salvation in catholicism and protestantism - wibisono hartono

Salvation in Catholicism and Protestantism

Written by Wibisono Hartono

Last update: Jun 10, 2007

Salvation is a prime issue among Christians, both Catholics and non-Catholics. Yet they do

not agree with each other on some issues related to salvation. The disagreement exists not

only between Catholics and non Catholics but also among various non-Catholic churches. Is

our salvation assured or conditional? Do our good works play a role in our salvation? Did

Christ die for all or only for the chosen ones? These are examples where Christians, both

Catholics and non-Catholics disagree with each other. This article analyzes the difference in

the understanding of salvation between Catholicism and Protestantism. It is divided into

twelve chapters, consecutively related to each other and ends with a brief summary. The

official teaching of the Catholic Church is taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

(shortened to CCC) and the decrees of Councils of Orange1 (3 July 529) and Trent2 (13

December 1545 to 4 December 1563)3. Unless otherwise stated verses from the Bible are

taken from RSV Catholic Edition. The twelve chapters are:

1. What is the problem here? 2. Grace, Human freedom and Salvation 3. Predestination and Salvation 4. Assurance of Salvation 5. Jesus Christ, our Lord, Redeemer and Saviour 6. Sin and Salvation 7. Good works and Salvation 8. Merits of Good Works 9. Justification 10. Baptism and Salvation 11. Purgatory, Indulgences and Salvation 12. Salvation of non-Christians

1 The second Council held in Orange (or Arausio) in southern France. The Council affirmed that (1)

Original sin weakened and impaired freewill of men; (2) grace from God precedes every effort to salvation, and (3) God predestines no-one to evil. While it was not ecumenical council, it declared the Catholic Church position on the role of God’s Grace and human freedom in salvation.

2 The Catholic Church’s nineteenth ecumenical council convoked in Trent and Bologna (both in northern Italy) to declare the teachings of the Church on faith related matters contested during Reformation. It spanned in three periods: 1545 to 1547, 1551 to 1552 and 1562 to 1563, and promulgated declaration on the canon of Scripture, Original Sin, Justification, Mass and Sacraments, as well as doctrinal issues on indulgences, purgatory, veneration of saints, of images and of relics.

3 Protestants and “Bible only” Christians may question Catholic’s dependence on Catechism and decrees of councils. To Catholics they represent the official set of beliefs of the Catholic Church based on her interpretation of the Word of God. Note that Protestants and “Bible only” Christians also have their set of beliefs based on their interpretation of the Bible – whether it is written or unwritten, official or non-official, whether it was promulgated in synod, council, meeting, sermon, or set by individuals (i.e. their pastors) and whether they call it catechism, creed, declaration, confession, decree, statement of faith etc. or no name.

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W. Hartono: Salvation in Catholicism and Protestantism

1. What is the problem here?

“If you die now will you go to heaven?” and “Do you want to have assurance of salvation?”

are the two most common questions raised by “born-again” Protestants and/or “Bible only”

Christians when they meet and challenge Catholics. Many Catholics are not ready to give

the answer because they hardly know the teaching of the Catholic Church on salvation.

Sadly, instead of trying to look for the answer from the Church, they simply accept what

those Protestants or “Bible only” Christians explain about salvation in Catholicism. As one

may expect what they hear or read is the distorted teaching of the Church.

Many Protestants and “Bible only” Christians think that Catholics must earn their way to

heaven through good works, performing certain rituals like novena, pilgrimage, fasting,

abstinence etc. In short they think Catholics believe in salvation by works. The late

Calvinist4 scholar Lorraine Boettner, infamous for his anti-Catholic book “Roman

Catholicism”, wrote:

In Protestantism salvation is a matter of grace. In Romanism [Catholicism] one must work

hard for it and must pay dearly for it, and after he has done all that the priest has

prescribed he still cannot know whether he has it or not.

Boettner, Roman Catholicism, page 268

Echoing the same view, former Catholic James G. McCarthy who founded Good News for

Catholics (www.gnfc.org) with the aim to convert Catholics to his version of “Bible only”5

Christianity wrote:

4 Calvinism refers to group within Protestantism who follow the teaching developed by John Calvin

(1509 – 1564) and later, by his followers. It has adherence in the Presbyterian or Reformed churches and some Baptist churches. One cannot talk about Calvinism without referring to the Five Point of Calvinism. Despite its name, the five-point of Calvinism or TULIP was not coined by John Calvin but was promulgated at the Synod of Dort (or Dordrecht) in the Netherlands (1618 – 1619). The name TULIP comes from the first letter of the five points: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of Saints.

5 While all of them declare that the Bible is their only and highest authority they do not agree with each other on the interpretation of the Bible, even on essential issues like salvation. “Sola Scriptura”, Latin for “Scripture alone” as the only source of authority is the fundamental tenet of all Protestants (Lutheran, Presbyterian) and other churches (Baptists, Methodists, Mennonites, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Church of Christ, non-denominational church etc.) – in reality what they practise is “my (and/or my church’s) interpretation of the Bible alone as authority. If the Bible alone is the authority then everyone must have the same set of beliefs because they all share the same Bible (66 books) and all claim under the guidance of the same Holy Spirit. Thus when they say that Catholic’s teachings contradict the Bible, it actually means contradicting their interpretation of the Bible – the same charge should be made against other Protestant or “Bible only” Christians who disagree with their interpretation of the same Bible.

http://www.gnfc.org/


For the Roman Catholic, eternal salvation involves a lifetime of doing, working and

striving. The Catholics must keep the commandments of God and of the Church. He must

receive sacraments and performs acts of piety. He must do good works. His eternal

salvation depends on all of these.

McCarthy, The Gospel according to Rome, page 69

As former Catholic either McCarthy is genuinely ignorant or he deliberately covers up what

the Catholic Church really teaches.

It was Pelagius6 who first taught that men can earn their salvation without help (Grace)

from God. He believed that the Fall of Adam did not affect mankind (or there is no Original

Sin) and neither did the death and resurrection of Christ. While he did not deny the

existence of God’s Grace, to him it only facilitates what we ourselves can do for our

salvation. The Catholic Church, through Augustine7, teaches that men, because of the sin

of Adam, cannot reach the justified state to enter heaven without God’s Grace8. Pelagius’

teaching, known as Pelagian or Pelagianism, was condemned in the Council of Carthage in

418 AD and Orange in 529 AD. After Reformation, the sixteenth century ecumenical

council of Trent reaffirmed Catholic Church position that (1) we cannot reach salvation by

our own works, i.e. without God’s Grace and that (2) God’s Grace is not facilitator but

necessity for our salvation.

If any one saith, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done

through the teaching of human nature, or that of the law, without the grace of God through

Jesus Christ; let him be anathema [Greek for “accursed”].

Council of Trent, Canon I on Justification

If any one saith, that the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, is given only for this, that man

may be able more easily to live justly, and to merit eternal life, as if, by free will without

grace, he were able to do both, though hardly indeed and with difficulty; let him be

anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon II on Justification

6 Pelagius (c. 350 to c. 425) was, perhaps, British by birth. The so-called Pelagian controversy

was initiated by his follower, Celestius, whose works were condemned by a synod in Carthage in 411.

7 Augustine (354 to 430) was bishop of Hippo, North Africa. He was highly respected by Catholics and Protestants (Calvinists). A prolific writer he produced enormous volumes of writings that have profound impact on Christianity. Two of his famous works are City of God and Confession.

8 The next chapter will explain in detail about God’s Grace.


Some non-Catholics and even some Catholics say that Catholics believe in salvation by faith

plus works. But this does not give accurate presentation what the Catholic Church teaches

for two reasons. First, “faith plus good works” says nothing about the role of God’s Grace

in both faith and obeying Him through good works. It makes good works become our own

efforts, which, as we will see later, is not the teaching of the Catholic Church. Second, faith

plus works might lead to the question: how much good works a Catholic must perform in

order to secure a place in heaven?9 There is no such thing as minimum quota of good

works for salvation in Catholic’s teaching!

The accurate Catholic position on salvation is Catholics believe that we are saved by God’s

Grace. Without God’ Grace that first moves us, both to believe in Him & Christ and to

obey His commandments, we cannot reach our salvation. Think God’s Grace as initial push

from God, without which we can neither believe in Christ/God nor obey His commandments.

The teaching that Grace precedes all our actions in relation to our salvation was declared by

the Catholic Church in Council of Orange in 529 AD and reaffirmed in the Council of Trent in

1547.

If anyone says that God has mercy upon us when, apart from his grace, we believe, will,

desire, strive, labor, pray, watch, study, seek, ask, or knock, but does not confess

that it is by the infusion and inspiration of the Holy Spirit within us that we have

the faith, the will, or the strength to do all these things as we ought; or if anyone

makes the assistance of grace depend on the humility or obedience of man and

does not agree that it is a gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble, he

contradicts the Apostle who says, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Corinthians

4:7), and, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10).

Canon VI of Council of Orange

For, whereas Jesus Christ Himself continually infuses his virtue into the said justified,-as the

head into the members, and the vine into the branches,-and this virtue always precedes

9 This is one trick former Catholic James McCarthy recommends to “evangelize” Catholics. He

developed sets of card, which he calls as Pocket Evangelism Kit. Catholics are asked to pick cards of which brief statement describes their understanding of how to be saved - whatever card he/she picks McCarthy will point out that it does not work.

If he selects the “Doing Good Works” card, the question is, “How many good works do you have to

do to get into heaven?” McCarthy, Conversations with Catholics, page 51


and accompanies and follows their good works, which without it could not in any

wise be pleasing and meritorious before God,

Council of Trent, Decree on Justification XVI

Catholics also believe that God does not create us to behave like robots, which will

automatically move after being switched on by God’s Grace. We have our freedom and

therefore are able to decide whether to cooperate with God’s Grace or not. Salvation by

Grace is also the position of the Protestants and "Bible only" Christians – sola gratia or by

grace alone is one of their famous slogans (the others are: sola fide or by faith alone, sola

scriptura or by scripture alone). However as far as salvation is concerned they associate

this Grace with faith in Christ, which to them is the only requirement for salvation. To

Catholics faith in Christ (and in God) is the initial grace that God gives us at the beginning

of our salvation process. Note that Catholics, Protestants and "Bible only" Christians agree

that faith in Christ is a free gift from God, i.e. He gives it to us, not because we did

something to deserve it. Catholics believe that if a person is given the opportunity to hear

the good news, and God, through His Grace already moves his heart to believe, but he/she,

in using their freedom, refuses this free gift then that person will be doomed to hell.

Once we become believers in Christ Catholics believe that we will enter heaven if we die in

the state of (Sanctifying) Grace, a state that is only possible with God’s Grace. In the state

of grace means we don’t have any mortal sin. It does not mean that we are always free

from mortal sins through-out our life. We, born with inclination to sin, commit it from time

to time but God's Grace always moves us to repent and to ask forgiveness. Using our

freedom we then decide whether to repent or not. Those who die with un-repented mortal

sin will end-up in hell. Their good works, no matter how numerous and impressive they are,

will be forgotten and will not save them (Ezekiel 18:24). Those who repent before dying,

all their past sins, no matter how numerous and how horrible they are, will be forgotten and

will not be accounted for (Ezekiel 18:21-22). Does this mean Catholics always feel insecure

because committing mortal sins will forfeit their salvation? Scripture assures us that God

will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear and He will even help us by providing

way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). Even if we sin Scripture says that God will forgive and

cleanse us from our unrighteousness if we confess our sins (1 John 1:9). Hence with these

two assurances from God, Catholics, while they must persevere, should not worry about

their salvation. Does it mean that Catholics are encouraged to sin through-out their life

and repent only when they are about to die? First no one can know for sure when he/she


will die; second God, being omniscience, knows our hidden motives and agenda – those who

do so will not repent sincerely.

The Catholic Church does not discourage doing god works after our conversion to Christ.

Scripture says that to love one another and to believe in Christ is the condition required to

abide in Christ and Christ in us (1 John 3:23-24), without which we will be withered, cut-off

and burnt (John 15:6). As mentioned earlier Catholics believe that our ability to do good

works, be it loving one another, praying, repenting, keeping away from sinning (cf. 1

Corinthians 10:13), witnessing etc., comes from and is only possible with God's Grace that

first moves us to do so. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as

coming from us; our competence is from God (2 Corinthians 3:5).

Some Protestants and “Bible only” Christians might be aware that Catholic salvation is by

grace but they still insist it is a mixture of grace and works.

Certainly Catholics deny that their Church teaches a works salvation. They will talk about

how salvation is impossible apart from the grace of God. But though things start out by

Grace in the Roman Catholic system of salvation, as we will see in this chapter, works

do indeed get mixed up into the picture. By virtue of the fact that a life of

meritorious works is necessary to gain final salvation, it is clear that in reality the

Roman Catholic view of salvation is works-oriented.

Rhodes10, Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics, pages 121-122

Rhodes is unaware that in Catholic teaching (1) both faith and works come from and are

only possible with God’s Grace that first moves us to do so, and (2) the merit from our

works are gift from God, i.e. it is given not because we deserve it. While he seems to

abide in the concept of salvation by faith alone, in the same book, on page 146, to reconcile

his “faith alone” belief with James 2:24 he wrote: “by faith alone, but not by faith that

is alone. In other words, genuine faith will always result in or be accompanied by good

works in the saved person’s life.” Like some Protestants, he states that good works are

sign of true faith, or they are inseparable11; while at the same time he still insists on

“salvation by faith alone”. As a result he ends up with contradicting statement “by faith

10 Dr. Ron Rhodes, a Calvinist, is the president of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries,

http://home.earthlink.net/~ronrhodes/. 11 Other Protestants believe that true faith should, but not always, produce works of obedience (cf.

R.C. Sproul: Faith Alone, page 25).

http://home.earthlink.net/~ronrhodes/


alone, but not by faith that is alone”. Why call it “salvation by faith alone” if it is not by

faith that is alone? There is no contradiction in Catholic teaching on salvation - we are

saved by grace through faith and works, i.e. it is God’s grace that first moves us, both to

have faith and to obey God through good works and without which grace we cannot do

both. While grace first moves us we have our freedom to decide whether to cooperate with

that grace or not. It is worth to mention that Catholics believe our freedom comes after

being moved first by God’s Grace, i.e. we cannot use our freedom to will our salvation – the

initiative of our salvation belongs to God. Without God’s grace, he [man] cannot by his

own free will move himself toward justice in God’s sight (CCC # 1993).

What makes most non-Catholic Christians think Catholic’s salvation involves work comes

from different concept of Justification. How does God justify us to enter heaven? This has

something to do with righteousness12 - the righteous will go to eternal life (Matthew 25:46)

while the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9). To

Protestants and “Bible only” Christians Justification is one time event, when we genuinely

believe in Christ as our Lord and Saviour. In short we are justified by faith alone. To

Protestants and “Bible only” Christians “being righteous” means “being declared righteous

by the virtue of imputation of Christ’ righteousness”. It is like Christ throws His perfect

righteousness to cover up our unrighteousness. What we need to do is to believe in Him

and then it is done and nothing else we need to do for our justification. Catholics, on the

other hand, believe that Justification is a process, starting from our genuine conversion to

Christ until the time we are welcomed into heaven. Scripture says that we are saved by

Grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) as well as through Sanctification (2 Thessalonians

2:13). Sanctification is the process we undergo after our conversion to Christ and it ends at

our glorification, i.e. when we enter heaven. In short Catholic Justification comprises

conversion to Christ and Sanctification. Catholics believe that through Justification we are

made righteous - the righteousness of God through Christ is infused (by the Holy Spirit) in

us and becomes inherent part of us. Thus to Catholics “being righteous” means “being

made righteous”, as compared to “being declared righteous” in Protestantism. Note

that being made righteous is a process while being declared righteous is one time event13.

12 In Greek in which the New Testament books were written the words justification and

righteousness have the same root. Justification is dikaiosis, δικαιωσις ; righteousness is dikaiosune, δικαισυνε; righteous or just is dikaios, δικαιος; to justify is dikaio, δικαιοω.

13 This does not mean that Protestants and “Bible only” Christians do not believe in the process of being made righteous but to them it is the outcome of Sanctification, which is not part of (their) Justification. Thus they will say that we will be made righteous because we believe in Christ or


For as by one man’s [Adam] disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s

[Christ] obedience many will be made righteous

Romans 5:19

Because to Protestants and “Bible only” Christians Justification is one time event when we

are declared righteous, their favourite Justification analogy is courtroom (forensic)

justification. Catholics, on the other hand, who consider Justification as a process through

which we are made righteous, employ Family analogy to model their Justification. We will

discuss more about these two analogies in Chapter 9.

Being made righteous through Christ means He helps us to become righteous (because we

can’t do it ourselves) but this requires our active and continuous cooperation, after we

believe in Him until the time we enter heaven. Scripture says: He who does right is

righteous (1 John 3:7), indicating our active participation. Protestants and “Bible only”

Christians usually argue that (1) our righteousness comes through faith in Christ (Romans

4:3, 13, Philippians 3:9), i.e. it is external righteousness (of Christ) imputed on us because

(2) our own righteousness is like filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6, KJV) and (3) Scripture

says no one is righteous (Romans 3:10). Catholics do not deny the first, after all “to do

what is right” includes “to have faith in Christ (and God)” but certainly it is not the only one.

In Timothy 6:11 and 2 Timothy 2:22 Paul would not bother to ask Timothy to aim for

righteousness – if the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, which Timothy

already had as Christian, was the only one he need. As for the second argument, we cannot

only read Isaiah 64:6 and ignoring other verses that say otherwise: God blesses the

righteous (Psalms 5:12), He loves righteous deeds (Psalms 11:7) and does reward us for

being righteous (Psalms 18:20, Proverbs 11:18). Is being righteous necessary? Scripture

says whoever does not do right is not of God but the children of devil (1 John 3:10) and the

unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9). The Psalmist cried: O

LORD, who shall sojourn in thy tent? Who shall dwell on thy holy hill? (Psalms 15:1). The

next verse gives the answer: He who walks blamelessly, and does what is right, and

speaks truth from his heart. Keep in mind that being righteous is not the same as being

sinless. “To do what is right” in 1 John 3:7 certainly includes “to repent” but nobody needs

to repent unless he/she sins in the first place. In the third argument, Romans 3:10 say no

one is righteous but at the same time Scripture mentions the existence of righteous men

after being saved. Even if at the end of our Sanctification (i.e. when we die) we are not made righteous it will not jeopardize our salvation, in contrary to 1 Corinthians 6:9.


and women (Matthew 13:17, 23:29, Luke 1:6, Hebrews 11:4, 1 Peter 3:12). In the Old

Testament Noah, Daniel and Job were righteous (Ezekiel 14:14). No one can become

righteous by their own will and power. We do need God’s grace that first moves us and

enable us to do so. No one can be righteous continually either; we do fail from time to

time. But God helps us with His Grace (and with our cooperation using our freedom) to

stand up again and that’s what we call as perseverance. Thus Catholics believe that our

righteousness does come from God through Christ - it includes not only faith in Christ but

also other deeds that require our cooperation. Protestants and “Bible only” Christians tend

to view this cooperation as works. Yet to Catholics these “works” are graced works, i.e.

God’s Grace first moves us to obey Him and without His Grace we cannot do it.

work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both

to will and to work for his good pleasure

Philippians 2:12-13

But by the grace of God I am what I am. and his grace toward me was not in vain.

On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the

grace of God which is with me

1 Corinthians 15:10

How about Ephesians 2:8 and Romans 4:5 which explicitly deny the role of works in our

salvation? These two verses are, perhaps, the most cited verses to support “faith alone

salvation”. Catholics understand the works in those verses refer to the ones before our

conversion to Christ. Faith in Christ is God's gift, i.e. by ourselves we cannot have faith in

Christ. God gives it to us not because we do something to deserve it. Thus Abraham was

given the gift of faith not because he was the best person among his counterparts, not

because he was more pious and/or more obedient than others – his faith is purely gift from

God. In the same way we neither have to be good persons nor do something that pleases

God to make Him gives us faith in Christ - it is a free gift from Him, i.e. we don’t have to do

anything to get it. He even gives it to those who were evil before their conversion –

examples from Scripture are the thief who was crucified with Christ (Luke 23:42-43) and

the apostle Paul.

Other source of their misunderstanding comes, obviously, from the role of our good works

after our conversion to Christ. By good works we mean repenting from past sinful life,

loving God and one another, growing spiritually, praying, witnessing – Scripture says those


who are in Christ are new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:23, Colossians 3:10)

and some may use the term regeneration to describe it. When Catholics talk about merits

of good works, Protestants and “Bible only” Christians think that Catholics believe they

deserve merits or rewards from God for their good works; just like workers deserves their

wages from their employer. However to Catholics merits of good works are gifts from God,

i.e. they are given not because we deserve it. God, our heavenly Father rewards us, when

we cooperate with His Grace to obey Him through good works. Unlike our employer God

does not need our good works. Recall again that Catholics believe we cannot do any good

works unless we are first moved by God’s Grace. Thus we do not deserve any reward from

God - when He rewards us, which He does, it is a gift from Him, given out of His love to us,

His children. Protestants and “Bible only” Christians generally say that we do good works

because we are already saved, not for being saved. As mentioned earlier some Protestants

and “Bible only” Christians believe that true faith is to be accompanied by works of

obedience - otherwise it is false faith. In other words they believe in salvation by faith

alone but not by faith that is alone. Others say works of obedience should but not always

follow faith. We will discuss more on how Catholics understand merits of good works later.


2. Grace, Human freedom and Salvation

For all Christians God’s Grace plays central role in our salvation. All agree that without

God’s grace salvation is impossible for us. Catholics understand grace (cf. CCC # 1996) as

favour, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become

children of God, adoptive sons (John 1:12), partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life

(2 Peter 1:4). While this is Catholic official definition of Grace, hardly any Protestants and

“Bible only” Christians will disagree with it. Why do we need God’s Grace? Like most

Christians14 Catholics believe in the existence of original sin15. The first sin committed by

the first man, Adam, affects all of us. Original sin makes us deprive of original holiness and

justice (CCC # 417). We are subject to ignorance, suffering, dominion of death and are

inclined to sin – an inclination to evil that the Catholic Church calls as concupiscence

(Romans 5:19, CCC # 405).

Because of this original sin Catholics believe that our salvation is impossible without God’s

Grace. We cannot even will our salvation! Without God’s grace, he [man] cannot by his own

free will move himself toward justice in God’s sight (CCC # 1993) 16. It is God who takes

14 The Church of Christ rejects the doctrine of original sin (this does not mean they adopt

Pelagianism). Early history of this church is identical with that of Disciples of Christ, founded by Thomas Campbell (1763 – 1854) and his son Alexander Campbell (1788 – 1866), both former Presbyterians who claimed to have restored the New Testament church.

15 While Romans 5:19 gives allusion to it the term "original sin" is not found in the Bible and was introduced by Augustine. This does not mean he was the inventor of the doctrine. In his letter to Julian, Against Julian, Augustine quoted testimonies of a number early Christians (known as Church Fathers) who though did not call it Original Sin, testified the earlier and continuous existence of the doctrine. Outside the New Testament we also have allusion to original sin in apocryphal 2 Esdras or 4 Ezra, written c. 100 AD.

For the first Adam, burdened with an evil heart, transgressed and was overcome, as were also all who were descended from him. Thus the disease became permanent; the law was in the people's heart along with the evil root, but what was good departed, and the evil remained.

2 Esdras 3:21-22 O Adam, what have you done? For though it was you who sinned, the fall was not yours alone, but ours also who are your descendants.

2 Esdras 7:48 (118) The second number in parentheses refers to longer ancient manuscript of 2 Esdras. Original sin is

the term used by Catholics and Protestants; Eastern Orthodox Christians, on the other hand, prefer to call it “ancestral sin”.

16 Among Protestants, Calvinists use the term “Total Depravity” (the “T” of TULIP) to describe human state after the Fall (the first sin committed by Adam).

Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.

Westminster Confession IX.3


the initiative to save us by giving us His Grace. His Grace will move us to believe in Him

and Christ as well as to obey His commandments. How we respond to God’s Grace has

something to do with our freedom - this is something that Christians have different views.

As mentioned earlier Catholics believe that God does not create us to behave like robots,

which will automatically move after being switched on by God’s Grace. We have our

freedom and therefore are able to decide whether to cooperate with God’s Grace or not.

Some Protestants and/or “Bible only” Christians agree with Catholics on the role of our

freedom in responding to God’s Grace. Others follow Calvinism who states that men,

because of original sin, lose their ability to reject God’s grace - Grace is irresistible to those

whom God chose to be saved17. The scriptural support of human freedom is found in Acts

7:51 where Stephen said to those who falsely accused him that they resisted the Holy

Spirit. In Revelation 3:20 while Jesus took the initiative to knock at our door, it is up to us

to open the door to welcome Him or not. In the parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew

22:1-14) the invited guests were able to reject the invitation.

If any one saith, that man's free will moved and excited by God, by assenting to God

exciting and calling, nowise co-operates towards disposing and preparing itself for obtaining

the grace of Justification; that it cannot refuse its consent, if it would, but that, as

something inanimate, it does nothing whatever and is merely passive; let him be anathema

Council of Trent, Canon IV of the Decree of Justification

When God touches man’s heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is

not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God’s

grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God’s sight. “

Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1993

Catholics believe that there are two kinds of Grace: Actual Grace and Sanctifying Grace

(CCC # 2000). The former is the Grace that moves us both to believe in God (and Christ)

and to obey Him, be it in the form loving God and one another, praying, repenting,

protecting us from sinning, witnessing etc. God gives His Actual Grace directly while He

gives His Sanctifying Grace through Sacraments18. “Celebrated worthily in faith, the

Westminster Confession is the confession of faith of English-speaking Presbyterians. It was

completed in 1646 and approved after some revisions in June 1648. While not using the term “Total Depravity”, Catholics can agree with Calvinists that without God’s Grace all of us, including even Virgin Mary, will be doomed to hell.

17 The “I” of TULIP or Five Point of Calvinism is Irresistible Grace 18 Sacraments are the signs and instruments by which the Holy Spirit spreads the grace of Christ the

head throughout the Church which is his Body (CCC # 774).


sacraments confer the grace that they signify (CCC # 1127). Sanctifying Grace makes us

pleasing to God (CCC # 2024) and therefore for Catholics sacraments are necessary for

salvation (CCC # 1129). Anti-Catholics often state that Catholics are saved by sacraments.

But it is the Sanctifying Grace that comes through Sacraments that saves us, not the ritual

of sacraments. As the Catechism indicates there is a condition attached to receive that

Grace: Celebrated worthily in faith. God’s Actual grace first moved us to believe in Him and

in Christ. If we cooperate we receive Sanctifying Grace for the first time when we are

baptized, if we have the chance to do so. Most Protestants and “Bible only” Christians

consider Baptism only as symbol or public declaration of one’s faith in Christ. Ironically

Scripture nowhere says that Baptism is symbol or public declaration of our faith. While we

will discuss more about Baptism later, Scripture testifies that Baptism plays a role in our

salvation (Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:20-21). It also says that Baptism does change us – it is

not just simply ritual to welcome believers. Romans 6:3-4 say that through Baptism we

might walk in newness of life. Sanctifying Grace is lost when we commit mortal sin (CCC #

1861). God then gives us His Actual Grace that moves us to repent and (for Catholics) to

go to confession. If we cooperate then we regain back our Sanctifying Grace through

Sacrament of Penance.

Although they may not use the term Sanctifying Grace (and may not even believe there is

such kind of Grace19), some Protestants or “Bible only” Christians also believe that we can

lose God’s Grace and therefore lose our salvation. Others follow Calvinist’ view who states

that losing God’s Grace is impossible to those whom God chose to be saved20. The Catholic

Church in the Council of Trent condemns the belief that we cannot lose God’s Grace.

lf any one saith, that a man once justified can sin no more, nor lose grace, and that

therefore he that falls and sins was never truly justified; or, on the other hand, that he is

able, during his whole life, to avoid all sins, even those that are venial,-except by a special

privilege from God, as the Church holds in regard of the Blessed Virgin; let him be

anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon XXIII of the Decree on Justification

19 The term “Sanctifying Grace” is not found in the Bible but neither is Original Sin, Trinity and

Unconditional or Conditional Election, Rapture etc. 20 They, whom God has accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can

neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.

Westminster Confessions XVII.1


If any one saith, that there is no mortal sin but that of infidelity; or, that grace once

received is not lost by any other sin, however grievous and enormous, save by that of

infidelity ; let him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon XXVII of the Decree on Justification


3. Predestination and Salvation

While most Catholics hardly talk about it, predestination is one of the central teachings of

the Catholic Church. Catholic Encyclopaedia defines Predestination as the Divine decree by

which God, owing to His infallible prescience of the future, has appointed and ordained from

eternity all events occurring in time, especially those which directly proceed from, or at

least are influenced by, man’s free will. All Christians believe in predestination as it is

stated in the Scripture (cf. Isaiah 46:9-11). How does predestination have something to do

with our salvation? Original sin makes us unable to reach salvation, not even will our

salvation, without God’s Grace. This leads to the question: Since the initiative for our

salvation belongs to God, does He predestine who will go to heaven (the Elect) and who will

go to hell (the Reprobate) and how does He predestine us? Does our freedom play a role in

our eternal and final destiny? This issue has been dividing Christianity until today.

All Christians believe in the predestination of the Elect - it is clearly stated in the Scripture

(Matthew 25:34, Acts 13:48, Romans 8:28-30). In the Catechism of the Catholic Church

the term “the Elect” appears in a number of clauses (CCC # 769, 842, 1031, 1045 and

1344). How does God predestine the Elect? Is it based on His foreknowledge of our

response to His Grace or on His eternal decree when He created the world? The former

view is known as Conditional Election and the latter as Unconditional Election. Protestants

and “Bible only” Christians who adhere to Calvinism believe in the latter while the so called

Arminianist21 Christians believe in the former. Until now the Catholic Church does not

declare dogmatically on how God predestines the Elect, whether it is Conditional or

Unconditional Election. Catholics are still free to choose from a number of predestination

views, among which are: Thomism (after Thomas Aquinas22) and Molinism (after Luis de

Molina23).

21 The name came from Jacob Harmensen or (in Latin) Jacobus Arminius (1560 – 1609), a Dutch

Minister of Reformed Church who later opposed Calvinism and developed his own view, now known as Arminianism. Unlike Calvin he advocated the existence of freewill in men. Arminianism has adherence in the Methodist church, Pentecostal churches and some Baptist churches. The five–point of Arminianism can be summarized as: (1) Men do not lose freedom because of Original Sin, (2) Conditional Election, (3) Universal Atonement of Christ, (4) Resistible Grace and (5) Possibility of Falling from Grace. The Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP) was declared to counter act these five points of Arminianism. Note that it is wrong to say that a Protestant or a “Bible only” Christian must be a Calvinist or an Arminian. Most follow a mixture of both or are neither Calvinist nor Arminian.

22 Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was philosopher, theologian, Doctor of the Church and patron of Catholic universities, colleges and schools. His most famous writing is Summa Theologica.

23 Luis de Molina (1535-1600) was Jesuit theologian. His theological view is expressed in his book Concordia.


Thomists (and some Molisnists) teach Unconditional Election while Molinism believes in the

Conditional Election.

As for the Reprobate, Catholics believe that God predestines no one to hell. Scripture says

God loves the world (John 3:16); He desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and come

to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) and that He has no pleasure on the death of the wicked (Ezekiel

33:11). The belief that God predestines no one to evil has been the constant teaching of

the Catholic Church.

We not only do not believe that any are foreordained to evil by the power of God, but even

state with utter abhorrence that if there are those who want to believe so evil a thing, they

are anathema.

Council of Orange

If any one saith, that it is not in man's power to make his ways evil, but that the works that

are evil God worketh as well as those that are good, not permissively only, but properly,

and of Himself, in such wise that the treason of Judas is no less His own proper work than

the vocation of Paul; let him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon VI of the Decrees on Justification

God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin)

is necessary, and persistence in it until the end.


Because God predestines no one to hell, Catholics believe He gives His Grace through Christ

to everyone and calls every one, no exception, to salvation.

And from his [Christ’] fullness have we all received, grace upon grace.

John 1:16

For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men.

Titus 2:11

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:22

“’All men are called to this catholic [universal] unity of the People of God.... And to it, in

different ways, belong or are ordered: the Catholic faithful, others who believe in

Christ, and finally all mankind, called by God’s grace to salvation.’



If God gives His Grace to every one and desires all men to be saved, then why can't all

enter heaven? Scripture says that God gives His Grace lavishly to the Elect (Ephesians 1:7-

8) and He has mercy but also hardens the hearts of whom He will (cf. Romans 9:18). This

is something we cannot question – God is the potter and we are the clay (Romans 9:20-

21). In Catholic Church’s terminology God gives the Elect sufficient and efficacious Grace24

while the Reprobates receive sufficient but inefficacious Grace. Catholics believe God gives

everyone sufficient Grace to make him/her, using his/her freedom, turn to God and be

saved. One way to explain this is using Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

In the parable the Master gave different number of talents to his three servants according to

their abilities. The Master obviously had the right to decide how many talents each servant

received. The servant with only one talent was later condemned. Yet his Master did not

intend to condemn him by giving him only one talent. Had he deposited it in the bank he

would be fine like the other two. The servant was condemned for his own wrong action, i.e.

hiding the single talent entrusted to him. Thus Catholics believe that condemnation of the

Reprobate always involves their freedom to reject God’s Grace – in other words they are

responsible for their damnation. Catholic’s view on Reprobation is called as Positive

Conditional Reprobation - when God created the world He, being omniscience, foresaw the

Reprobate’s rejection to His Grace and let them use their freedom to do so. Yet God still

wants them to be saved and still gives them sufficient Grace.

“To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes

his eternal plan of ‘predestination’, he includes in it each person’s free response to his

grace: ‘In this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples

of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do

whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place [Acts 4:27-28]. For the

sake of accomplishing his plan of salvation, God permitted the acts that flowed from their

blindness.


Protestants and “Bible only” Christians may or may not agree with Catholic’s position on

Reprobation. Those who follow Calvinism believe in Positive Unconditional Reprobation, i.e.

God when He created the world, through His decree, foreordained the Reprobate to

24 As for the relation between efficacious Grace and human Freedom the Catholic Church does not

yet define the dogma of the Church. There are five views on this issue: Thomism, Augustianism, Molinism, Congruism and Syncretism. For explanation of each refer to Ludwig Ott: Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, page 248-249.


damnation25 and consequently decided to withhold His Grace from them26. Others believe

in Negative Unconditional Reprobation, i.e. God simply bypasses the Reprobate from

receiving His Grace for no reason – and without God’s Grace they are doomed to hell. In

both Positive and Negative Unconditional Reprobation God is behind the Reprobate’s

damnation. In contrast Catholic position makes the Reprobate responsible for their

damnation – God gives them sufficient Grace, which they reject using their freedom.

In Calvinist’ Unconditional Election and Reprobation the role of human freedom in

responding to God’s Grace for their salvation or damnation is denied27. To Calvinists God

gives His (saving) Grace only to the Elect who can neither reject28 nor lose it29. However

Jude 4 says that those who were designated for condemnation pervert the Grace of God -

something they cannot do if they do not receive it in the first place. The belief that God

gives His Grace only to the Elect was condemned in the Council of Trent.

25 By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated

unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death. Westminster Confession III.3

26 As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as a righteous Judge, for former sins, does blind and harden, from them He not only withholds His grace whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon in their heart; but sometimes also withdraws the gifts which they had, and exposes them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin [but James 1:13 says God tempts no one]; and, withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God uses for the softening of others.

Westminster Confession V.6

Note that Calvinists believe in common grace, which is given to everyone, but it has nothing to do with salvation. This common grace concept explains why we can find goodness among non-Christians (i.e. the Reprobate), despite their totally deprived nature and it also comes in the form of God’s providence for all mankind – he [God] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45). To Calvinists what is reserved only to the Elect (and is irresistible to them) is special grace – it is the grace that makes them believe in Christ, sanctifies them and therefore saves them.

27 Calvinists may say that we still have freedom but to them it means freedom to choose evil. Encyclopaedia of the Reformed Faith (Editor: Donald K. Mc Kim,) page 145 states: “after the fall, though the will itself remains free, its capacity for choice is limited by the sinfulness of human nature. Human beings retain the capacity of choice, but all choosing occurs in the context of sin.” Catholics, on the other hand, believe that without God's Grace we can neither believe in God nor obey His commandments – our salvation is impossible without God’s Grace but we have freedom to cooperate with that Grace or not

28 The fourth point of Five Points of Calvinism is Irresistible Grace. Some Calvinist may prefer the term Efficacious Grace to Irresistible Grace, a term that is also used by the Catholic Church. The difference is to Calvinists all sufficient Grace is always efficacious while in Catholicism sufficient Grace could be efficacious or inefficacious.

29 Refer to footnote 20


If any one saith, that the grace of Justification is only attained to by those who are

predestined unto life; but that all others who are called, are called indeed, but receive not

grace, as being, by the divine power, predestined unto evil; let him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon XVII of the Decrees on Justification

Calvinists may use God’s sovereignty to defend their position. But here they make

presumption, i.e. God first foreordained the Reprobate to eternal damnation (when He

created the world) and because He is sovereign then His will must take place. Catholics do

not deny that God is sovereign but He cannot contradict Himself. Scripture does say that

God through Christ intends to save all mankind (Romans 5:18, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 1

Timothy 1:15, Titus 2:11) – He won’t contradict Himself by foreordaining some (the

Reprobate) unconditionally (with no reason) to hell.

Some Protestants, notably Calvinists, may accuse Catholic Church of adopting Semi

Pelagianism. Semi Pelagian30 teaching, which was developed by monks of Southern Gaul

and Marseilles (in France) after 428 AD, attempts to have middle position between Pelagian

and Augustinian. Pelagian denies original sin and believes that we can will and work for our

salvation with God's Grace only as facilitator. Semi-Pelagian, on the other hand, believes in

original sin, but we, using our freedom, can still take the first initiative to seek salvation

and only in later state we need God’s grace. In contrast Catholic Church teaches that God’s

Grace always precedes our acts in relation to salvation, be it believing or obeying God's

commandments. Our freedom plays a role when we decide whether to cooperate or not

with God’s given grace. In short in Catholicism God’s Grace precedes our freedom while in

Semi-Pelagianism it is the other way around. Semi-Pelagian was condemned in Council of

Orange in 529 AD and ecumenical Council of Trent in 16th century. The Catechism of the

Catholic Church reaffirms Catholic position against semi-Pelagianism.

If anyone says that not only the increase of faith but also its beginning and the very desire

for faith, by which we believe in Him who justifies the ungodly and comes to the

regeneration of holy baptism — if anyone says that this belongs to us by nature and

not by a gift of grace, that is, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit amending our

will and turning it from unbelief to faith and from godlessness to godliness, it is

proof that he is opposed to the teaching of the Apostles, for blessed Paul says, "And I am

30 The term "Semi Pelagian" was introduced in sixteenth century. Earlier it is known as "relics of

Pelagian"


sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus

Christ" (Philippians 1:6). And again, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and

this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). For those who state that

the faith by which we believe in God is natural make all who are separated from the Church

of Christ by definition in some measure believers.

Canon V of Council of Orange

If any one saith, that without the prevenient inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and

without his help, man can believe, hope, love, or be penitent as he ought, so as that

the grace of Justification may be bestowed upon him; let him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon III of the Decree on Justification

Without God’s grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God’s

sight


While the difference may look insignificant at first, it has something to do with

predestination. Both Pelagian and Semi-Pelagian deny predestination - they believe we can

will our salvation and therefore we, not God, decide whether we want to be saved or not.

Once we will our salvation then God will give us His Grace, a necessity in Semi Pelagianism

(a facilitator in Pelagianism). Catholics, on the other hand, believe that without God's Grace

we can neither will our salvation nor have the initiative to do God’s commandments and that

God predestines the Elect to heaven. To conclude Catholics are not Semi-Pelagians; those

who say so31 simply do not do their homework to study the issue or do not know what they

are talking about.

31 In his book, Faith Alone, pages 140 to 141, Reformed (Calvinist) scholar R.C. Sproul falsely

accuses the Catholic Church of adopting Semi Pelagian teaching. Refer also to his online article "Pelagian Captivity of the Church", published in Modern Reformation Magazine, Vol. 10.3, May-June 2001.

http://www.modernreformation.org/rc01pelagian.htm


4. Assurance of Salvation

“Do you want to have assurance of salvation?” is one question commonly asked by non

Catholic Christians. Catholics do believe in the existence of the Elect whose salvation is

assured. The question is: do we know who they are? Catholics believe that we cannot know

them unless God reveals their state to us. Examples from the Scripture are the criminal on

the other cross to whom Jesus said that he would be with Him in paradise (Luke 23:43) and

the seventy (or seventy-two) disciples to whom Jesus said their names are written in

heaven (Luke 10:20). In Romans 16:3-16 Paul greeted a number of persons and only

Rufus (Romans 16:13) he singled out as God’s Elect. This does not mean the rest will not

go to heaven but Paul was given the revelation of only Rufus’ Election. Paul himself at one

time (when he wrote 1 Corinthians) indicated that he did not know that he belongs to the

Elect.

Every athlete exercises self control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath,

but we an imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air;

but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be

disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:25-27

The Greek word translated (in RSV) as disqualified is adokimos (αδοκιµος), which means

something declared unworthy after being tested. It is used in the same sense in Hebrews

6:8 to describe land that produces thorns and thistles after receiving rain and producing

crop. This worthless land refers to a person who becomes apostate, to whom there is no

forgiveness. We cannot know the Elect because they are the ones who persevere or endure

to the end (cf. Matthew 24:13). Only God who knows who will manage to do so. This is the

reason why the Catholic Church rejects the belief that when a person becomes Christians

he/she knows for sure, without God’s revelation, that he/she will persevere to the end and

will be saved.

If any one saith, that a man, who is born again and justified, is bound of faith to believe

that he is assuredly in the number of the predestinate; let him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon XV of the Decree on Justification


If any one saith, that he will for certain, of an absolute and infallible certainty, have that

great gift of perseverance unto the end, unless he have learned this by special

revelation; let him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon XVI of the Decree on Justification

Since without God’s revelation we cannot identify the Elect, Catholic believe that our

salvation is conditional, i.e. we will be saved provided we persevere to the end (CCC # 837

and # 1821). Why some who belong to the Church are not saved should not surprise us.

In his parable of the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30) Jesus already predicted that sons of the

evil are part of the His kingdom and they would not be separated until the judgment day.

Similarly Matthew 13:47-50 compares the kingdom of heaven with fishing net that catches

first all kind of fish, good and bad, and fishermen will sort them later.

While Catholics as well as some Protestants and/or “Bible only” Christians believe that

salvation is conditional, others believe that when one believes in Jesus and becomes born-

again, he/she is one of the Elect and is guaranteed heaven. In short his/her salvation is

assured and their famous slogan is “once saved always saved”. Catholics on the other

hand believe that those who became Christians may fall away later, i.e. they are not

guaranteed to persevere to their end of life on earth, following what Scripture says:

• Luke 8:13 say about those who believe for a while and later fall away upon temptation.

• Luke 12:42-46 tell us that one can start out as a faithful and wise servant, but later

begins to mistreat the other fellow servants, eats and drinks and gets drunk, and when

Jesus returns he will be punished and assigned a place with the unfaithful.

• In John 15:1-10, Christ says that he is the vine and we are the branches. But if we do

not bear fruit we will be cut out of him, wither up, and finally be burned in the fire. In

order to bear fruit we must remain in Him and He in us. The verses do not indicate that

the state of remaining in Him and He in us is permanently guaranteed, once we (the

branches) are connected to Christ.

• In Romans 11:20-33, Paul says that Jews were broken off of the olive tree of God’s

grace because of their unbelief, and that we are inserted in it because we believe. God

does not spare the natural branches (or the Jews) and He will not spare us either, i.e. it

is possible for us to be cut-off even after we believe in Christ.

• In 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Paul warns us that we will be saved by the gospel if we hold it

fast, otherwise we believe in vain.


• In 2 Corinthians 11:2-3 Paul wrote about those who were already betrothed to Christ

may be led astray. Those verses will be meaningless if such thing cannot happen.

• In Colossians 1:21-23, Paul tells us that we who have been reconciled will be presented

holy and blameless provided we continue in our faith and not shifting from the hope of

the gospel.

• Hebrews 3:12 warn us that someone might lead us to fall away from the living God.

Such warning is meaningless if believers cannot fall away. Hebrews 3:14 say that we

have share in Christ, if we hold our confidence firm to the end.

• Hebrews 6:4-6 say about those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the

heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit can fall away and become

apostate. The fact that at one time they were enlightened indicates that they were once

true Christians.

• 2 Peter 2:20-21 say: For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world

through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again

entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the

first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of

righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment

delivered to them.

Verses that are generally quoted to support “once saved always saved” are:

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and him who comes to me I will not cast

out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my will, but the will of him who sent

me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has

given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is thy will of my Father, that everyone

who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the

last day.”

John 6:37-40

My sheep hear my voice; and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal

life, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

John 10:27-28

For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present,

nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will

be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39


Catholic will reply that it is true that Jesus will not cast out those who believe in Him and

nobody can snatch them from Him but the verses do not rule out the possibility they are the

ones who decide (using their freedom) to leave Jesus. In John 17:12, Jesus said: While I

was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded

them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that Scripture might be

fulfilled. Here Christ talked about his twelve disciples whom God the Father gave to Him

and following John 6:37 He would not cast them out but one of them (Judas) later betrayed

Him. Similarly Catholics understand Romans 8:38-39 as talking about external factors that

are unable to separate us from God’s love; it does not support assurance of salvation as we

can use our freewill (internal factor) to reject God. Consider this analogy: some countries

in the world do not recognize dual (or more) citizenships. If we hold citizenship of that

country, no one can snatch it from us – even committing crime will not make us lose our

citizenship. Our citizenship is secured but we will lose it if we decide (using your freewill) to

take citizenship of other country.

Other argument to support assurance of salvation is since the Bible says those who become

believers in Christ are adopted as sons32 of God (John 1:12, Romans 8:15, 23, Galatians

4:5 and Ephesians 1:5) then their salvation is assured because God won’t reject His sons.

But Christians are not the only ones in the Bible whom God calls as sons. In Exodus 4:22-

23 and Hosea 11:1, God also calls the Jews His sons. Romans 9:4 reaffirm their adoption

as sons, i.e. they do not lose their son-ship in the new covenant33. The Greek word

translated as adoption or son-ship in Romans 9:4 is huiothesia (υιοθεσια). The same word is

used in Romans 8:15, 23, Galatians 4:5 and Ephesians 1:5 to indicate son-ship of

Christians. If being God’s adopted sons guarantees us heaven, then all Jews will go to

heaven, just by being Jews, which is certainly not the case34. Furthermore Scripture (1

John 3:10) says that whoever does not do right is no longer child of God, thus son-ship is

not something that is always guaranteed once we believe in Christ.

By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil:

whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.

32 There are two Greek words translated as son or child in English: teknon, τεκνον (John 1:12,

Romans 8:16, 1 John 3:10) and huios, υιος (Luke 1:31, John 3:16, Romans 8:19) 33 The new covenant refers to the one prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34) and fulfilled in

Christ (Hebrews 8) while the Old Covenant refers to the Covenant of Law given to Moses (2 Corinthians 3:14)

34 Romans 11:26 says “and so all Israel will be saved” but hardly any will interpret it to mean all Jews will be saved just by being Jews. To see the context we need to read Romans 11:13-36.


5. Jesus Christ, our Lord, Redeemer and Saviour

The New Testament applies the title Saviour (Greek soter, σωτηρ) to Jesus (Luke 2:11, Acts

13:23, Philippians 3:20) and to God (Luke 1:47, 1 Timothy 1:1, Titus 1:3, Jude 25) and to

no one else35.

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me

John 14:6

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among

men by which we must be saved

Acts 4:12

All Christians believe that faith in Jesus (and in God) is therefore necessary for salvation.

The position of the Catholic Church is stated in the following:

"Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for

obtaining that salvation. 'Since 'without faith it is impossible to please (God)' and to

attain to the fellowship of his sons, therefore without faith no one has ever attained

justification, nor will anyone obtain eternal life 'But he who endures to the end.’


Note that while faith in Christ is necessary, the Catechism also declares that one must also

endure to the end to be saved. Catholics reject salvation by faith alone, which is one of the

fundamental tenets of all Protestants and "Bible only" Christians. The Bible nowhere states

that faith alone guarantees us heaven. Keep in mind that some Protestants and “Bible

alone” Christians believe that good works are fruits of and inseparable from true faith – or

they believe that we are saved by faith alone but not by faith that is alone.

35 The corresponding verb “to save” (Greek sozo, σωςω) is applied not only to Jesus and God, but also to Paul (1 Corinthians 9:22), Timothy (1 Timothy 4:16), believers (James 5:20) and Baptism (1 Peter 3:21). 1 Timothy 2:15 say that woman will be saved through bearing children provided she continues in faith, love and holiness. This does not mean that there are other Saviours besides God and Jesus; but God use them as channels/agents of His Grace, with their consent and cooperation, to bring salvation to others. The same verb also means to heal (Matthew 9:21, Mark 5:23 & 6:56, John 11:12) and to rescue (Matthew 8:25, Acts 27:31).


Faith in Jesus and in God is God’s grace, a free gift from Him. By ourselves we cannot

believe in Christ; it is God who takes the initiative to move our hearts to believe in Jesus

and in Him.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise

him up at the last day.

John 6:44

God bestows this gift of faith not because of our good works and neither do our evil works

will prevent us from receiving this gift.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is

the gift of God--not because of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

This verse is mostly cited by Protestants and "Bible only" Christians to support salvation by

faith alone. Catholics understand the works referred in this verse as the works done

before our conversion. Faith in Jesus is gift from God, freely given at the beginning of and

before our conversion, irrespective of our past behaviour whether we were good or evil. In

short Catholics believe that no one can merit the gift of faith in Christ at the beginning of

our conversion.

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.


Catholics believe that we, using our freedom, can either accept or reject this precious gift

from God.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I

will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:20


Notice the conditional statement (starting with “if”) in the above verse, i.e. Jesus will come

in to the person if he/she hears His voice and opens the door. While Jesus takes the

initiative to knock our door, He will not force Himself in; He waits our response and respects

our freedom. Thus it is possible that the person does not hear Jesus’ knock or he/she hears

it but decides not to open the door. Some of us might have seen a picture or painting of

Christ knocking at door – in the picture the outside of the door has no handle, i.e. it must

be opened from inside. Catholics and some Protestants and "Bible only" Christians also

believe that we can lose this precious gift of faith. We lose it through our own will using our

freedom. Scripture indeed talks about those who shipwrecked their faith (1 Timothy 1:18-

19).

Catholics and some Protestants & "Bible only" Christians believe in the universal or

unlimited atonement of Christ, i.e. that He died on the cross for all men, the Elect and the

Reprobate. The scriptural support that Christ died on the cross for everyone is

overwhelming, among which:

And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who

for their sake died and was raised.

2 Corinthians 5:15

And they sang a new song, saying: "Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its

seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe

and tongue and people and nation,

Revelation 5:9

Other verses like John 4:42 describes Christ as the Saviour of the world; 1 Timothy 4:10

calls God as the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe; Hebrews 2:9 says

that Christ tasted death for every one and 1 John 2:2 states that Christ is the propitiation

for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. In the words of the

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"At the end of the parable of the lost sheep Jesus recalled that God's love excludes no one:

'So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should

perish.’ He affirms that he came 'to give his life as a ransom for many'; this last term is not

restrictive, but contrasts the whole of humanity with the unique person of the redeemer

who hands himself over to save us. The Church, following the apostles, teaches that Christ


died for all men without exception: 'There is not, never has been, and never will be a

single human being for whom Christ did not suffer."


"Jesus, the Son of God, freely suffered death for us in complete and free submission to the

will of God, his Father. By his death he has conquered death, and so opened the

possibility of salvation to all men. "


Not all Christians believe that Christ died for every one. Calvinists believe in Limited

Atonement36, i.e. that Christ died only for the Elect. To support their belief they usually

quote verses that say Christ saves His People (Mathew 1:21), died for His friends (John

15:13), gave His life as ransom for many (Mark 10:45) and gave Himself for the Church

(Ephesians. 5:25). Catholics and those who believe in Unlimited Atonement reply that the

terms: His people, His friends, His church and many are part or subset of “all men”. While

in Marks 10:45 Christ died as ransom for many; in 1 Timothy 2:6 He died as ransom for

all. Because Christ died for all men then He died for His people, for His friends, for the

Church and for many. Note also that those verses do not have the word "only"; i.e. they do

not say that Christ saves only His people, died only for His friends and gave Himself only for

His Church. As an analogy, a married man says that he loves his family and that he loves

his wife. He does not contradict himself because his wife is part of his family, neither does

it mean he only loves his wife and hates his children. The following verses also support

Unlimited Atonement:

Then as one man’s [Adam’s] trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man’s

[Christ’] act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men.

Romans 5:18

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:22

36 Limited Atonement is the third of the Five Points of Calvinism or TULIP.

God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification: nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit does, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.

Westminster Confession XI.4 Those who reject Limited Atonement but accept the other four points are sometimes referred as

“four-point Calvinists” or Amyraldians, after French Reformed Theologian Moses Amyraut (1596 to 1664).


If “all” in the above verses means “all Elect”, then only the Elect are affected by Adam’s sin

(Original Sin). But if it refers to “all mankind”, which is certainly the case, then these

verses indicate that God through Christ does intend to save all men. Why not all will be

saved is because they are the ones who, using their freedom, choose to reject God and His

Grace. Furthermore Jesus said (Luke 19:10): For the Son of Man came to seek and to save

the lost. While these words were addressed to Zachaeus, he was certainly not the only lost

person. Who are the other lost persons? All men or only the Elect are lost? Certainly all

men are lost and in this verse Jesus said that He came to seek and to save them. Similarly

in 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul wrote that Jesus came into the world to save sinner. Obviously all

men, not only the Elect, are sinners37.

37 To Catholics the only exception is Virgin Mary whom God chose as the vessel to bear His Son and

from whom (sinless) Christ got His flesh (Romans 1:3). It does not mean that Mary did not need a Saviour (Luke 1:47). She was also redeemed by her Divine Son and by His merits (CCC # 492). By God’s grace she was preserved immune from all stains of Original Sin (CCC # 491) and committed no sin in her earthly life (CCC # 411). Are there scriptural supports for this Catholic’s belief?

I will put enmity between you [devil] and the woman, and between your seed and her seed

Genesis 3:15

Most Christians agree that this verse is proto-evangelicum (first gospel), i.e. the woman and her seed prophesy Virgin Mary and her divine Son - both of them are in enmity with the devil. Christ, being sinless (1 John 3:5), is obviously in enmity with the devil. Suppose Virgin Mary committed sin in her life then she cannot fulfil this verse - Scripture says “He who commits sin is of the devil” (1 John 3:8). The reason why we commit sin is because we inherit original sin from Adam – we were born with inclination to sin. As Virgin Mary did not commit any sin then she must also be preserved from Original sin as well. Keep in mind that her special state comes from God’s Grace, not from herself as she is only human – in fact according to Scripture she is the only human to whom God gives the fullness of His Grace. The angel greeted her: “Hail, full of grace” (Luke 1:28). The Greek word translated (in RSV) as “full of grace” is kecharitomene (κεχαριτοµενε). It is the passive form of perfect participle conjugate of the verb charito (χαριτοω), which means to give grave. Thus she was given fullness of God’s Grace and it remained with her. The main objection against the dogma of Immaculate Conception and sinless-ness of Mary is based on Romans 3:23: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Yet does the word “all” (Greek pas, πας) here do not allow exception? Even Protestants and “Bible only” Christians believe that babies and children who lived and died before the age of reason were sinless – i.e. they are exempted from Romans 3:23. Elsewhere the New Testament indicates that the word “all” may not always mean absolute “all”, i.e. with no exception (Matthew 2:3, Romans 11:26).


6. Sin and salvation

Some Protestants or “Bible only” Christians boldly say that once they believe in Christ as

their Lord and Personal Saviour, all their sins are forgiven, including their future sins; thus

their salvation is assured. Their view may come from their belief that through Christ they

are declared righteous - the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed on them to cover

their unrighteousness, which (to them) includes their future sins. To them Catholic

teachings like confessing sin to priests, penance, purgatory and indulgences are unscriptural

and meaningless. To support their belief they may quote the following verse:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and

the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. ….. but if anyone does sin, we have

an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous;

1 John 1:7, 2:1

However while this verse says that Christ' blood cleanses us from all sins and He is

advocate with the Father, there is condition attached: if we walk in the light. It is not

something automatically guaranteed to believers in Christ. Scripture does testify that

committing sin affects our salvation:

For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains

a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will

consume the adversaries.

Hebrews 10:26-27

but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire

when it had conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth

death. James 1:15

Scripture also says: He who commits sin is of the devil (1 John 3:8). But committing sins is

something Christians cannot avoid. 1 John 1:8, 10 say that if we claim not to have sin

means we deceive ourselves, have no truth and make Christ a liar. Scripture also says that

God does not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear and God will provide His Grace in

the form of the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). Thus we sin because we, in using our

freedom, choose to do so, not because the temptation to sin is stronger than us.


While the Bible says the wages of sin is death (cf. Romans 6:23), it also differentiates

between mortal38 and non-mortal sins.

If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will

give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say

that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.

1 John 5:16-17

Scripture says that God will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we confess

our sin to Him (1 John 1:9). Jesus has the authority on earth to forgive sins (Luke 5:24)

and He could and did delegate this authority to the Church after His resurrection.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy

Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of

any, they are retained.”

John 20:22-23

Catholics understand that with these words Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Penance

through which Catholics have their mortal and venial sins forgiven and regain back God’s

(Sanctifying) grace. It is worth to mention that in the forgiveness of sins, both priests and

sacraments are instruments which our Lord Jesus Christ, the only author and liberal giver

of salvation, wills to use in order to efface our sins and give us the grace of justification (cf.

CCC # 987). Note also that forgiveness through Sacrament of Penance is given only if the

sinner truly repents. Those who simply tell their sins like laundry list won’t be forgiven (the

priest cannot know whether the person truly repents or not but God does). Without genuine

interior conversion and conversion of the heart, the outward signs of penance in the form of

prayer, acts of charity or others are also meaningless (CCC # 1430-1).

38 "For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: 'Mortal sin is sin whose object is

grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.'

"Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: 'Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother.' The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger."

CCC 1857-8


7. Good works and Salvation

Scripture tells us that God does reward us for our good works (2 John 8, Revelation 22:12

etc.). The kind of good works are mainly acts of charity and love (Proverbs 25:21-22,

Marks 9:41, Luke 6:35) including almsgiving (Matthew 6:3-4), but also being righteous

(Psalm 18:20, Proverbs 11:18), obeying God’s commandments (Proverbs 13:13), prayer

(Matthew 6:6), perseverance under persecution (Luke 6:23) and fasting (Matthew 6:18).

They must be done without any personal motives (cf. Matthew 6:2, 5, 16), they must go

beyond the norm (Matthew 5:44-46) and must be based on love or charity (1 Corinthians

13:3). What kind of reward God gives us? Scripture says that love covers a multitude of

sins (1 Peter 4:8) and that almsgiving delivers from death and purges sins (Tobit 4:10,

12:9, Sirach 3:30; note that Protestants do not accept Tobit and Sirach as Scripture). By

loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for (Proverbs 16:6). Daniel told king

Nebuchadnezzar to break-off his sins by practising righteousness and his iniquities by

showing mercy to the oppressed; by doing so God might lengthen his tranquillity (Daniel

4:27). Because Ahab humbled himself and fasted, God will not bring evil in his days but in

his son’s days (1 Kings 21:27-29). Cornelius gave alms and prayed to God and God sent

Peter to tell him and his family the good news and gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit

(Acts 10:1-6, 44-48). Does God reward us with eternal life for our good works? Scripture

says:

Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his

voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and

those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.

John 5:28-29

For he will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in

well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; but

for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be

wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil,

the Jews first and also the Greek, but glory and honour and peace for everyone who

does good, the Jews first and also the Greek.

Romans 2:6-10


Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also

reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who

sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Galatians 6:7-8

Thus Scripture does say that we do merit eternal life from good works and that’s what the

Catholic Church teaches.

If any one saith, that the just ought not, for their good works done in God, to expect and

hope for an eternal recompense from God, through His mercy and the merit of Jesus Christ,

if so be that they persevere to the end in well doing and in keeping the divine

commandments; let him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon XXVI of the Decrees on Justification

The argument against the merits from our good works is based on what Jesus said in:

Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has

come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down at table'? Will he not rather say to him,

‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward

you shall eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?

So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy

servants; we have only done what was our duty

Luke 17:7-10

But if this parable is interpreted to mean there are no merits from our good works then it

contradicts many verses that say otherwise and cited in the first paragraph. In this parable

Christ reminds us that our merits come from God and are to be regarded as God’s gift, not

something we deserve and that’s exactly what Catholics believe.

Among Protestants, Calvinists believe that our good works are so defiled and imperfect that

they cannot pass God’s judgment – we cannot merit anything from our good works.

All we assign to man is that, by his impurity he pollutes and contaminates the very works

which were good. The most perfect thing which proceeds from man is always polluted by

some stain. Should the Lords therefore bring to judgment the best of human works, he


would indeed behold his own righteousness in them; but he would also behold man's

dishonour and disgrace.

Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, III.15.339

As scriptural proof that God considers our righteousness as defiled they usually cite Isaiah

64:6: all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment (filthy rags in KJV). Taking this

verse independently it gives us impression that God is not interested in our righteousness.

Yet if this is the case then it contradicts other verses that emphasize the importance of our

righteousness. Matthew 25:46 says that the righteous will go to eternal life. Christ said:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”

(Matthew 5:6) and “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes

and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Blessed

are those who do righteousness at all times (Psalms 106:3) and he who walks blamelessly,

and does what is right will sojourn in the Lord’s tent and dwell on His holy hill (Psalms 15:1

- 2). Scripture defines our righteousness as he who does right is righteous (1 John 3:7)

while “whoever does not do right is not of God” (1 John 3:10) and the unrighteous will not

inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9). The Lord loves righteous deeds (Psalms

11:7, Proverbs 15:9). Revelation 19:8 uses fine linen to symbolize the righteousness of the

saints. Coming back to Isaiah 64:6 one should read not only that verse but the entire

Isaiah 64 to see the context. In fact Isaiah 64:5 says: Thou [God] meetest him that

joyfully works righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways. Catholics

understand that we do not deserve any reward from God for being righteous because our

ability to be so comes from and is only possible with God’s grace that first moves us. God

leads us in the path of righteousness (Psalms 23:3). If God rewards us for being righteous,

which He does (2 Samuel 22:21, 25; Psalms 18:20, Proverbs 11:18), our reward is a gift

from Him.

39 Calvin’s teaching is echoed in the Westminster Confession of Faith.

We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come; and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom, by them, we can neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins, but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: and because, as they are good, they proceed from His Spirit, and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment.

Westminster Confession XVI.5


To Martin Luther our good works are not only imperfect but are also sinful acts. To the

believers in Christ, His perfect righteousness will cover and hide this imperfection. In

Luther’s own words:

Thus we sin even when we do good, unless God through Christ covers this imperfection and

does not impute it to us. Thus it becomes a venial sin, though the mercy of God, who does

not impute it for the sake of faith and the plea on behalf of this imperfection for the sake of

Christ. Therefore, he who thinks that he might be regarded as righteous because of his

works is very foolish, since if they were offered as a sacrifice to the judgment of God, they

still would be found to be sins. . . . . . Therefore iniquity will be found in his righteousness,

that is, even his good works will be unrighteous and sinful. This iniquity will not be found in

believers and those who cry to Him, because Christ has brought them aid from the fullness

of his purity and has hidden the imperfection of theirs.

Luther’s Works, Vol. 25, pages 276-277

His teaching that we sin when we do good works was condemned in the Council of Trent.

If any one saith, that, in every good work, the just sins venially at least, or-which is more

intolerable still-mortally, and consequently deserves eternal punishments; and that for this

cause only he is not damned, that God does not impute those works unto damnation; let

him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon XXV of the Decree on Justification

If any one saith, that the justified sins when he performs good works with a view to an

eternal recompense; let him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon XXXI of the Decree on Justification

But isn’t it true that our good works are imperfect? After al we are imperfect humans –

many say that nobody is perfect. To answer this, consider this analogy: A father may

display drawings made by his six-year (or so) old son on the wall of his office. Let’s say his

son drew a picture of him as a birthday (or Father’s day) present. His drawing is obviously

far from being perfect – in fact it does not resemble his father at all. But what you can

expect from six-year old boy? Even Leonardo da Vinci and other famous painters did not

produce their famous paintings when they were six years old. Yet the father proudly

displayed his son’s drawing. In the same way God is our Father who loves His children –

whatever works we do for Him, if we do it sincerely with no hidden agenda, He will


appreciate (and won’t punish us) even when they are imperfect. God is not quality

controller or inspector with zero tolerance of imperfection. Recall again that Catholics

believe God gives us His Grace that first moves us to do good works, which we cooperate

using our freedom. In the above analogy the father first provided paper and crayon and

encouraged his son (paper, crayon and encouragement represent God’s Grace) to make

drawing – but a good father will not force his son to draw. If his son decides using his

freedom to draw with the material provided by his father, his father will appreciate the

result, regardless how imperfect it is and will reward his son (note that the reward may

come in the form of another set of paper and crayon) – the reward is obviously a gift from

the father. This is what Catholics understand about (1) how our ability to do good works

comes from and (2) the reward from God for our good works, i.e. it is gift from God, not

something we deserve (to be discussed more in the next chapter). Later when we discuss

Justification, this father-children relation forms fundamental model of Catholic’s Justification

as compared to Protestant’s courtroom style (forensic) Justification.

In Matthew 25:34-40 the Elect are welcomed into heaven for showing love to others while

the Reprobates (Mathew 25:41-46) are eternally condemned for not doing so. Jesus says

that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but those who do

the will of His Father (Matthew 7:21). He does not refer to false Christians - without the

Holy Spirit no one can call Him Lord (Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:3). When one asked

Him what he must do to have eternal life Jesus’ answer was to keep the commandments

(Matthew 18:17-19, Mark 10:18-19). The commandments are summarized in two (cf.

Matthew 22:37-40): (1) Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your

mind and (2) love your neighbour as yourself. Replying to the correct answer that to inherit

the eternal life one must love God and his neighbour, Jesus simply said (Luke 10:28): “Do

this and you will live”! Scripture says that “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26) and

“what counts is faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). Thus God does require us to do

good works; it is not something optional.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared

beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be

careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men.

Titus 3:8


Do our good works play a role in our salvation? Good works before our conversion to Christ

do not make God bestow the gift of faith to us. This is something that Catholics,

Protestants and “Bible only” Christians agree. After our conversion we undergo

Sanctification process. To sanctify means to make holy and to be holy is a commandment

of God: You shall be holy as I [God] am holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Are good works done

during our sanctification necessary for salvation? To Protestants who consider faith in Jesus

as the only requirement for salvation, they are considered only as evidence or fruit of faith.

We do good works (in our Sanctification) because we are saved, not for being saved. Are

they necessary? Martin Luther wrote: Works are necessary for salvation, but they do not

cause salvation; for faith alone gives life.40 Reformed (Calvinist) scholar R.C. Sproul

expressed it in this way: Saving faith is not a “lonely” faith, having no works following as a

companion41. Does faith in Christ always produce good works of obedience? In his book,

Faith Alone (page 25), Sproul wrote that Protestants are divided into two groups on the

issue of whether saving faith necessarily produces the work of obedience or regeneration of

believers. The first group (which he belongs to) believes that true saving faith must

necessarily and inevitably yield work of obedience. If it does not then it is not true (and

non-saving) faith. The second group believes that faith should, but not always, produce

work of obedience. The first group accuses the second to follow a form of antinomianism42

while the second accuses the first of adding works to faith as condition of salvation, i.e. it is

no longer salvation by faith alone (and they are right). Both groups accuse each other of

preaching another gospel condemned by Paul in Galatians 1:8.

Catholics believe that doing good works and obeying God after our conversion to Christ (i.e.

in our Sanctification) is necessary for our salvation; it is not just fruit or sign of

Justification. Again, keep in mind that Catholics believe our ability to do good works comes

from and is only possible with God’s Grace that first moves us to do so. In John 15:1-10

we, the branches, through God’s grace, are connected to the true vine (Jesus). In order to

remain connected to Christ we must abide in Him and He in us and apart from Him we can

do nothing. Scripture tells us what “abide in Him and He in means:

40 What Luther Says, page 1509. Here Luther echoed the standard belief of some Protestants, i.e.

“we are saved by faith alone but not by faith that is alone”. 41 R.C. Sproul: Faith Alone, page 156. 42 Antinomianism is the belief that when a person believes in Christ as Saviour he/she will not lose

his salvation even if he/she continues sinning and disobeying God after his conversion. The logic of Antinomians is if faith alone saves then evil works will not make us forfeit our salvation either. It was Luther who coined the term antinomian to the teachings of John Agricola (1492 to 1566).


And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ

and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who keep his commandments

abide in him, and he in them.

1 John 3:23-2443

By God’s Grace we are connected to Christ but to remain connected in turn we must

response by obeying His commandment, i.e. to love one another. Thus love one another is

the condition to remaining connected to Christ, not the fruit of being connected to the true

vine, Christ. What happens if we are not connected to Christ? We, the branches, will be

cast out, wither and will be burnt (John 15:6). Recall the words of Christ: “Do this and you

will live”! (Luke 10:28) and “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John

14:15).

If any one saith, that the man who is justified and how perfect soever, is not bound to

observe the commandments of God and of the Church, but only to believe; as if indeed the

Gospel were a bare and absolute promise of eternal life, without the condition of observing

the commandments; let him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon XX of the Decrees on Justification

43 Following John 6:56, “abide in Christ and He in us” also means to eat His Flesh and to drink His

Blood, which to Catholics means partaking the Eucharist. Unlike Protestants and “Bible only” Christians, Catholics believe that the bread and wine, after consecration, truly becomes the Body and Blood of Christ following what Christ Himself said:

So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and

drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

John 6:53-56 The Greek word translated as “indeed” is alethos (αλεθος), an adverb, which means “truly” or “of a

truth”. Thus Christ did not speak symbolically or metaphorically as according to Protestants’ and “Bible only” Christians interpretation of the verse. Compare the usage of the same word that appears in Matthew 14:33, 27:54, Luke 9:27, 21:3, John 4:42, Acts 12:11.


8. Merits of Good works

While the word merit or reward (Greek misthos, µισθος) in the New Testament (cf. Matthew

6:2 & 5; Luke 6:23 etc.) also means wages (cf. Matthew 20:8, Luke 10:7, James 5:4) our

relation with God is not like that of worker-employer. An employer needs a work to be done

and workers deserve their wages for satisfactory completion of the work. In contrast God is

far above us - He does not need us because He can do everything Himself. This means,

strictly speaking, we cannot merit anything from God.

"With regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on the part of man. Between God

and us there is an immeasurable inequality, for we have received everything from him, our

Creator. "


Yet Scripture refer us as God’s workers (Matthew 9:37, Greek εργατες), even as His co-

worker (1 Corinthians 3:9, Greek συνεργος). Why God needs us as workers if He can do

everything Himself? To answer this first we note that in standard worker-employer relation

the merit (in this case wages) is not a gift but the worker’s due (cf. Romans 4:4). In

contrast Catholics consider merit (of our good works) as a gift from God; in other word it is

also God’s grace. “Our merits are God’s gifts” (CCC # 2009) and “The saints have always

had a lively awareness that their merits were pure grace” (CCC # 2011). Catholics believe

that our merit is a gift from God who wants us to cooperate with His Grace through good

works and then rewards us. The following analogy44 might help to explain Catholic

understanding of merits from good works. Suppose a mother was baking a cake when her

child came. She asked her child whether he/she wanted to help, which the child gladly

agreed. Note that the mother does not need her child's help; she can do the work

herself. Out of her motherly love she allowed and even welcomed her child’s help. She

then rewarded her child, be it in the form of words of praises, a hug or a kiss. The merits

of the child help is therefore a gift from the mother, not something the child deserves. In

the same way God can do any work Himself but He uses us, with our consent, to be His

“workers”. He can rain down food and clothes from heaven to feed the hungry and to clothe

the naked; but he wants us to do it. He can bring the good news to anybody on earth,

regardless where the person lives – but He wants (some of) us to become missionaries.

Catholics also believe that it is God, through His Grace, who first moves us to do good

44 The analogy came from Fr. Mitch Pacwa S.J. (current radio and television host for EWTN).


works and without which Grace we cannot do it. Paul wrote: Not that we are competent of

ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God (2 Corinthians

3:5). Using our freedom, we choose either to cooperate or not with the given Grace. If we

do, then God will reward us. Our rewards are therefore God’s gift or are also His Grace.

"The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely

chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. The fatherly action of God is first

on his own initiative, and then follows man's free acting through his collaboration,

so that the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of

God, then to the faithful. Man's merit, moreover, itself is due to God, for his good

actions proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit."


One clause of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that scandalizes Protestants and "Bible

only" Christians is:

Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for

others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and

charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and

friendship can be merited in accordance with God's wisdom. These graces and goods are the

object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions. Catechism of the Catholic Church # 2010

Protestants and "Bible only" Christians will quickly point out: How can we merit the increase

of grace? Does this contradict the definition of Grace (cf. CCC # 1996)? Before we

continue we need to clarify that the above clause talks about meriting Grace in our

Sanctification, not before our conversion to Christ - No one can merit the initial Grace, i.e.

faith in Christ (cf. CCC # 2010). One way to explain how (graced) works merit God’ Grace

is through real example. Consider missionaries who went to other country to

evangelize. They had to do some works before and during their missionary works, like

learning the language and culture of the local people, meeting and socializing with

them. No one can deny that missionaries must work - they are not on long vacation paid by

the institution/church that sent them. If through their missionary works some became

Christians, then their missionary works merited the grace of God (in this case faith in Christ)

for them. In Catholic understanding it was God’s grace that first moved a person to work


as missionary; i.e. it did not come from his/her own initiative. Using his/her freedom,

he/she cooperated by working as missionary. As the outcome of his/her missionary works

God gave the gift of faith to some of the people he witnessed. Recall that both Catholics

and Protestants believe that faith in Christ is God’s free gift – not from works, be it the

works of missionaries or that of particular person. Other example is if we pray for

something and God answers our prayer. Catholics believe it is God’s Grace that first moves

us to pray: Prayer is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part (CCC #

2725). Thus our pray (which is a graced work) merits another Grace, be it a conversion of a

friend, a healing etc. To summarize again Catholics believe it is God through His Grace who

first moved us to do good works be it doing acts of charity, praying, witnessing etc.

Without God’s Grace it is impossible for us to do good works – we do not even have the

initiative to do it. We choose, using our freedom, to cooperate with this Grace or not. If we

cooperate then our merit is a gift from Him, i.e. it is not something we deserve. Because

our merit is a gift then it may come in the form of (increase of) grace and even eternal life.

The Catholic Church may use the term congruous merit to describe the merit given to us as

a gift, and not because we deserve it. It is distinguished with the other type of merit,

condign merit, which is merit in the strict sense (i.e. a worker merits de condign his salary if

he performs his duty satisfactorily). In our salvation only Christ merits de condignly for all

of us through His Passion on the cross. We, the saints on earth45, can only merit de

congruous for ourselves and/or for others when we do good works, be it praying, loving one

another, doing acts of charity, fasting, avoiding sin, repenting, sharing our faith, working as

missionary etc. This is the reason why Paul wrote he saved some (1 Corinthians 9:22),

Timothy saved himself and his hearers (1 Timothy 4:16) and even any Christians can save

others (James 5:20). The saints in heaven, including Virgin Mary, also merit de congruous

for us through their intercession when we ask them to pray for us. Unfortunately, most

Protestants and “Bible only” Christians think that Catholics merit de condignly through good

works. This, in fact, is one source of their myth that Catholics must earn their way to

heaven. Similarly they also wrongly believe that in Catholicism saints in heaven, especially

Virgin Mary, can merit de condignly for Catholics and therefore become Christ’ competitors.

This chapter ends with the following Table comparing Catholic and Protestant’s position of

the role of good works in our salvation.

45 Most people, including Catholics think that the title saint is applied only to certain deceased

Catholic who led holy life, had miracles attributed to them etc., but the Catechism (CCC # 823) declares:

The Church, then, is "the holy People of God, and her members are called "saints. “


Catholicism Protestantism and “Bible onlyism”

• Good (or evil) works before our conversion to Christ do not merit (or demerit) the gift of

faith in Christ from God. Faith (in Christ) is a free gift from God irrespective of our past

behaviour, whether we were good or evil persons.

• In our Sanctification God’s Grace first

moves us to do good works, which we

cooperate using our freedom.

• Good works in our Sanctification are

necessary for our Salvation because it is

commanded by God and He makes it

possible through His Grace.

• We do not deserve any merit from our

good works because without God’s Grace

we cannot do it, not even have the

initiative to do it. When God rewards us

for our good works, it is a gift from Him.

Because our merit is God’s gift then it

may come in the form of (increase of)

Grace and even eternal life.

• In our Sanctification we do good works

as fruit of our faith, i.e. we do it because

we are saved, not for being saved.

• They are divided into two groups on this

issue. The first group says good works

are necessary as fruits of true faith or

“salvation by faith alone but not by faith

that is alone”. The second group say

true faith should, but not always,

produce good works – and the person is

still saved.

• We do not merit grace or eternal life

from our good works because (1) we are

saved by faith alone, (2) our good works

are imperfect and defiled (according to

Luther and Calvin) and (3) are sinful acts

(according to Luther). Obviously not all

Protestants and “Bible only” Christians

agree with what Luther and Calvin taught

– they may not even be aware that those

two great Reformers taught such things.


9. Justification

One simple way to explain relation between Justification and Salvation is: if salvation is our

goal then Justification is how to reach that goal. We must be first justified (by God) before

we can enter heaven. The Council of Trent defines Justification as a translation from that

state in which man is born a child of the first Adam, to the state of grace and of the

adoption of the sons of God through the second Adam, Jesus Christ, our Saviour46.

According to Martin Luther justification is redemption from sin, death, and the devil and we

are made partakers of life eternal, not by ourselves but by help of Christ47. John Calvin

defined justification as the acceptance with which God receives us into his favour as if we

were righteous48 Both Catholics and Protestants consider justification as important and

prime issue. The Catholic Church declares that Justification is the most excellent work of

God’s love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit (CCC # 1994).

Citing Augustine’s words, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that Justification of

the wicked is even greater than the creation of the world. Luther wrote that the article of

justification is the master and prince, the lord, the ruler, and the judge over all kinds of

doctrines. It is the head and the cornerstone and it alone begets, nourishes, builds,

preserves, and defends the church of God49. To John Calvin Justification is the principal

ground on which religion must be supported50.

Both Catholics and Protestants (and “Bible only” Christians) agree that justification comes

from God’s grace (Titus 3:7) and has been merited (de condignly) by Christ (Romans 3:23-

25, 5:9). By ourselves, using only our own efforts, we can never reach the justified state to

enter heaven.

“Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on

the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the

instrument of atonement for the sins of all men.


“Our justification comes from the grace of God.


46 Chapter 4 of the Decrees on Justification 47 What Luther Says, page 701 48 John Calvin: Institute of Christian Religion, III.11.2 49 What Luther Says, pages 703-704 50 John Calvin: Institute of Christian Religion, III.11.1


However though they use the same word, Justification, Catholics and Protestants do not

mean the same thing. Their disagreement arises from different understanding in the

scriptural term “Righteousness”. In Greek, Justification (dikaiosis, δικαιωσις) and

Righteousness (dikaiosune, δικαισυνε) have the same root or they are related. Justification

has something to do with righteousness as the Scripture testifies: the righteous will go to

eternal life (Matthew 25:46) while the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God (1

Corinthians 6:9). To Protestants and “Bible only” Christians, “to justify” means “to declare

righteous” because their Justification is one time event while to Catholics it means “to make

righteous” because to them Justification is a process.

Catholicism

• Justification is a process that starts

with our genuine conversion to Christ

and ends at our entrance to heaven.

• Because it is a process, Justification

comprises our genuine conversion to

Christ and Sanctification. Justification

is conferred in Baptism.

• In Justification the righteousness of

God through Christ is infused (by the

Holy Spirit) in us. The righteousness

of God becomes inherent part of us or

through Justification we are made

just/righteous.

Protestantism and “Bible Onlyism”

• Justification is one time event in our

life, i.e. at our genuine conversion to

Christ.

• We are justified only by faith in Christ.

• In Justification the righteousness of

Christ is imputed on us. The

righteousness of Christ remains

external, covering our unrighteousness

or through Justification we are

declared just/righteous.

The simplest way to explain the differences between Catholic and Protestant Justification is

using analogy. Suppose our state before justification is like wearing a dirty robe, which

does not entitle us to enter heaven. We cannot clean our robe using our own efforts. In

Protestant’s Justification, Christ will give us His spotless robe to cover up ours at the time

we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour51. Christ needs to do it only once. We still wear our

51 Reformed scholar R.C Sproul cited Zechariah 3:2-5 and Romans 13:14 as biblical supports for

being clothed with Christ’ righteousness (cf. Faith Alone, page 102). But in Zechariah 3:2-5 shows that God asked the angel to remove Joshua’s filthy garments first before clothing him with new garments. In other words he was made and declared clean. Romans 13:14 has the words “put on Christ”, not “put on righteousness of Christ”. Galatians 3:27-28 explains that “to put on Christ” means “to be one in Christ”, not separated based on our race (Jews or Greek), social status (slave or free) or gender (male or female). Ephesians 4:22-24 asks us to put off our old corrupt nature


dirty robe, but it is now covered with Christ’s. When God look at us He will see us wearing

the spotless robe of Christ and declares us clean. Note that with the robe from Christ we

are renewed outwardly but inside we still have our dirty robe. In Catholic justification, on

the other hand, God through Christ will help us to wash our dirty robe. At our conversion,

Christ makes it clean for the first time through Baptism (if we have the chance to have it).

After this whenever we dirty our robe through sinning, Christ will again help us to wash it

(through sacrament of penance). The process is continued through out our life. When we

die with our robe still stained with venial sins, it will be cleansed in purgatory because

nothing unclean can enter heaven (Revelation 21:27). At the end of Justification, we enter

heaven wearing our clean robe. Obviously what is made clean is also declared clean.

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 7:14

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and

that they may enter the city by the gates.

Revelation 22:14

Other common analogy for Protestant Justification is Courtroom analogy. In fact

Protestants usually refer (their) Justification as a legal or forensic one. The word forensic

means “belonging to courts of judicature” and is used in legal proceedings. In the words of

Reformed scholar R.C. Sproul: “The Reformers viewed justification as being forensic,

resting on God’s judicial declaration that the sinner is counted as just or righteous by

virtue of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ.”52 In Protestant courtroom analogy

God is the judge and we stand in the courtroom as debtors or criminals, unable to pay our

debts (i.e. our sins) or guilty of committed crime and are about to be thrown to jail (i.e.

hell). We are in hopeless situation and God offers the only solution. He sent His Son to

step down and if we believe in Him, He will pay our debt or the penalty of our crime and set

us free. Justification then is just simply a legal exchange, i.e. we get Christ righteousness

while He gets our punishment. We are declared just/righteous or, in the words of John

Calvin, we are declared as if we were righteous (R.C. Sproul uses the phrase “counted as

righteous”). This courtroom analogy fits well with the Protestant’s understanding of

Justification, i.e. it is a one-time event where we are declared righteous through the

imputation of Christ righteousness. It does not make room for purgatory and indulgences.

first before we put on the new nature, created after God’s likeness in true righteousness and holiness. It does not say the new nature covers our old one either.

52 R.C. Sproul: Faith Alone, page 44


Christ already paid the penalty of our sin, so there is no need of them. This forensic

courtroom style (one time event) Justification model goes in line with the question: “have

you been saved?” or “Do you want to be saved?”

Catholics, on the other hand, use Family (Father – children) analogy for Justification - God

is our Father and we are His (adopted) children53. Note that Trent’s definition of

justification has the phrase “adoption as sons of God”. Adoption as sons of God is

something biblical that Protestants also believe (cf. Romans 8:15, 23, Galatians 4:5,

Ephesians 1:5). However their forensic Justification system cannot fit in the Family

analogy. We are not only declared sons but also made and become sons (John 1:12, 1 John

3:1 & 5:1), become heir with Christ (Romans 8:17) and partake His divinity (2 Peter 1:4).

In Family analogy we receive our adoption through our faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26), not

because of any righteous (or unrighteous) things we did. Once belong to the family of God,

we have our duties and must obey household rules. No father will tell his children because

they are his they can do whatever they like and there are no rule to obey and no duty in the

house. At the same time a father won’t tell his friends that his children must work in his

house in order not to be thrown out of the house. Any human father wants his children to

grow up and to become good persons, not to become criminals, drug addicts or prostitutes

and he is more than willing to help his children to achieve that goal. For example he is

willing to spend some money for their education (free gift from him, not student loan, i.e.

his children do not need to pay him back). He spent time with his children to teach them

not to associate with wrong companies; he makes sure they are in good health etc.

Obviously his children must cooperate with him and do their part. Just because the father

pays the tuition fee they will not get the degree or skills unless they study. If they do not

listen to their father’s advice they may end up becoming member of gangs or drug addicts.

Any human father will discipline his children for their own good when they do something

wrong and reward them for being good (be it ice cream treat, a new bike etc.). The reward

is obviously a gift from the father, not their wages for being good. Similarly our heavenly

Father wants us, his children, to learn, to grow, to do our duty and to become mature, that

is, to become like Him (Philippians 2:14). In the process He will also sometime discipline us

for our own good (Hebrews 12:6) and will reward us, a gift from Him, when we well

behave. God the Father does not leave us struggling alone; with our cooperation He,

through Christ, will continuously help us by giving us His Grace until we are welcomed to

53 A family is not complete without a mother and this is how the role of Virgin Mary as the mother of

us fits in.


enter our heavenly home. This family analogy fits Catholic understanding of Justification -

it is a process, i.e. we start as babies who grow up and who do our part with the help

(Grace) from the God the Father. Because it is a process, Catholics are not accustomed to

the question: “Have you been saved?” or “Do you want to be saved?” – these two questions

go in line with Protestant’s courtroom style forensic (one time event) Justification. To

Catholics the question that fits Catholic’s Justification is “Are you being saved?”

In both Protestant (one time event) Justification analogies, we remain passive. The only

thing we need to do is to believe in Christ who will cover our unrighteousness with His

perfect righteousness or pay our debt of sin and then it is done. In Catholic Justification,

on the other hand, we are active through-out the justification process; i.e. using our

freedom we cooperate with God’s given Grace.

To Catholics Justification comprises not only our genuine conversion to Christ but also

includes Sanctification (cf. CCC # 2009). Protestants, on the other hand consider

Justification as one-time event, at our genuine conversion to Christ and therefore we are

justified only by faith in Christ. What does the Scripture say? In Romans 4:10 Abraham

was justified by faith before his circumcision (Genesis 17:24). Is this the only time he was

justified? The answer is no because in James 2:21 he was justified again, after his

circumcision, by his obedience to God when he offered his son Isaac (Genesis 22:10).

Scripture says that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) but it also says

that we are saved through Sanctification.

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord,

because God chose you from the beginning to be saved through sanctification by the

Spirit and belief in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:13

Scripture even testifies that we are still to be justified on judgment day by our own words:

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good

treasure brings forth good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. But I

tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter.

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 12:36-37


Justification implies a transformation from the old state inherited from Adam to the new

state in Christ. The New Testament testifies that those who are in Christ are renewed (2

Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:23, Colossians 3:10). 2 Corinthians 4:16 say that our inner

nature is being renewed everyday. Being renewed everyday indicates a continuous, not a

one time process. Again to Protestants and “Bible only” Christians this renewal process

belongs to Sanctification, which is not part of their Justification.

By faith alone (Latin sola fide)” and “by scripture alone (Latin sola scriptura)” were the

battle cries of the sixteenth century Reformers against the Catholic Church. To give

support to his “faith alone justification” Luther in his German translation of the New

Testament deliberately added the word “only” in Romans 3:28. Scripture does say in a

number of places that we are justified by faith in Christ (cf. Romans 3:28, Galatians 2:16)

apart from the works of Law. Whoever believes in Christ will not perish (John 3:16). In

John 6:29 Jesus asked the crowd to do the work of God, which is to believe in Him.

Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21). Thus to believe in Jesus

is crucial to our salvation, which Catholics do not deny. However New Testament no where

teaches that faith in Jesus is the only requirement for salvation. Christ Himself emphasizes

the necessity of obeying the commandments to have eternal life (Luke 10:28). In 1 John

3:23-24 we must both believe in Christ and love one another in order to make us abide in

Him and He in us, otherwise we will be cut-off and burnt (John 15:6). In the whole New

Testament the word faith is never coupled with the word “only” or “alone” except in James

2:24 but this verse does not support justification by faith alone either. It even supports the

Catholic position on the role of (good) works of love in our justification.

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. For as the body apart

from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.

James 2:24, 26

To reconcile Justification by faith alone with this verse Reformed scholar R.C. Sproul wrote:

“Justification is by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone”.54 One can easily notice the

contradiction between the first and the second parts of his statement. Why call it

“justification by faith alone”, if it is not by faith that is alone? Because Justification by faith

alone has no scriptural support, it was condemned in the Council of Trent:

54 R.C. Sproul: Faith Alone, page 156. Refer also to Calvinist scholar Dr. Rhodes’ statement on the

same issue on page 6.


If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that

nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification,

and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement

of his own will; let him be anathema

Council of Trent, Canon IX of the Decrees on Justification

One of the verses that often quoted by Protestants and “Bible only” Christians to support

justification by faith alone and to deny the role of works is:

And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is

reckoned as righteousness. So also David pronounces a blessing upon the man to whom

God reckons righteousness apart from works:

Romans 4:4-6

Quoted independently this verse seems to support justification by faith alone. Is that what

Paul meant? From the preceding verses we know that Paul talked about the works of

Abraham before he believed in God.

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before

God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him

as righteousness.”

Romans 4:2-3

From Chapter 5 we know that Catholics believe our good works before our conversion do

not merit the gift of faith (in Christ). Thus Catholics have no problem with this verse.

Those who insist that the works in Romans 4:2-6 also includes the works of Abraham after

he believed will have problem to reconcile these verses with James 2:21 where he was

justified again after his obedience to sacrifice his son.

The New Testament speaks of righteousness of God in a number of places (Psalms 24:5,

Romans 1:17, 3:5, 21-22; 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9, 2 Peter 1:1). Catholics,

Protestants and “Bible only” Christians agree that our righteousness comes from God, not

from ourselves – we cannot become righteous using our own will and efforts. The position

of the Catholic Church is stated in the following:


Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God’s righteousness through faith in

Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or “justice”) here means the rectitude of divine love. With

justification, faith, hope and charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine

will is granted us.


For, although no one can be just, but he to whom the merits of the Passion of our Lord

Jesus Christ are communicated, yet is this done in the said justification of the impious,

when by the merit of that same most holy Passion, the charity of God is poured forth, by

the Holy Spirit, in the hearts of those that are justified, and is inherent therein: whence,

man, through Jesus Christ, in whom he is ingrafted, receives, in the said justification,

together with the remission of sins, all these (gifts) infused at once, faith, hope, and charity.

Council of Trent, Decree on Justification Chapter 7

There is disagreement between Catholics and Protestants on how the righteousness of God

is applied to us. Catholics believe it is infused in us because to Catholics Justification is a

process that makes us righteous. Protestants and “Bible only” Christians, on the other

hand, say that the righteousness (of Christ) is imputed on us because to them Justification

is one time event when we are declared righteous through our faith in Christ. To

Protestants and “Bible only” Christians the process of being made righteous is the outcome

of Sanctification, which is not part of their Justification. Catholics who considers

Sanctification as integral part of Justification consider “being made righteous” as the

outcome of Justification.

Infused righteousness implies cooperation with us, who still have freedom to make decision

related to their salvation.

“Justification establishes cooperation between God’s grace and man’s freedom. On man’s

part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to

conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit who

precedes and preserves his assent:


Our cooperation in God’s working grace in us is shown in the following verse:


Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but

much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for

God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12-13

Here Paul wrote that while God is at work in us, we are not passive but must also work out

our salvation. In 1 Corinthians 15:10 he wrote that he worked harder than other apostles,

though it was not he, but the grace of God that was with him. The outcome of infused

righteousness from God through Christ is we are renewed inwardly or we are made

righteous - the righteousness from God becomes inherent part of us. Does the Scripture

support the belief that God’s righteousness becomes inherent part of us? While Scripture

talks about righteousness of God it also mentions the righteousness that belongs to us

(Matthew 5:20, 2 Corinthians 9:10, Revelation 19:8) – indicating that the righteousness of

God is infused in us. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly

just by the power of his mercy (CCC # 1992). Scripture does say that our inner nature is

being renewed everyday (2 Corinthians 4:16). It is God through Christ, who makes us

righteous (Romans 5:19) but He does so with our cooperation.

Protestants or “Bible only” Christians believe that Justification changes us only outwardly

with the righteousness of Christ imputed on us, but inside we still remain unrighteous. In

Protestant Justification we are not made righteous but are only declared righteous. In the

words of Martin Luther:

Sins remain in us, and God hates them very much. Because of them it is necessary for us

to have the imputation of righteousness, which comes to us on account of Christ, who is

given to us and grasped by our faith.

Luther’s Works, Vol. 26, page 235

John Calvin expressed the same position as follows:

Thus we simply interpret justification, as the acceptance with which God receives us into his

favour as if we were righteous; and we say that this justification consists in the

forgiveness of sins and the imputation of the righteousness of Christ

John Calvin: Institute of Christian Religion, III.11.2


Reformed scholar Norman Geisler55 admits that before Reformation Christians always

understood that Justification is intrinsic (to make us just), not extrinsic (to declare us just).

However he argued that the Greek verb “to justify” (Greek dikaio, δικαιοω) and its Hebrews

equivalent mean “to declare just”, not “to make just”; thus to him the Protestant’s

understanding of justification is biblical. The issue is more on whether Justification is a

process (Catholic’s position) or one time event (Protestant’s position). The Bible testifies

that through Christ we are made righteous:

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience

many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:19

To support imputed righteousness the verse mostly cited by Protestants is Romans 4:3 –

Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. They will say that

our righteousness comes through faith in Christ. However Scripture define righteousness

as: He who does right is righteous (1 John 3:7). This verse does not say “He who believes

is righteous”. To believe is certainly one act that leads to righteousness – that’s what

Abraham did and what Christ commanded (John 6:29) but certainly it is not the only one.

In Timothy 6:11 and 2 Timothy 2:22 Paul would not bother to ask Timothy to aim for

righteousness – if the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, which Timothy

already had as Christian, was the only one he need. Revelation 19:8 uses fine linen to

symbolize the righteousness of the saints – it would not say so it their righteousness is

external and is only imputed on them. Note that being righteous is not the same as being

sinless – doing what is right certainly includes repenting but one needs to repent only when

he/she sins in the first place. Christ said that unless our righteousness surpass that of

the Pharisees we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:20). “Seek first the

Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) is His commandment. Here is a

call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and

the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12). The standard Protestant’s reply is it is impossible

for us to achieve the righteousness level that God demands. Their favourite verse is James

2:10: For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

This is the reason why we need the righteousness of Christ to be imputed on us. However

God, our heavenly and perfect Father, won’t ask His children to do something impossible.

In fact Scripture says that His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). Paul

55 Geisler and Mackenzie: Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences, page 222


wrote that what counts is keeping the commandments (1 Corinthians 7:19). Catholics

agree that we cannot become righteous by ourselves; we do need God’s grace. Paul wrote:

I can do all things in him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

If any one saith, that the commandments of God are, even for one that is justified and

constituted in grace, impossible to keep; let him be anathema.

Council of Trent, Canon XVIII of the decree on Justification

What God commands He makes possible by his grace


How about Romans 3:10 that says there is no one righteous? Yet Scripture also mentions

the existence of righteous men and women (Matthew 13:17, 23:29, Luke 1:6, Hebrews

11:4, 1 Peter 3:12). In the Old Testament Noah, Daniel and Job were righteous (Ezekiel

14:14). No one can become righteous by their own will and power. We do need God’s

grace that first moves us and enable us to do so. No one can be righteous continually

either; we do fail from time to time. But God helps us with His Grace (and with our

cooperation using our freedom) to stand up again and that’s what we call as perseverance.

Is being righteous necessary? Scripture says: whoever does not do right is not of God but

the children of devil (1 John 3:10) and the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God

(1 Corinthians 6:9). He who walks blamelessly and does what is right shall sojourn in

the Lord’s tent and dwell in His holy hill (Psalms 15:1-2). To conclude Catholics

believe that our righteousness comes from God, not from ourselves, i.e. God’s Grace

through Christ moves us to do what is right, be it believing, repenting, loving one another

etc. and this requires our cooperation – if we do then His righteousness is infused in us and

becomes inherent part of us or we are made righteous. This is not salvation by works

because without God’s Grace we cannot do what is right, not even have the initiative to do

it. Recall that some Protestants and “Bible only” Christians believe that true faith is to be

accompanied by works of obedience or “salvation by faith alone but not by faith that is

alone”. If they still insist that Catholics salvation involves works – so is theirs. Other

Protestants and “Bible only” Christians who say that true faith is not necessarily

accompanied by works of obedience should try to reconcile their belief with 1 John 3:10 and

1 Corinthians 6:9.


10. Baptism and Salvation

Catholics believe that Justification is conferred in Baptism (cf. CCC # 1992, # 2020) and

Baptism is necessary for the salvation of those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed

and who have had the possibility of asking for it (cf. CCC # 1257). Most Protestants and

“Bible only” Christians, on the other hand, reject the necessity of Baptism for simple reason:

nothing can be added to the faith in Christ, their only criteria of Justification. They

generally consider Baptism to be a symbol or ordinance or public declaration of one’s faith in

Christ – ironically none of them has scriptural support. Some Lutheran churches and

Church of Christ also believe in the necessity of Baptism for our salvation. What does

Scripture say about Baptism?

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be

condemned Mark 16:16

There are two arguments from those who reject the necessity of Baptism on this verse. The

first one is the authenticity of the verse is questionable because some early and important

manuscript of Mark Gospel do not have Mark 16:9 – 20. Ironically those who say so, still

have these twelve verses in their Bible as integral part of Mark Gospel. If they question

their authenticity, then to be consistent they should erase them from their Bible. In the

second argument, since in the second part of the verse only those who do not believe will

be condemned then “to be saved” in the first part should be linked only to “he who

believes”. However faith in Christ is the prerequisite of Baptism, i.e. those who do not

believe will not obviously be baptized. The first part of the verse indicates that both faith

and baptism come before “will be saved” - it does not say: “he who believes will be saved

and is to be baptized”. Scripture also compares Baptism with the event when Noah and his

children were saved through water:

… when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which

a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds

to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for

a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:20 - 21


Those who reject the necessity of Baptism will argue that it was the ark, not the water that

saved Noah and his children. Hebrews 11:7 says that by faith Noah built the ark that saved

his household. Again Catholics do not deny that faith is necessary and in fact, is the

beginning of salvation. But the ark itself must go through the water and that’s what the

verses say. Noah and his children who were inside the ark were saved through the water.

We can only relate “Going through the water” with Baptism and the verse boldly says that

Baptism does save.

From the lips of Jesus we have His testimony made during his conversation with Nicodemus:

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he

cannot enter the kingdom of God.

John 3:5

Directly after this, Jesus and His disciples went to Judea to baptize (John 3:22). The

Catholic Church interprets the phrase “born of water and spirit" as referring to Baptism,

through which we are born again to become part of God’s family and a member of Christ’

body (or His Church). Protestants and “Bible only” Christians, on the other hand, consider

this verse as scriptural support for “being born again Christians” but relate it not to Baptism

but to acknowledging Christ as personal Lord and Saviour (usually through saying sinner’s

prayer).

If Baptism is necessary why Jesus Himself did not baptize (John 4:2)? John 4:2 says that

only His disciples baptized but certainly they would not have done so without His command.

The fact that He Himself did not baptize does not rule out its necessity. In 1 Corinthians

1:17 Paul wrote that Christ did not send him to baptize but to preach the gospel. Does it

indicate that Baptism is not important? No doubt that Paul’s main mission is to preach the

gospel (Acts 22:15) and the fact that baptism can be performed by anyone is the reason

why Paul baptized only a few. If Paul did not consider its necessity why was he baptized

directly after his conversion and being healed from his blindness (Acts 9:18, 22:16)? Other

standard argument against the necessity of Baptism is the criminal on the cross to whom

Jesus promised to be with Him in paradise (Luke 23:43) without being baptized. But

Baptism is necessary for the salvation of those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed

and who have had the possibility of asking for it. God has bound salvation to the

sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments (CCC # 1257). Those


who died for the sake of their faith before being baptized are baptized by their death for and

with Christ (CCC # 1258). The Catholic Church refers this Baptism as Baptism of Blood.

Others, like criminal on the cross in Luke 23:43 and the catechumens (those who are in the

process to become Catholics) who die before their baptism receive what the Church refers

as Baptism by Desire (CCC # 1259).

If Scripture says that those who believe are to be baptized (Mark 16:16), why does the

Catholic Church (and some Protestants churches) baptize infants and children? The

Catholic Church understands that the sins to be washed away through Baptism include

Original Sin, all personal sins and their punishments (CCC # 1263). Babies and children

below age of reason do not have personal sins but they are still stained with the Original Sin

and this is the reason why the Church baptizes infants (cf. CCC # 1250). It is the parents

who are entrusted to nurture the spiritual life and faith of their children (CCC # 1251).

Infant Baptism is neither mentioned explicitly nor forbidden in the New Testament, however

it recorded the whole households received Baptism (Acts 16:15, 33; 18:8; 1 Corinthians

1:16), which may include infants and children. After telling the people to repent and to be

baptized for the forgiveness of sins Peter told them that the promise is to them and their

children (Acts 2:39). Infant Baptism is practised by the Catholic, Orthodox and some

Protestant churches. What happen to babies and children who died without being

baptized? The Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God who will all men to be

saved, that they too will be saved (CCC # 1261). The same also applies to those who die

before knowing the Gospel and the Church, but seek the truth and do the will of God (CCC

# 1260).

To Catholics and some Christians Baptism is sacrament of regeneration through water in the

world (CCC # 1213), i.e. we are renewed through Baptism – it is not just simply a ritual. It

is also referred as the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit (CCC #

1215), without which no one can enter the kingdom of God (cf. John 3:5). The washing of

regeneration is stated in the following verse:

He saved us, not because of the deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own

mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5


Here Catholics understand that washing in the above verse refers to Baptism. What does

regeneration means? Through Baptism we are freed from sin, reborn as sons of God and

are incorporated in the Church (CCC # 1213).

And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of

Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy

Spirit.

Acts 2:38

In this verse Peter told the crowd that the forgiveness of sins come after repentance and

Baptism. The standard argument from those who reject the regeneration of Baptism is the

Greek preposition translated as “for” (Greek eis,εις) should be understood to mean:

“because of”. Thus forgiveness of sin is the outcome of repentance, not of baptism. To

support their case they quote verses like Matthew 3:11 and 12:41 where Greek eis means

“because of”. But if this is the case, why do all Bible (English) translations of Acts 2:38 use

“for”, and not “because of”? Furthermore exactly the same phrase (in Greek) “for the

forgiveness of sins” appears in Matthew 26:28 where “eis” cannot be translated as “because

of”. Other argument says that the Greek verb repent and your sins belong to second

person plural while “be baptized” belongs to third person singular and therefore “repent”

should be linked to “forgiveness of sins”. This is poor argument; one can directly notice

that the subject of “be baptized” is “everyone of you”, a third person singular. The

statement that “everyone of you is to be baptized” indicates that Baptism is not something

optional.

And now why do you [Paul] wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins,

calling on his name.'

Acts 22:16

Those who reject the regeneration of Baptism try to link forgiveness of sin with “calling on

His name”. Calling on His name is the other way to express faith in Christ (cf. Acts 2:21).

But just like in Mark 16:16, faith is the starting point and prerequisite of Baptism. If

Baptism has nothing to do with washing away sins the verse should read: “Rise, having

called His name, wash your sins and be baptized”. The Greek verb translated as “wash

away”56 appears only twice in the New Testament. The other occurrence is in 1 Corinthians

56 There are four different words in Greek translated as “to wash”:


6:11 where (to Catholics) it also refers to Baptism. Other than forgiveness of sins Baptism

also will renew us according to the following verse:

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into

his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was

raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:3-4

Thus the Catholic Church believes that Baptism is not just a ritual or public declaration of

one’s faith but it does wash away our sins

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 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.


Note that while Baptism forgives all sins, the inclination to sin remains with us, which we

must resist with the grace of God (CCC # 1264).

The other question generally raised about Baptism is the Catholic Church’s practice to do it

by sprinkling water, not by immersion. Does the Greek verb “to baptize” (Greek baptizo,

βαπτιζω) means “to immerse” or “to dip”? The Catholic Church does not reject Baptism by

immersion, which in fact, is the practice of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church (CCC # 1239-

40). Baptism by sprinkling, or to be exact, by pouring water over the candidate’s head has

been a practice since ancient times57. In Luke 11:38 the Pharisees criticized Jesus for not

(1) Louo, λουω: to wash the whole body (John 13:10, Acts 9:37, 16:33, Hebrews 10:22, 2 Peter

2:22, Revelation 1:5). The corresponding noun “lουτρον” (washing) is used in Ephesians 5:26 and Titus 3:5. (2) Apolouo, απολουω: to wash away (Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 6:11), a strong form of louo. (3) Nipto, νιπτω: to wash part of the body like hands (Matthew 6:17, 15:2, Mark 7:3, John 9:7, 11, 15; 13:5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14; 1 Timothy 5:10) and (4) Pluno, πλυνο: to wash object like fishing net (Luke 5:2) and robes (Revelation 7:14, 22:14)

57 The earliest evidence of Baptism by sprinkling is recorded in the Didache Chapter 7, written in 1st or 2nd century AD

And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son


washing (Greek baptizo) before dinner. Here most likely immersing hands was referred, not

the whole body. Some Protestant churches also accept the same mode of Baptism.

and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whoever else can; but you shall order the baptized to fast one or two days before.


11. Purgatory, Indulgences and Salvation

Two distinct Catholic beliefs often attacked and misunderstood by non-Catholic are

purgatory and indulgences. Let us consider purgatory first. Purgatory is necessary

because Catholic’s Justification is a process through which we are made, not declared,

righteous. Thus the Elect must be purified or cleansed from their sins. If they are not

purified completely upon dying they will undergo purification in purgatory. In the words of

the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured

of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the

holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

"The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is

entirely different from the punishment of the damned.

Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1030-1

To Protestants and “Bible only” Christians who believe that Justification only declares us

righteous, purgatory is not required - Christ will cover our unrighteousness with His perfect

righteousness. But this is not the reason they tell Catholics why they reject purgatory.

Their standard argument is (1) it is not taught in the Bible and (2) it contradicts Jesus’

words on the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). We look first at the first argument. The

word purgatory is not in the Bible. This is true, but neither are Trinity, Original Sin,

Unconditional or Conditional Election, Irresistible Grace, Dispensational58 etc. and neither

even Bible59, Old and New Testaments60. Is there any scriptural allusion for purgatory?

When prophet Isaiah saw the glory of God, he expressed his sinfulness (Isaiah 6:5). One of

58 Dispensational system refers to the biblical interpretation in which the time from the creation of

the world to the second coming of Christ is divided into several (usually seven) time periods or dispensations. In each dispensation God dealt differently with the people. It was invented by J.N. Darby (1800 – 1882) and is popular among Evangelicals and Fundamentalist Christians. The Greek word for dispensation is oikonomos οικονοµος, which means stewardship (Luke 16:2, 4) and is the origin of the (English) word “economy”.

59 While the Greek word biblia (βιβλια) appears in many places in the New Testament, it does not refer to the collection of Christian Scripture. It was John of Chrysostomos (c. 347 to 407), bishop of Constantinople (present day Istanbul) who first used the phrase "the books" or "the Bible" to refer to both Old and New Testaments (F.F. Bruce: The Canon of Scripture, page 214; B.M. Metzger: The Canon of the New Testament, page 214).

60 While the Greek word diatheke (διαθεκε) translated as Testament (KJV) or Covenant (RSV) appears in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 3:6, 14), it was applied to the two sets of Christian Scripture from the late 2nd century AD.


seraphim then flew to him with a burning coal in his hand, with which he touched his lips

and said:

Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven

Isaiah 6:7

While this verse does not prove the existence of purgatory, it shows that sins can be

forgiven and guilt can be taken away through fire. We also have allusion of purgatory in the

prophecy given through the prophet Zechariah:

In the whole land, says the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall

be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines

silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer

them. I will say, `They are my people'; and they will say, `The LORD is my God.'"

Zechariah 13:8-9

The fire does not refer to hell because the one third is refined, not eternally condemned

through it. Scripture refers God as refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:2). Another allusion to the fire

of purgatory is found in 1 Corinthians 3:15 that say that a man whose works is burned up

will be saved as through fire. In Matthew 12:32 Jesus says those who sin against the Holy

Spirit will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come. Catholics understand this

verse to imply that there are sins that can be forgiven in the age to come. He who commits

sin is of the devil (1 John 3:8) and nothing unclean shall enter heaven (Revelation 21:27) –

then one with (venial) sins upon dying cannot enter heaven unless they are purged first.

The standard reference to purgatory is 2 Maccabees 12:46 (not considered inspired by

Protestants) that mentions prayer for the dead. As we don’t need to pray for those in

heaven, and there is no point to pray for those in hell, this verse gives allusion to the

existence of purgatory.

The second main argument against purgatory is Jesus’ statement on the cross: “It is

finished” (John 19:30). Protestants and “Bible only” Christians usually argue that purgatory

makes the work of Christ not finished. But to Catholics those words of Christ meant His

Mission to redeem all men was finished/completed when He died on the cross. It does not

mean that we will not do our part, even after we believe in Him.


Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking

in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

Colossians 1:24

Note first the phrase “what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions". The Greek word translated as

“lacking” (RSV) is “husterema” (υστερεµα), which means absence or wanting. In the New

Testament the word also appears in Luke 21:4 (translated as poverty in RSV and NIV, as

penury in KJV), 1 Corinthians 16:17, 2 Corinthians 8:14, 9:12, 11:9, Philippians 2:30 and 1

Thessalonians 3:10. Second, Paul clearly indicated he completed what is lacking in Christ’s

afflictions. Scripture says that God chastises His sons (Hebrews 12:6). The same Greek

word for chastise (µαστιγοω) is used in Matthew 10:17, Matthew 20:19 and Acts 22:25,

translated as to whip or to scourge (a form of punishment). Being chastised means being

punished for our own good and that’s what purgatory is meant for.

Other may argue that purgatory contradicts Romans 8:1: there is no condemnation to those

who are in Christ Jesus. But Purgatory is not condemnation; all those in Purgatory will

eventually go to heaven. Furthermore the Greek word translated as condemnation is

katakrima (κατακριµα), which in the New Testament appears only in Romans 8:1 and

Romans 5:16, 18. It is used to describe condemnation for all through the first man

(Adam), which Christ cancelled.

If there is purgatory why did the criminal crucified with Christ and repented did not end up

there but in paradise with Him? The criminal placed his faith in Christ and died on the

same day with Christ; he had no chance to commit any sin after his conversion. As he also

had no chance to seek Baptism, his past sins were washed away by his faith and this is the

reason why he did not go to purgatory. Keep in mind that he did not go to heaven on the

day Christ (and he) died - After His resurrection Christ told Mary Magdalene that He had not

ascended to His Father yet (John 20:17). The word paradise (Greek paradeisos,

παραδεισος) in Luke 23:43, 2 Corinthians 12:4 and Revelation 2:7 is a word borrowed from

Persian, which means garden or courtyard of a palace. It refers to place where the

righteous persons who died before Christ waited for Him to open the gates of heaven for

them - it is also known as Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22-26). Before His resurrection

Christ descended to Hades (Ephesians 4:9-10). Hades is the abode of the dead, both

righteous and unrighteous, though they do not share the same lot as indicated in Luke


16:22-26. Christ descended to the Hades to free only the righteous as Scriptures says: the

gospel was preached even to the dead (1 Peter 4:6).

How about indulgences? Why does the Catholic Church teach indulgences? It was (the

abuse of) indulgences that made Martin Luther nail his ninety-five theses on 31 October

1517; the act that triggered Reformation. Some Catholics may even think that indulgences

are no longer taught in the Church – but it is still one of the teachings of the Church. We

look first at the official definition of indulgences:

An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins

whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed

gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the

minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the

satisfactions of Christ and the saints


Indulgences are neither permits to indulge in sin nor forgiveness of past, present and future

sins - they are remission of (temporal) punishment of (venial) sin that was already forgiven.

Catholics understand that sins, after being forgiven by God, still carry punishments. This is

something that all Protestants and “Bible only” Christians will find hard to swallow. Again

the reason is they are so accustomed to their (courtroom style) forensic justification; God is

the judge while we are debtor or criminal. If Christ already paid our debt or penalty of our

sins, once we believe in Him, why are we still to be punished for our sins? Catholics, who

use Family analogy in Justification, should find no problem with punishments. God is our

father and we are His children who became His through faith in Christ (Ephesians 1:5). Any

child in a family, who misbehaved is still punished even after he said sorry and was already

forgiven by his parents. This punishment is not meant to torture them but to discipline

them for their own good. Again, Scripture says that God chastises His sons (Hebrews

12:6).

Does the Bible support the belief that God still punish us even after He forgives our sin?

When the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, they rebelled (Numbers 14).

Later they repented and God forgave them (verse 20) but He still punish them by asking

them to wander in the desert for forty years until those over twenty years died save Joshua

and Caleb (verses 29-30). David committed adultery with Bethsheba and had her husband


murdered (2 Samuel 11). He repented and was forgiven (2 Samuel 12:13) but God still

punished him through the death of his first child with Bethsheba (verse 14). In the New

Testament Zachaeus told Jesus that he would pay back those he had wronged four times

and gave half of his wealth to the poor. As tax collector he might overcharge some; he still

had to make restitution even after he repented and felt sorry for what he did.

Catholics differentiates between eternal and temporal punishments. Through (Sacrament

of) Baptism original sin, all sins and their punishments are forgiven. The inclination to sin

remains in us and makes us sin again, mortally and venially. Eternal punishment is the

outcome of mortal sin, which is cancelled through sacrament of penance. Venial sin, on the

other hand, leads to temporal punishment, which we undergo in our life and/or in

purgatory. Indulgences are means for Catholics to dispose this temporal punishment during

their life and they can also offer indulgences for the departed in purgatory. The Catholic

Church grants indulgences by the virtue of the power Christ gave her to bind and to loose

on earth and in heaven (Matthew 16:19, 18:18). To gain from indulgences for oneself or

for others a Catholic must be in the state of Grace (i.e. have all mortal sins forgiven).

He/she must perform with contrite heart certain acts as prescribed by the Church (for the

detail, refer to Handbook of Indulgences, New York Catholic book Publishing). Just for few

examples: there are indulgences that can be gained through praying, Scripture reading and

adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Due to the abuse in pre-Reformation era, indulgences

gained through involvement of money were abolished in the Council of Trent. There is

nothing wrong with giving money to God and/or for charity - it is rewarded by God

(Matthew 6:3-4, 19:21). The abuse crept in when raising fund for the Church was used to

grant indulgences. Despite of the abuse, indulgences remain one of the Catholic teachings

to this day that the faithful must believe. Keep in mid that Catholics believe the Elect will

still go to heaven without performing (or somebody else performs for them) any

indulgences.


12. Salvation of Non-Christians

What is the fate of those who lived and died before they have the chance to hear the

Gospel? From the previous chapters we learn that Catholics believe:

1. Men, though have freedom, can neither will nor save themselves without God’s Grace

2. God calls all men for salvation and gives His Grace to everyone.

3. God predestines no one to hell

4. God's Grace first moves us both to believe in Christ and in Him as well as to obey His

commandments

5. Unless God reveals it to us we cannot identify the Elect

6. Christ died on the cross for all men.

7. Faith in Christ and God is God’s gift; it is necessary and is the beginning of our

salvation.

From these seven points Catholics believe that salvation is still possible to those who NOT

through their own fault, do not hear the Gospel and therefore do not know the Church.

Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church,

but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their

actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too

may achieve eternal salvation.


This Catholic official declaration should be read with:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim

now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of

salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted

the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of

the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be

saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God

through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.



Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own,

are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the

Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."


Is there any biblical basis for what Catholics believe?

And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in

every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Acts 10:34

One might argue that here Scripture talks about Cornelius who later became believers of

Christ. But certainly there are other Cornelius’ in every nation who fear God and do what

is right, which is acceptable to God, even if they do not know Christ. Are they saved

through their works? Recall that Catholics believe no one can do any good works without

being first moved by God's Grace.

The Catholic Church declaration in relation with other religion that is often attached by

Protestants and “Bible only” Christians is:

"The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place

amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together

with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."


Some interpret this statement to mean that Muslims, by remaining Muslims, are saved. Yet

the statement says: “plan of salvation”, not “salvation”. Muslims are indeed included in the

plan of salvation because Christ came to seek and to save the lost (Matthew 18:11, Luke

19:10) and to save the sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). The lost and sinners obviously include

Muslims. Others say that in this declaration the Catholic Church openly admits she and

Muslims worship the same one God. But this is a serious lack of knowledge of Catholics and

Muslims’ understanding of God. God in Islam, whom the Muslims refer (in Arabic) as

“Allah”, is not Trinitarian, who is the God of all Christians, Catholics and non-Catholics61.

61 The Jews also do not recognize Trinitarian God either but the Catechism of the Catholic Church

says:


Summary

Catholics believe that salvation comes from and is only possible with God’s Grace through

Christ (Titus 3:7). God loves the world (John 3:16); He provides His Grace to everyone

(John 1:16), desires everyone to come for repentance (2 Peter 3:9) and to be saved (1

Timothy 2:4), sent His Son to die for all mankind (2 Corinthians 5:15) and therefore calls

everyone for salvation (Titus 2:11). He gives His Grace lavishly to the Elect (Ephesians

1:7-8), He has mercy and also hardens whom He wills (Romans 9:18). Yet God gives

sufficient Grace for every one to turn himself to God and to be saved. God condemns no

one to hell (Ezekiel 33:11); the Reprobate end up in hell because of their own decision,

using their freedom, in responding to God’s Grace (Jude 4). Catholics believe that without

God’s Grace that first moves us we can neither believe in Christ (and in God) nor obey Him

(1 Corinthians 15:10, 2 Corinthians 3:5).

Catholics believe that God, not us, takes the initiative to save us through giving us the gift

of faith in Christ (John 6:44). He gives us this gift not because we did something good to

deserve it (Ephesians 2:8-9). We have our freedom either to accept or to reject this

precious gift (Revelation 3:20). If we accept this gift, we become God’s children (Romans

8:15, 23, Galatians 4:5, Ephesians 1:5). God becomes our heavenly Father (Galatians 4:6)

who continues helping us to grow and to be mature (Hebrews 12:5-11). We call this

process as our Sanctification. It is God through His Grace who initiates us to do good works

and/or to obey Him. Using our freedom, we choose to obey Him and to do His

commandments: To love Him and to love one another (John 14:21, 1 Timothy 6:14, 1 John

3:24). As our Father God may chastise us for our good (Hebrews 12:6) and rewards us for

our good works (Romans 2:6-10, Galatians 6:7-8, 2 John 8, Revelation 22:12), which is a

gift for Him (not because we deserve it) or is also His Grace. Whenever we go astray or do

wrong, He will forgive and welcome us back if we repent (1 John 1:9). God will not disown

us (John 6:37) but we can use our freedom to abandon our son-ship. Scripture says that

we lose our son-ship when we do not do right (1 John 3:10). Committing mortal sin (1 John

5:16) with refusal to repent is another way to lose our salvation. The sins committed after

our conversion to Christ do affect our salvation (Hebrews 10:26-27). Note that God will not

let us be tempted beyond what we can bear; He even provides His Grace in the form of a

To be sure, God has left traces of his Trinitarian being in his work of creation and in his Revelation throughout the Old Testament. But his inmost Being as Holy Trinity is a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone or even to Israel's faith before the Incarnation of God's Son and the sending of the Holy Spirit.

CCC # 237


way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). Even if we sin, He will forgive us and cleanse us once

we confess and repent (1 John 1:9). We will be welcomed to His heavenly Kingdom upon

dying if we persevere to the end (Matthew 10:22). This means we die in the state of Grace

or free from un-repented mortal sin. Catholics do not believe in assurance of salvation

because, unless it is revealed by God (Luke 10:20, 23:43), no one knows whether he/she

belongs to the Elect or not. Those who accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour may lose

faith later (1 Timothy 1:18-19) or do not persevere to the end.

To Catholics Justification means we are made righteous (Romans 5:19), not declared

righteous as in Protestants and “Bible only” Christians’ understanding of Justification.

Scripture says the righteous will have eternal life (Matthew 25:46) and through Christ we

are made righteous (Romans 5:19). We become righteous through receiving the

righteousness of God through Christ (Philippians 3:9) infused by the Holy Spirit in us. It is a

process that begins with our genuine conversion to Christ, continues through out our

Sanctification (2 Thessalonians 2:13) and ends just before our glorification in heaven.

Infused righteousness requires our participation (Philippians 2:12-13) and the righteousness

of God becomes inherent part of us. As nothing unclean can enter heaven (Revelation

21:27), purgatory will purify us from any venial sin, if we still have it upon dying. It is the

final part of the Justification of some of the Elect to make them righteous - the righteous

will have eternal life (Matthew 25:46). The fact that Christ already suffered and died on the

cross for us does not mean that we cannot suffer either on earth or in purgatory for our own

good (Colossians 1:24).

How do Catholics answer the question: “Are you saved?” The short answer is: “I am being

saved”. The long answer is: “I was saved when I believed in Christ as my Lord and Saviour

(John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8) and then got baptized (1 Peter 3:20-21). Now, with God’s help

through His Grace I am working on my salvation with tremble and fear (Philippians 2:12-13)

through obeying His commandments (Luke 10:28) and I will be saved provided I persevere

to the end (Matthew 24:13).” How to answer the question: "Do you want to have

assurance of salvation? The answer is: I know that I have assurance of salvation if God

reveals to me that I am one of the Elect (Luke 10:20, 23:43).

salvation in catholicism and protestantism - wibisono hartono

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