Tom and Jerry: Defenders of All Things Right and Good

Sunday, April 15, 2007

How are you saved?

A Calvinist friend of mine asked me that question. I've been giving it some thought and came up with a multitude of reasons. I make no claim that the following list is sanctioned by the Catholic Church. I am saved:

  • by the incomprehensible love of God
  • by God's infinite Mercy
  • by Christ's redemptive work on the cross
  • by Mary's "yes" to the angel
  • because St. Joseph protected the Christ child
  • because Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James and Peter preached the Gospel and wrote the New Testament
  • because the Holy Catholic Church preserved sacred scripture and tradition throughout the last 2,000 years
  • through the army of priests who hear my confessions
  • through the army of priests who give me the Eucharist
  • through the completely free and undeserved gift of Baptism
  • through my parents who taught me to love Christ
  • through my godparents, aunts and uncles who have encouraged me in my faith
  • through the army of family and friends who pray for me
  • through my pathetic attempts to work out my salvation with fear and trembling (cf Phil 2:12)
  • by grace
  • through faith (Eph 2:8)
  • in Christ who loves me enough to pay for my sins

I'm sure this list is incomplete, but those are some of the reasons why I have moral certainty of my salvation.

But what must I do to be saved? In one sense, there is nothing I can do. Salvation is a free and undeserved gift of God. But in another sense Jesus tells us exactly what we need to do in Luke 10:25-28 (NAB):

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."

posted by Tom at 4:45 PM

4 Comments:

  • Here's something to toss around in that head of yours: The sheer ability to come up with all of those reasons of how you are saved attributes to your Salvation in that you are educated and knowledgeable of your faith.

    Just what we think...

    By Blogger Justine, at Sunday, April 15, 2007 8:17:00 PM  

  • Paul states...'Press on..that I having preached to others could be lost myself'...Therefore, I press on attempting to live my Catholic faith to the best of my ability. In today's Gospel John: 19-31 tells his disciples.."Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Therefore, when I fall, I avail myself of this most unique Sacrament of Confession and know that I am forgiven and PRESS ON.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Monday, April 16, 2007 12:25:00 AM  

  • A Catholic asserts we are justified by grace alone and by Christ alone, and by a faith which necessarily works in love.

    We're saved NOT BY FAITH ALONE - James 2:24
    ___________________
    In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision i of any avail , nor uncircumcision, but faith which works through charity.- Gal .5:6
    ___________________
    Rom2:6,13
    God will render to every man according to his works.v.6

    Its not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. v.13
    ____________________
    John 5:28-29
    And they who have done good shall come forth unto resurrection of life; but they who have done evil unto resurrection of judgement.
    ________________
    Matthew 25:45-46 The Last judgement
    "Amen I say to you, as long as you did not do it for one of these least ones, you did not do it for me.And these will go into everlasting punishment, but the just into everlasting life."

    The Calvinist friend is the Johnny-come-lately when it comes to Christian history. Ask your friend why he trusts in the NT canon given by the Church but refuses to accept the doctrine of the REAL PRESENCE of Christ in the Eucharist professed by all early Church fathers. Ask him also how he diminishes Christs teaching in John 6:55 "my flesh is food indeed, my blood is drink indeed ." Peace of Christ,JohnDArcy

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sunday, April 22, 2007 4:16:00 PM  

  • A Catholic asserts we are justified by grace alone and by Christ alone, and by a faith which necessarily works in love.

    We're saved NOT BY FAITH ALONE - James 2:24
    ___________________
    In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision i of any avail , nor uncircumcision, but faith which works through charity.- Gal .5:6
    ___________________
    Rom2:6,13
    God will render to every man according to his works.v.6

    Its not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. v.13
    ____________________
    John 5:28-29
    And they who have done good shall come forth unto resurrection of life; but they who have done evil unto resurrection of judgement.
    ________________
    Matthew 25:45-46 The Last judgement
    "Amen I say to you, as long as you did not do it for one of these least ones, you did not do it for me.And these will go into everlasting punishment, but the just into everlasting life."

    The Calvinist friend is the Johnny-come-lately when it comes to Christian history. Ask your friend why he trusts in the NT canon given by the Church but refuses to accept the doctrine of the REAL PRESENCE of Christ in the Eucharist professed by all early Church fathers. Ask him also how he diminishes Christs teaching in John 6:55 "my flesh is food indeed, my blood is drink indeed ." Peace of Christ,JohnDArcy

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sunday, April 22, 2007 4:17:00 PM  

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