it.

We have eternal life when we are in relationship with God through Christ. And as long as we maintain that covenantal relationship/union, we continue to have eternal life. We are not "earning" eternal life by doing good works....we are staying "in covenant" with God by maintaining our union with him, just as a marriage is maintained by the actions of both parties in doing those things out of love which please the other spouse. Think of it as relationship and not as some kind of "deal" we are trying to make with God.


It was the same thing I thought while a catholic that was not born again. When we have a relationship with anyone it is not a deal but a relationship. It through the love of God and our response to him that we have that relationship. But he never stopped loving us even when we did not love Him. When we have a relationship with God His love is not contingent upon our merit or works. He always loves us. Our security is not based on a moment by moment analysis of bad or good. Paul addressed one of the things you brought up in Romans 6:12-22, “ Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin , you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin , you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin , you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life..”

The "Rich Young Ruler" you mention had the wrong relationship. His love/relationship/union was primarily with money rather than with God. Christ just brought out his true state to him. He needed to break his "covenant" with money and make one with God. Part of covenant is love and trust. This guy trusted money more than God.

In the book of James it talks about the difference between a genuine saving faith and a creedal faith. A genuine saving faith is followed by the proof of one’s faith being demonstrated by good works.

Nope. Salvation needs no proof, for it is of God's grace. The baptized baby is as saved by grace as the one who is 90 years old and coming to Jesus in the last hour. It is GRACE, remember? Therefore, it cannot be either by works or use works to "prove it".

salvation does not need works but a genuine saving faith is always accompanied by works. Even the thief on the cross had works–his confession.

John 10:27-30 talks about those who are His. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. "I and the Father are one."

If they are not saved (His) then how would they know they are his especially according to 1 Jihn 5:11-13?


"Good works" are the fruit of faith, but they are also the way we "keep the covenant" of our baptism, for baptism is the entrance into the covenantal kingdom just as circumcision was in the Old Covenant. We are "oathed" to keep the Law of God all our days, and this is a "self-maledictory" oath (as are ALL covenant oaths).

The covenant is not contingent upon me it is given by God..

Study the covenants of the OT and you will begin to see how a covenant works. The principles of covenant cannot be changed or it is not a covenant anymore.
Brother Ed

PS I apologize for being tart with you the other night. I was in a considerably bad humor that evening.
</font>[/QUOTE]In my marriage to my wife the quality of our relationship is dependent upon our level of commitment. But the fact that I am married does not change. So it is with God. The quality of my walk with God is contingent upon my commitment to Him. It is not contingent upon God. But my salvation does not waver upon whether or not I love Him more or less than someone else. My salvation is secured in Jesus. He invited me to the banquet but I was the one who accepted the invitation. Once I have accepted the invitation I cannot unaccept the invitation after I have attended the banquet. Many are called but few are chosen.

If salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ then how can it be broken by works? If one is born again by faith in Jesus Christ how can one be unborn by works?
 

CatholicConvert

New Member
In my marriage to my wife the quality of our relationship is dependent upon our level of commitment. But the fact that I am married does not change. So it is with God. The quality of my walk with God is contingent upon my commitment to Him. It is not contingent upon God. But my salvation does not waver upon whether or not I love Him more or less than someone else.

You are still not getting it, sir. Go read Deut. 28-29 to see the terms of a covenant. One thing I hope you will notice is that a covenant is NOT permanent. It is breakable.

The same thing exists with your wife. If you are a nasty cad to her, she is going to sever fellowship with you. Oh, you will be married still, but you will definitely NOT being enjoying it!! :(

That is what "venial sins" are. They are those sins which break our fellowship with God and make us miserable. We do not enjoy the comfort of His presence with us, for He is "in another room" so to speak, and will continue so until we come in repentance and ask His forgiveness.

Now, my friend, go commit ADULTERY and tell me if you still have a marriage covenant when your wife finds out! That covenant is OVER -- TOAST -- DONE -- FINITO!! You will no longer be married, unless you BEG forgiveness and only IF she decides to give you one more chance.

That is a description of mortal sin. It completely severs the relationship between us and God. Do you know why that is? Because in choosing sin, we choose to covenant with the will of the evil one and commit spiritual adultery. Take a word tour of the Bible and notice how many times God compares sin to adultery and harlotry. There is a very good reason for that.

The marital bed is the physical picture of the unseen love union between man and wife. And believe me, if you do not have a love union with your wife, if you are not in union of mind, will, and soul, if there is animus between you for offenses, there is not going to be any physical union!!

BET ON IT!!

In like manner, the works we do in keeping God's Law, both works of abstention from sin as well as positive works of charity, are the outward evidence of the union of our love and will with God. When we commit sin, we "make love to the devil". We covenant with him and tell God that He is not as important as our divine lover as the evil one is.

BAAAAAAD.

And certain sins (adultery, murder, apostasy) are so grievious that they totally sever the covenant union between us, just as adultery between you and your wife would END your marriage.

Some people on this planet are walking corpses and don't know it. They were entered into the family of God by grace and tossed it all away for a life of sin.

That is why on the Judgment Day, their Judgment will be far more grievous, for they sinned against God as a family member. Pagans who never heard will be held to a lessor account than they.

I hope I made that clearer. I am trying. You just have to remember....covenants are breakable, for a covenant is a relationship/union and we can leave a relationship with another.

What you are talking about is a contract. Contracts are unbreakable. But our relationship to God is not a contract. It is a covenant -- the New Covenant.

Cordially in Christ through the Theotokos,


Brother Ed
 

Ray Berrian

New Member
And certain sins (adultery, murder, apostasy) are so grievious that they
totally sever the covenant union between us . . .

Another Catholic presupposition. I don't recall that Jesus said there was a listing of little sins and larger sins. In the Lord God's mind, sin is sin. It all needs atonement. Of course, in our minds we say murder, for example, is worse than false accusiations against a friend, because people have to suffer more for murder than not telling the truth. God hates all sin. In other words, mortal and venial sins are a human concoction.

just as adultery between you and your wife would END your marriage.

Ray is saying, Hypothetical! Adultery would probably end my marriage but there are women and men who have been willing to forgive their partner in marriage and move on.

In the O.T. the Bible says that the Lord is married to the backslider; I'll let you search for this verse.

The Lord never breaks covenant with His born of the Spirit people. We break covenant with Him when or if we sin. Our relationship with Christ is not dissolved only our fellowship with Him is destroyed. [I John 1:7] We have no peace in our heart if we rebel against our Lord. If we persist in sin He comes with His chastening hand. [Hebrews chapter 12]
 

CatholicConvert

New Member
Another Catholic presupposition. I don't recall that Jesus said there was a listing of little sins and larger sins.
Obvious case of Protestant myopia:

1Jo 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

1Jo 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.


In the Lord God's mind, sin is sin.

When scripture indicates otherwise, WHO, sir are you to contradict the Lord?

It all needs atonement. Of course, in our minds we say murder, for example, is worse than false accusiations against a friend, because people have to suffer more for murder than not telling the truth. God hates all sin. In other words, mortal and venial sins are a human concoction.

No, your Protestant paradigm which puts all sins on an equal plane is a human concoction. I showed you the verses. Looks like the Catholic position is far more Biblical.

Ray is saying, Hypothetical! Adultery would probably end my marriage but there are women and men who have been willing to forgive their partner in marriage and move on.

Ray, do you think you could join the rest of us and use the UBB codes to highlite your responses. It would make reading your stuff a whole lot easier.

Adultery is making a covenant with another person. In effect, it nullifies the covenant you have with your covenantal partner. The marriage is severed and destroyed, and even forgiveness cannot totally heal the wounds. Go to the OT and look at how God speaks of unfaithfulness -- covenant breaking. And He calls it "adultery".[/b]

In the O.T. the Bible says that the Lord is married to the backslider; I'll let you search for this verse.

Yes. And in AD 70, He divorced backsliding and adulterous Judaism FOREVER!! You need to go back and re read Deut 28-29 and see the covenantal curses pronounced upon the Jews. These were fulfilled in AD 70 when the wrath of God came upon the Jewish nation in fulfillment of both that covenantal warning as well as Jesus' prophecies against the Jews.

The Lord never breaks covenant with His born of the Spirit people. We break covenant with Him when or if we sin.

Yes, that is correct. And when a covenant is broken, it must be renewed.

Our relationship with Christ is not dissolved only our fellowship with Him is destroyed.

Not at all true. Go back and re read the Parable of the Prodigal. The Prodigal is the picture of the child of God who sins against the Father and leaves the covenantal family and the household. Yes, he remains a son, but he is in the "far country" of sin, and if the Prodigal had died there, he would not have recieved the inheritance which was still waiting for him at the Father's house. He would have died in poverty and wretchedness, a picture of those who spurn the covenantal kingdom of God and go to live in the fields of unrepentant sin, only to find that hell is their final abode.

You really need to study these parables and OT types more closely and make covenantal application of them. You persist in the Protestant error of OSAS and that legal fiction called "imputed righteousness."
 

Ray Berrian

New Member
*Catholic Convert,

You probably never studied different commentaries as to the real meaning of I John 5:16. Please, take time to read some other sources.

1John 5:16 says, 'If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto
death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not
unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray
for it.'

This is not a sin unto spiritual death-meaning the second death as found in Revelation 20:14-15. The sinners wages is the second death; [Romans 6:23a] while the gift of God in salvation to the new believer is promised eternal life. [Romans 6:23b] This death in I John 5:16 is ministered by Christ to the backslider who He desires to prematurely take them to Heaven {example} [I Cor. 11:30 & 32] because of their besetting sin. I didn't know your theological understanding was as retarded as you jot down in your post, on this issue. Wow!

All of our sins need His atonement. This is why every Christian is so dependent on His grace and atonement to cover our sins. Of course, in our minds we say murder, for
example, is worse than false accusations against a friend, because people have to suffer more for murder than not telling the truth. God hates all sin.

CC said this. 'Adultery is making a covenant with another person.'

Ray is saying, Only a divorce and remarriage would create another covenant. The Lord God does not bless adultery and then call it a new covenant. Wow! You come up with some personal interpretations. [II Peter 1:20]

CC said, 'In effect, it nullifies the covenant you have with your covenantal partner. The marriage is severed and destroyed,

Ray is saying, 'Priests and ministers council people because the covenant marriage is still in tact. This is why adultery is so grievous.'

CC said, 'and even forgiveness cannot totally heal the wounds.

Ray is saying, It is true that wounds heal very slowly and this is part of being human. People have to deal with it and grow up, but if the one partner continues in adultery divorce is clearly in order. [Matt. 5:32]

CC said, 'Go to the OT and look at how God speaks of unfaithfulness -- covenant breaking. And He calls it "adultery."

Ray is saying, 'Oh, I forgot Catholics live under both the Law and Grace.'


CC said, 'Yes. And in AD 70, He divorced backsliding and adulterous Judaism
FOREVER!!

Ray is saying, 'Romans 11:23-25 says the opposite. The Lord is going to bring in the Israelite people at a future time; after the rapture. I wonder if you ever knew dispensational theology because if you did you would not have your theological foot in your mouth.'

You need to go back and re read Deut 28-29 and see the
covenantal curses pronounced upon the Jews. These were fulfilled in
AD 70 when the wrath of God came upon the Jewish nation in
fulfillment of both that covenantal warning as well as Jesus'
prophecies against the Jews.

Ray is saying, 'I know the Israelite people are partially blinded. [Romans 11:25e] On the other hand, any Israelite today who wants to open his heart to the Lord can be saved this minute.'

Ray is saying, 'The Lord never breaks covenant with His born of the Spirit people. We
break covenant with Him when or if we sin.'

CC said, 'Yes, that is correct. And when a covenant is broken, it must be renewed.'

Ray is saying, 'The covenant needs to be renewed with the Lord, meaning the person need personal forgiveness from the Lord. There is a difference between breaking covenant with the Lord and loss of fellowship with Him. Relationship is eternal. [John 5:24] His gift is eternal life not intermittent life.

CC said, 'Not at all true. Go back and re read the Parable of the Prodigal.

Ray is saying, 'The father of the Prodigal Son did not change his name because he broke covenant with him. The wayward son owned the same name but lost the privileges of living in his father's house. His name remained the same; only the father did not have the closeness/fellowship with the wayward son. If the relationship was destroyed, why did the father look for him every day?

CC said, 'You really need to study these parables and OT types more closely
and make covenantal application of them. You persist in the
Protestant error of OSAS . . . '

Ray is saying, Jesus, John and all the apostles believed in eternal security. [John 10:27-30] Get it? Eternal life [John 5:24; I John 5:13] This truth once you see it will cut out your Catholic 'works righteousness' and 'faith plus works' error.

CC said, 'and that legal fiction called "imputed righteousness.'

Ray is saying, 'Please, exegete Romans 4:6. King David believed in 'imputed righteousness, why not you? Are you spiritually more enlightened than the Prophet David? Fiction or bold face truth? Did Romans 4:6 only come from the Apostle Paul? or did it come straight from the Lord? While Catholics apparently cannot swallow Roman 4:6 the Lord was and is still comfortable with this truth.

After David's adultery and murder he said, 'Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation . . . ' He did not lose his salvation or everlasting life given by Christ to him; he only lost the intimacy that he once experienced with the Lord. Other disciplines and chastisements did, however, follow his trail of misbehavior. I'll let you study that thoroughly.
 

Carson Weber

<img src="http://www.boerne.com/temp/bb_pic2.jpg">
Brother Ed,

What Ray is trying to say - essentially - is that no matter how clear and explicit Scripture (e.g., St. Paul) may be, if you go through the numerous texts that speak of falling from grace, losing Jesus Christ, being cut off from Christ, losing salvation, et cetera, you can simply - with one fell swoop - nullify all of these Scripture passages by simply distinguishing between "fellowship" and "salvation".

Unfortunately, there are millstones awaiting such false prophets that are not to be taken lightly (no pun intended).
 

Frogman

<img src="http://www.churches.net/churches/fubc/Fr
Then what I stated, I believe in the thread, that you believe the atonement of Christ made a way possible, but you must work to keep that way open.

Then you say you believe salvation is by grace.

Were it not for the grace of God I would agree with you guys that salvation could be lost. But because of Grace we are sustained by God.

The Lord's Prayer, John 17, includes this idea. Hebrews 12 includes this idea.

Good Luck on your test today Carson.

Bro. Dallas
 

Ray Berrian

New Member
Carson Weber,

I have prayed for you today that you will have done well on that exam you spoke about.

Carson, you blew a lot of smoke but I see no substance, merely denials. Jot down, one by one your verses that you think speaks against the perfect security for the sons and daughters of the living God, so I and other brethren can refute them.

The theological ball is in your court.
 

Carson Weber

<img src="http://www.boerne.com/temp/bb_pic2.jpg">
Hi Dallas and Ray,

Thank you for your prayer - I don't believe this exam will be that difficult; I'll just be sitting here at the laptop at our kitchen table for the next 4 hours studying (we have wireless DSL in the house). It's a one question exam that covers the nature of revelation, the Biblical sense of remembrance (Gk. anamnesis), recapitulation, and the theology of mystery (Gk. mysterion).

Paul wrote to the Christian disciples in Galatia, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love" (Gal 5).

Go ahead Ray, refute St. Paul.
 

Ray Berrian

New Member
Catholic Convert,

C.C. said, 'Works have everything to do with eternal life and both Jesus and St. Paul say so in
scripture.'

R.B. is saying, 'The Apostle Paul in writing to Titus disagrees with Catholic, philosophy [Colossians 2:8a] about God. In Titus 3:5 Paul says,

'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration , and renewing of the Holy Spirit.'

R.B. is saying, 'If securing eternal life is dependent on 'works' then it is no longer by free grace. [Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:20]

The Apostle Paul has said in effect that our justification is by faith [Habakkuk 2:4b & Romans 5:1 & via His grace. This makes us heirs with Almighty God in sure hope of eternal life. [Titus 3:7]

Those who exegeted and translated The New International Version in speaking about Colossians 2:8 have said,

'See to it that no man takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.'

I like the New Century Version a little better.

'Be sure that no one leads you away with false and empty teaching that is only human, which comes from the ruling spirits of this world, and not from Christ.'

The wicked could care less about theology so what Paul is talking about is a philosophy, a quasi-theology coming from a religious source. Justification by faith and works, penance, and faithfulness to the Mass is this deluted Gospel contrived by the Catholic Magisterium and the papal authority.

The 'doctrines of devils' {daimonions, daheemoneeons} teaching coming from demons includes theologies that 'forbid to marry' and also teach 'abstaining from meats . . . ' These disciplines are not from the Lord God. [I Timothy 4:1-3]
 

CatholicConvert

New Member
Apostle Paul in writing to Titus disagrees with Catholic, philosophy [Colossians 2:8a] about God. In Titus 3:5 Paul says,

'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration , and renewing of the Holy Spirit.'
That's amazing. Do you ever actually READ the responses I send to you? Or do you just run to fire off another knee jerk reaction given without thought?

The above verse is exactly what I have been saying to you. Salvation is free, having nothing to do with our works, for we cannot do any whatsoever. We are washed in baptism and given the free gift of salvation. We are possessors of eternal life through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And if we continue to be faithful to the covenant, we will inherit eternal life.

Salvation is not eternal life. It is merely being let into the kingdom. The Holy Spirit is called the "earnest of our inheritance in Eph. 1. I have gone over this with you before. An earnest is not the full amount. It is only a downpayment, a part of the full amount with the full amount to come later.

What don't you understand about that concept? God even uses our own language so that we should be able to grasp exactly what he is saying.

Sheeeesh!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 

Frogman

<img src="http://www.churches.net/churches/fubc/Fr
What don't you understand about that concept? God even uses our own language so that we should be able to grasp exactly what he is saying

Here is what I don't understand.
Salvation is free, having nothing to do with our works, for we cannot do any whatsoever. We are washed in baptism and given the free gift of salvation. We are possessors of eternal life through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And if we continue to be faithful to the covenant , we will inherit eternal life.
How is this a 'free gift' if first I cannot access it except through Baptism?
How is this a 'free gift' if you attach the conditional 'if' to it?

Salvation is not eternal life. It is merely being let into the kingdom. The Holy Spirit is called the "earnest of our inheritance in Eph. 1. I have gone over this with you before. An earnest is not the full amount. It is only a downpayment, a part of the full amount with the full amount to come later.
I would agree with you that salvation has different usages in scripture and is not always referring to eternal life. I understand the point concerning the 'earnest'. At what point is this 'free gift' withdrawn from me and what is the cause(s) of this withdrawal. This would be helpful if answered in light of the thought that all this is a 'free gift'. My understanding of a free gift is that which is given to me without cost. Now, this does not deny the need for repentance because the nature of the gift is such that conviction, repentance and regeneration are worked apart from any observation by any person and is simultaneously completed in the individual.

I hope I have described my confusion concerning the concept of Grace you have presented. If you can help me out of this confusion by stating clearly the difference(s) in 'free' and 'earned' as you understand these differences.

Thanks
Bro. Dallas
 

Ray Berrian

New Member
Carson Weber,

C.W. said, 'Paul wrote to the Christian disciples in Galatia, "For freedom Christ has set
us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no
advantage to you. I testify again to every man who receives circumcision
that he is bound to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you
who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For
through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness. For in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith
working through love" (Gal 5).

Ray is saying, 'Catholicism and many non-Catholics and Protestants suffer from Galatianism. Yes, they are saved by faith but try to maintain their salvation by 'good works' or by keeping the Law of God. Paul is merely saying that if you try to justify yourself by human achievement, you are falling below your potential and are not submitting to the fact that you are saved by Christ and His gift of righteousness imputed to the human soul. [Romans 5:1; Romans 4:6]

The Apostle Paul up front tells you in verse six that neither circumcision or non-circumcision 'avails anything.' So one thing is for sure; neither circumstance will save your soul or damn it.

Live knowing that His grace abounds toward you [Romans 5:20-21] and you won't have to struggle with the Law or by trying to please the official celebrant at the church and his rules. If you become ' . . . entangled with this yoke of bondage', [Galatians 5:1]then you are fallen short of your understanding of pure grace.
 

Carson Weber

<img src="http://www.boerne.com/temp/bb_pic2.jpg">
Hi Dallas,

You asked, "How is this a 'free gift' if first I cannot access it except through Baptism?"

Because "free" is not predicated of the instrument but of the gift, which is given through the instrument. Baptism is the means of entrance into the New Covenant family of God because one cannot enter into a covenant without swearing an "oath" (latin: sacramentum).

How is this a 'free gift' if you attach the conditional 'if' to it?

How is salvation a free gift if you attach the conditional "if" of faith to it?

Regarding justification, the glory of God and of Christ is the final cause (causa finalis), the mercy of God is the efficient cause (causa efficiens), the Passion of Christ is the meritorious cause (causa meritoria), and the reception of the Sacraments is the instrumental cause (causa instrumentalis).

Essentially, you're mistaking efficient with instrumental causality.
 

Carson Weber

<img src="http://www.boerne.com/temp/bb_pic2.jpg">
Hi Ray,

Your previous post does not address the fact that St. Paul tells those disciples that if they submit once again to the ergos nomou of the Mosaic Law (e.g. circumcision), they will "fall from grace" and Christ will be "of no avail" to them anymore. As long as you fail to show how Paul is incorrect, your OSAS doctrine remains proven incorrect.
 

Ray Berrian

New Member
Carson Weber,

If you are going to think of yourself as a scholar you are going to have to fully respond to what we are saying in our posts.

I showed you that God through Paul told the people that they were not saved either because they experienced the marking in the flesh, or if they never experienced it. To God and Paul it had no saving benefit. 'For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but {only} faith which works by love.' Christians who try to justify themselves by keeping the Law or the rules of the church fall short of understanding and enjoying true freedom in Christ. Our hope is in our faith, trust in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross and in our hearts and lives by our belief in Jesus. If God doesn't care if we have the mark or the lack thereof, then a Christian could never fall from grace by being circumcised or not being so marked.

The Galatian Church problem was that they believed in Christ by faith, but thought they could keep saved by perfectly obeying the Law of God.
 

Frogman

<img src="http://www.churches.net/churches/fubc/Fr
Hey, this is great, where else could a hillbilly learn so much latin in just a few short posts?

Useless though it is, I do appreciate your attempts at teaching me a foreign language, maybe I could now add an ESL endorsement to my Teacher's certification.

Bro. Dallas
 

gb93433

Active Member
Site Supporter
Catholic COnvert, how would you interpret 1 John 5:11-13?

I John 5:11-13, "And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life."

John wrote those things for the purpose that they may know that they have eternal life.

"So that you may know that you have eternal life," is a subordinate final purpose clause.

John 20;31 says, "but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."

One whois born again knows that he is born again. Just as a baby is born it doesn't have to be told that it is born. It already knows. Salvation is not a "hope so" salvation. It is a definite salvation. Jesus never died to secure a "hope so" salvation.

If the only way to please God is by faith. We walk with God by faith. Our salvation is secure by faith. But the security is Jesus Christ. Christ is the only one who can secure salvation. It is not secured by us. It is offerd to us. We can either accept or reject that free gift.

Matthew 22:1-14, "Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. "Again he sent out other slaves saying, `Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast." ' "But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. "But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. "Then he ^said to his slaves, `The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. `Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find [there], invite to the wedding feast.' "Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he ^said to him, `Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. "Then the king said to the servants, `Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "For many are called, but few are chosen."
 
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