Page 552 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Roman Catholic Doctrine and the Bible Confirmation, Mass, Penance and the other sacraments.
Error # 1—Salvation by faith plus works “Just as Christ was sent by the Father so also he sent
Rome’s gospel centers in the Catholic Church, the the apostles ... that they might preach the Gospel to
pope, and the sacraments. While Catholicism teaches every creature and proclaim that the Son of God by his
that Christ died on the cross to purchase man’s death and resurrection had freed us from the power of
Satan and from death, and brought us into the
salvation, it is not satisfied simply to invite men to Kingdom of his Father. But he also willed that the work
receive this salvation by faith directly from the of salvation which they preached SHOULD BE SET IN
resurrected Christ. Rome teaches that Christ, having TRAIN THROUGH THE SACRIFICE AND
purchased redemption by His blood and death, delivered it SACRAMENTS, around which the entire liturgical
to the Catholic Church to be distributed to men. Consider [ritualistic] life revolves” (Vatican II, Constitution on
the following quotes from the Vatican II Council: the Sacred Liturgy, Chap. 1, I, 5, 6, pp. 23-24).
“For ‘God’s only-begotten Son ... has won a treasure for “THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS ARE THE NECESSARY
the militant Church ... he has entrusted it to blessed MEANS ESTABLISHED BY CHRIST THROUGH WHICH
Peter, the key-bearer of heaven, and to his successors HIS REDEEMING, LIFE-GIVING, SANCTIFYING GRACE
who are Christ’s vicars on earth, so that they may IS IMPARTED TO INDIVIDUALS’ SOULS. You must
distribute it to the faithful for their salvation. They may centre your life upon the sacraments established by
apply it with mercy for reasonable causes to all who Christ if you want to save your soul. ... The sacraments
have repented for and have confessed their sins. At are the source of your real life, the divine life that will
times they may remit completely, and at other times unite you with God in this world and in eternity. Let
only partially, the temporal punishment due to sin in a nothing make you think that you can get along without
general as well as in special ways (insofar as they the sacraments. Without them your soul must die. ... IF
judge it to be fitting in the sight of the Lord). The YOU DON’T RECEIVE THE SACRAMENTS AT ALL,
merits of the Blessed Mother of God and of all the YOU DON’T RECEIVE GRACE. If you don’t receive
elect ... are known to add further to this them properly, that is, if you receive them seldom and
treasury’” (ellipsis are in the original) (Vatican II, with little devotion, you receive less grace” (L.G.
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Apostolic Lovasik, The Eucharist in Catholic Life, pp. 14, 15).
Constitution on the Revision of Indulgences, Chap. 4, Thus we see that the Roman Catholic plan of
7, p. 80). salvation is faith in Christ PLUS baptism PLUS
“For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which continuing in the sacraments.
is the universal help towards salvation, that the fulness Rome teaches that salvation is by the grace of Jesus
of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the Christ and is through faith, but it denies that it is by
apostolic college alone of which Peter is the head, that grace and faith ALONE.
we believe that our Lord entrusted all the blessings of
the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the Let us hear this in the words of a modern Catholic
one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully theologian. The following statement is made by a
incorporated who belong in any way to the people of Roman priest well known for his emphasis upon the
God” (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism, chap. 1, 3, p. necessity for personal faith in the exercise of the
415). sacraments, yet he is careful to remind us that the
Rome’s plan of salvation has several steps. sacraments are as necessary as the faith.
The First Step is Baptism. According to Rome, “In recent years the church has reiterated again and
salvation begins with baptism. It can be infant baptism again that we are saved by faith AND the sacraments of
for those born into Catholic homes or adult baptism for faith. BOTH ARE NECESSARY” (J.D. Crichton,
those who approach the Roman Church later in life. Christian Celebration: The Sacraments, p. 65).
Either way, the Catholic Church teaches that through The Catholic Church redefines grace. This confuses
baptism a person receives spiritual life. many people. When a Roman Catholic priest speaks of
“By the sacrament of Baptism, whenever it is properly salvation through the grace of Jesus Christ, he does not
conferred in the way the Lord determined and received mean the unmerited, free grace of Christ whereby a
with the proper dispositions of soul, man becomes man is eternally and completely and once-for-all saved
truly incorporated into the crucified and glorified from sin when he puts his faith in Christ. By “grace,” the
Christ and is reborn to a sharing of the divine RCC means divine help to live a righteous life.
life” (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism, chap. 3, II, 22, Consider the following quote from Vatican II:
p. 427).
Next Steps are the Other Church Sacraments. After “All children of the Church should nevertheless
remember that their exalted condition results, not from
baptism a person is considered to be born again and their own merits, but from the grace of Christ. If they
part of the body of Christ, the Church. This new life is fail to respond in thought, word and deed to that
said to be nurtured and kept alive through

552 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity