Candy's Catholic "Friend"

Today Candy Writes:

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend who is Roman Catholic. He said some things that I'd like to address on this blog, in case anyone else thinks or says the same thing. That conversation was great, and I think we both walked away having enjoyed a thorough theological conversation. :-)

My Catholic friend said that he believes that if a person thinks they are "saved," then they must not sin, because if they sin, they are not "saved." I would like to show the error in this belief via Scripture:

1 John 1:

"7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

My friend also said that he believes that one has to earn salvation via good works, and that the person must work hard, every single day, to be a good person, and do good works, or they have not earned their salvation. I would like to show Scripture that shows that that doctrine is also in error:

Ephesians 2:

"8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9Not of works, lest any man should boast."

It doesn't matter what church you attend. Attending, or being the member of a certain church will not get you into heaven. Neither will doing good works. Doing good works does not erase the sin we've committed. This is like a person who murdered his best friend, and then decided that they were going to be good, from then on out.

Should they then not be punished for the crime they committed, or should it be forgotten, because now he's a "good guy?" Obviously, no matter how good the person has become, they still need to pay for the sins they committed.

Being good, and doing good works will not and cannot cleans or cover our sins. We still need to pay for what we did wrong, or justice has not been served.

You are probably not a murderer, but lying is a sin, as well as impure thoughts. You are probably guilty of those, at the least. The Bible tells us that everyone is a sinner. The Bible also tells us what has to be done to pay for those sins:

I personally do not believe that Candy has a Catholic "friend." She's not tolerant enough for that. I also think that her "friend" was either messing with her or was another uncatechized Catholic.

We have tackled Salvation on this blog before.
October 6, 2009
September 19, 2009
February 10, 2009

For a complete listing see here.

Here is what the Catechism (which Candy apparently still ignores - which is odd for someone who thinks she knows so much on the topic) says: (Please note the catechism citations also reference scripture!)

169 Salvation comes from God alone; but because we receive the life of faith through the Church, she is our mother: "We believe the Church as the mother of our new birth, and not in the Church as if she were the author of our salvation."55 Because she is our mother, she is also our teacher in the faith.

183 Faith is necessary for salvation. The Lord himself affirms: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mk 16:16).

620 Our salvation flows from God's initiative of love for us, because "he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins" (I Jn 4:10). "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself" (2 Cor 5:19).

621 Jesus freely offered himself for our salvation. Beforehand, during the Last Supper, he both symbolized this offering and made it really present: "This is my body which is given for you" (Lk 22:19).

622 The redemption won by Christ consists in this, that he came "to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mt 20:28), that is, he "loved [his own] to the end" (Jn 13:1), so that they might be "ransomed from the futile ways inherited from [their] fathers" (I Pt 1:18).

623 By his loving obedience to the Father, "unto death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:8), Jesus fulfills the atoning mission (cf. Is 53:10) of the suffering Servant, who will "make many righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities" (Is 53:11; cf. Rom 5:19).

1697 - a catechesis of grace, for it is by grace that we are saved and again it is by grace that our works can bear fruit for eternal life;

1821 We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will.92 In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere "to the end"93 and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God's eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ. In hope, the Church prays for "all men to be saved."94 She longs to be united with Christ, her Bridegroom, in the glory of heaven:

Hope, O my soul, hope. You know neither the day nor the hour. Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly, even though your impatience makes doubtful what is certain, and turns a very short time into a long one. Dream that the more you struggle, the more you prove the love that you bear your God, and the more you will rejoice one day with your Beloved, in a happiness and rapture that can never end.95