How to Be Saved in Their Words Pt 4 – Catholic Church

Posted on March 2, 2013 by jimfloyd12

So far we have looked at some men and their take on how a person is saved from the penalty of sin.  I think it is also now fitting to take just a glimpse at some teaching from the Catholic church from the council of Trent.

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Individual salvation:

The Council of Trent describes the process of salvation from sin in the case of an adult with great minuteness (Sess. VI, v-vi).

“It begins with the grace of God which touches a sinner’s heart, and calls him to repentance. This grace cannot be merited; it proceeds solely from the love and mercy of God. Man may receive or reject this inspiration of God, he may turn to God or remain in sin. Grace does not constrain man’s free will.”

(Grace does not touch a person’s heart.  The Holy Spirit through God’s Word convinces the sinner of their need and calls a person to repent (change their mind) and place their faith in Christ alone for salvation.  This is how man can receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.)

Thus assisted the sinner is disposed for salvation from sin; he believes in the revelation and promises of God, he fears God’s justice, hopes in his mercy, trusts that God will be merciful to him for Christ’s sake, begins to love God as the source of all justice, hates and detests his sins.

(Disposition or inclination toward salvation is not natural to man that is sure. However, all that is needed is for the sinner to be shown the light of the truth from God’s Word – specifically the gospel concerning Jesus Christ.  I Cor 15. I do not believe all the things listed above are relevant or necessary. Especially not loving God as the source of all justice and hating his sins.  It strikes me as odd that Calvinists will as at times talk about needing to hate and detest one’s sins and be willing to turn from them.  Maybe Augustine and Calvin borrowed this idea from the Catholic church? To be sure, it has more in common with Catholicism than it does with biblical free grace.)

This disposition is followed by justification itself, which consists not in the mere remission of sins, but in the sanctification and renewal of the inner man by the voluntary reception of God’s grace and gifts, whence a man becomes just instead of unjust, a friend instead of a foe and so an heir according to hope of eternal life. This change happens either by reason of a perfect act of charity elicited by a well disposed sinner or by virtue of the Sacrament either of Baptism or of Penance according to the condition of the respective subject laden with sin.

(Say what? So one must voluntarily receive God’s grace and gifts? Perform a perfect act of charity? Or be baptized? Or have an act of penance? Not according to the Bible.)

The Council further indicates the causes of this change. By the merit of the Most Holy Passion through the Holy Spirit, the charity of God is shed abroad in the hearts of those who are justified.

(Wait a minute. How did we become justified? I guess I missed that part.)

Against the heretical tenets of various times and sects we must hold that the initial grace is truly gratuitous and supernatural; that the human will remains free under the influence of this grace; that man really cooperates in his personal salvation from sin;

(Man does not cooperate in his personal salvation from sin. Christ has accomplished everything needed. Man just has to receive it by faith. That in no way means that he is adding anything of his own to salvation. Faith and grace are not something tangible and are not some sort of Aristotelian spiritual commodities.)

that by justification man is really made just, and not merely declared or reputed so;

(My understanding is that we are declared just and are clothed in Christ’s righteousness. We have no sin in the sense that Christ blood covers our sin in God’s sight.)

that justification and sanctification are only two aspects of the same thing, and not ontologically and chronologically distinct realities; that justification excludes all mortal sin from the soul, so that the just man is no way liable to the sentence of death at God’s judgment-seat.


(Having Christ’s blood as a sin covering and His imputed righteousness takes care of all sin of a person past, present, or future. No saved person is ever going to receive eternal punishment from God period.)

Other points involved in the foregoing process of personal salvation from sin are matters of discussion among Catholic theologians; such are, for instance, the precise nature of initial grace,

the manner in which grace and free will work together, the precise nature of the fear and the love disposing the sinner for justification, the manner in which sacraments cause sanctifying grace. But these questions are treated in other articles dealing ex professo with the respective subjects.

The same is true of final perseverance without which personal salvation from sin is not permanently secured.

(Wow, this sounds like Perseverance of the Saints to me. So evidently, eternal life does not mean much to a Catholic.  In this system one does not know for sure if they are saved until they reach heaven… if the reach heaven. What a sad way to go through life when the Bible says that we can indeed know right now.)

What has been said applies to the salvation of adults; children and those permanently deprived of their use of reason are saved by the Sacrament of Baptism.

(This is another Catholic error. Water baptism has no power to save anyone. )

The whole point of all of this is to begin to see what kind of false teaching is out there. Also, not just any false teaching is important to recognize but that which is so easily and at time deceptively brought near to us.  It is rather easy to spot atheism or cults but certain ideas passed on down from the Catholic Church or the Protestant Reformers of the Catholic Church or not always so easy to spot.  Some of these include turning from sins for salvation, penance, faith plus anything else for salvation, infused initial grace or faith, and perseverance of the saints or Lordship salvation.

Doing this study has opened my eyes to how far reaching the problem has become. Men from the past that are usually held in Baptist circles as men of high regard like George Whitfield, Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, Adoniram Judson, William Carey, David Brainerd, along with many others have strict Calvinist and Reformed views. I’d have to suppose that they would be solidly aligned with the likes of John MacArthur, Paul Washer, and John Piper if they were alive today based different quotes that I came across.

My hope is that we as believers educate ourselves as to the truth and then also educate ourselves as to what possible errors might just be coming to you straight from preachers, teachers, authors, or personal friends.

In response to the wrong ways to obtain salvation, let’s consider Romans 4:3-5.

Rom 4:3  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Rom 4:4  Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

Rom 4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

A lost sinner needing a Savior can believe the truth today and can trust Christ as Savior.  From that moment forward they can know that they have eternal life. Not because of their works but because of Christ and His work on the cross, burial, and resurrection.

God Bless,

Jim F

 

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How to Be Saved In Their Own Words: Part 3 – Billy Graham, John Calvin, and Augustine of Hippo

Posted on February 3, 2013 by jimfloyd12

Billy Graham is a famous evangelist so I thought it would be fitting to check and see how he suggests that a person can be saved from the penalty of sin. I have also included quotes from Calvin and Augustine. I am fully convinced that much error comes from these two men as it had come from the Catholic church.  Next time in part 4 we wrap up this series with a look at the Catholic church’s statements about how to be saved and examine the true gospel and method of salvation in comparison.

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Billy Graham:

We suggest a prayer like this:

“Lord Jesus Christ,

I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. I ask your forgiveness and now turn from everything which I know is wrong. Thank you for dying on the cross for me to set me free from my sins. Please come into my life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me forever.

Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.” ”

“What do I have to do to go to heaven?

God isn’t waiting to judge you. God isn’t waiting to condemn you. He’s waiting to receive you with mercy, with love, with open arms, and forgive all your sins. Will you come to Him? Will you turn from your sin and promise to live for Him?”

My Comment:

Notice here that turning from sin and promising to live for Him is a Lordship Salvation style method of becoming a Christian.  Man does not need to do this to be saved. He must trust in Christ alone for salvation.

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Augustine:

“Faith, then, as well in its beginning as in its completion, is God’s gift; and let no one have any doubt whatever, unless he desires to resist the plainest sacred writings, that this gift is given to some, while to some it is not given. But why it is not given to all ought not to disturb the believer, who believes that from one all have gone into a condemnation, which undoubtedly is most righteous; so that even if none were delivered therefrom, there would be no just cause for finding fault with God.”

My Comment:

It should be understood here that faith is not the gift, salvation is.  He also mentions erroneously that God’s gift of faith is only given to some (the elect).  His last point about finding fault with God is somewhat irrelevant because faith is not granted in this manner in the first place.    God gives all men the ability to believe or reject the gospel if presented to them.

“This grace, therefore, which is hiddenly bestowed in human hearts by the Divine gift, is rejected by no hard heart, because it is given for the sake of first taking away the hardness of the heart.”

God first softens our heart with grace, part of the Divine gift? This sounds like what has become to be known as irresistible grace to me.

“Furthermore, who would be so impiously foolish as to say that God cannot turn the evil wills of men—as he willeth, when he willeth, and where he willeth—toward the good? But, when he acteth, he acteth through mercy; when he doth not act, it is through justice. For, “he hath mercy on whom he willeth; and whom he willeth, he hardeneth.”

This is more of the same from him.  Doesn’t this make God out to be some kind of puppet master that controls people toward belief or unbelief?  We know however that God is not in the business of re-probation because He desires the salvation of all men.

Calvin
John Calvin:

“There is no man to whom some awareness of eternal light does not penetrate…. No man will penetrate into the Kingdom of God by the cleverness and perspicuity of his own mind. The Spirit of God alone opens the gate of Heaven to His elect….”

“Implanted into Christ by faith, we attain the right of adoption as the sons of God…. They are already born of God, who believe….”

“By faith, we conceive the incorruptible seed by which we are born again to new and divine life…. Faith is a part of our regeneration, an entering into the Kingdom of God so that He may number us among His children.”

“The enlightening of our minds by the Holy Spirit, belongs to our renewal. So faith flows from its source, regeneration. But since by this same faith we receive Christ Who sanctifies us by His Spirit, it is called the beginning of our adoption….”

“When the Lord breathes faith into us, He regenerates us in a hidden and secret way that is unknown to us. But when faith has been given, we grasp with a lively awareness not only the grace of adoption but also newness of life and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit…. We begin to be sons of God only after we believe.”

“The outstanding thing about faith,” explains Calvin, “is that it delivers us from eternal destruction…. He [God] is favourable to the whole World, when He calls all without exception to the faith of Christ…. Christ is open to all and displayed to all, but God opens the eyes only of the elect – so that they may seek Him, by faith….”

I wonder why so many are content to be called Calvinists given Calvin’s error as to regeneration before faith and unconditional election.  Perhaps they don’t see the error for what it is.  How sad, because many today in churches around the world do not understand where some of their “precious” doctrines come from. Teachings like regeneration before faith and Calvinism’s unconditional election come not from Bible but from men.

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How to Be Saved In Their Own Words: Part 2

Posted on January 19, 2013 by jimfloyd12

As promised, here is part two in this series starting with John MacArthur. Please consider some of the quotes and ask yourself if they are actually Biblical. If you think they are not then feel free to comment as to why not.  If you think they are, then state a clear and concise reason as to why so and I’ll consider your comment. I can assure you that there is much talk below about turning from sin, sorrow, works after salvation, obedience, commitments to discipleship, and even faith but is it just me or has the way of salvation been missed or added to?

MacArthur
John MacArthur:

“Children old enough to be saved can grasp the concept of coming to Christ with an obedient heart, and letting Him be boss in their lives.”

“They need to be told that Jesus expects to be obeyed, and they will understand even better than some adults that trusting Jesus means obeying Him. The importance of obedience needs to be emphasized repeatedly, even after the child makes a profession of faith.”

“You must repent of all that dishonors God. – Isaiah 55:7; Luke 9:23”

“You must believe in Christ as Lord and Savior, and be willing to follow after Him. – Romans 10:9”

Piper
John Piper:

“Believing in Jesus is a soul coming to Jesus to be satisfied in all that he is. That is my definition of faith on the basis of John 6:35. This is not…a decision,”

“Repent” means to turn from all the deceitful promises of sin. “Faith” means being satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Jesus. “He who believes in me,” Jesus says, “shall never thirst” (John 6:35). We do not earn our salvation. We cannot merit it (Romans 4:4-5). It is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a free gift (Romans 3:24). We will have it if we cherish it above all things (Matthew 13:44). When we do that, God’s aim in creation is accomplished: He is glorified in us and we are satisfied in him – forever.

“Turn from the deceitful promises of sin. Call upon Jesus to save you from the guilt and punishment and bondage. “All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Start banking your hope on all that God is for you in Jesus. Break the power of sin’s promises by faith in the superior satisfaction of God’s promises. Begin reading the Bible to find his precious and very great promises, which can set you free (2 Peter 1:3-4). Find a Bible-believing church and begin to worship and grow together with other people who treasure Christ above all things (Philippians 3:7).”

Washer
Paul Washer:

“A genuine recognition of our sinfulness and guilt will also lead to genuine sorrow, shame and even hatred for what we have done.”

“Apparent sincerity of confession alone is never definite evidence of genuine repentance. It must be accompanied by a turning away from sin.”

“True conversion: A true Christian is a new creation and will live a life that reflects God’s radical work of re-creation in his/her life. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17”

“Assurance is based upon self-examination in the light of Scripture. Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5 “

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Francis Chan:

“Salvation has nothing to do with my performance. If I’m truly saved than my actions are going to show. All through the New Testament a person’s faith is shown through his actions. New Testament teachings are clear that someone who loves God and doesn’t obey God is a liar, and the truth is not in him. It’s not popular to question someone’s actions and salvation, and Scripture tells us to test ourselves and see if we’re really in the faith. I believe 100% in grace, that I did nothing, and I’m completely saved by the cross. By the grace of God we believe and are saved. If someone has the Holy Spirit in them, there will be fruit and there will not be a lukewarm life.”

Platt
David Platt:

“The modern-day gospel says, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Therefore, follow these steps, and you can be saved.” Meanwhile, the biblical gospel says, “You are an enemy of God, dead in your sin, and in your present state of rebellion, you are not even ale to see that you need life, much less to cause yourself to come to life. Therefore, you are radically depend ment on God to do something in your life that you could never do.”

“The just and loving Creator of the universe has looked upon hopelessly sinful people and sent his Son, God in the flesh, to bear his wrath against sin on the cross and to show his power over sin in the Resurrection so that all who trust in him will be reconciled to God forever.”

“Faith that leads to salvation involves turning from sin and self-sufficiency. We turn to Jesus and trust in Him as Lord, confess Him as Lord and Savior.”

Notice specifically here how David Platt goes on to define faith in relation to salvation as turning from sin.  I honestly couldn’t make up half of these things but there you have it in their own words. (I have kept the links to these quotes for my own reference.)

What would you say to a lost person to give a more clear way of how to obtain salvation? I will have my complete take at the end of the series.

Next up… Billy Graham and others

God Bless,

Jim F

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How to be Saved in Their Own Words: Part 1 – Ray Comfort

Posted on January 13, 2013 by jimfloyd12


This series will look at quotes from teachers and preachers past and present to examine some of their statements concerning how people can obtain salvation. Just what is the gospel? How does a man get saved from the penalty of his sin? You may get a different answer depending on who you ask, but the troubling thing appears to be that the clear Biblical gospel seems to be the minority view.

First we will look at Ray Comfort. He is known for his Way of the Master programs and his witnessing technique of using the law to show a man his need of salvation. I have taken the following quotes from the NeedGod website. I feel that this site typifies Ray Comfort’s teaching.

Comfort
Ray Comfort / NeedGod:

“If you will repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus, God says he will forgive all your sins and grant you the gift of everlasting life. “…if you repent (that means to confess and forsake your sins) and put your trust in Jesus, then you will not have to suffer God’s justice in Hell because the payment for your crimes was made by Jesus on the cross.”

“If you’re not sure what to pray, read Psalm 51, and make it a model for your prayer. The words are not “magical,” what God cares about is the attitude of your heart. When you pray, it should sound something like this, “Dear God, I repent of all my sins, such as (name them). I put my trust in Jesus Christ as Lord (to say Jesus is your Lord means you are now making Jesus the master over your life) and Savior. Forgive me and grant me your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

Now read your Bible daily, and obey what you read. God will never let you down.”

My Observations:

Where does the Bible tell us to repent of sin in order to be saved? Since when does repent mean to “confess and forsake your sins”. Does it not mean to “think after” or to “change one’s mind”?  Trusting in Jesus for salvation based on the gospel is good but one better not also be trusting in his supposed turning from sin. All the unbeliever has to do is change his mind believing on Christ alone for salvation.  Payment was indeed made by Christ’s shed blood on the cross. However, how is it that this should be applied to a man’s account by works (repenting of sin)?

Why is Psalm 51 a model for a prayer to obtain salvation? Furthermore, why is a prayer even needed to obtain salvation? What verse or verses in the Bible say that we cannot have salvation unless we pray for it?  Is not belief the requirement?  What “God cares about is the attitude of your heart”? No, what God cares about is that you are unsaved and need to change your mind and believe in Jesus Christ alone. This faith is based on who He is and what he has done on the cross for your salvation.

The prayer given as an example of what a supposed sinner’s prayer should sound like is full of error and does nothing to help a person become saved. It instead may deceive a person into thinking he has obtained salvation.  The only redeemable part is the phrase “I put my trust in Jesus Christ”.  The rest is useless because repenting of sin saves no one, supposedly making Jesus Lord and Master saves no one, and asking for God to forgive you and give you eternal life is to confuse the matter of simple saving faith. The fact is that God freely bestows eternal life on all who believe anyway. There does not need to be a formal asking for it or a posture of penitence.

What we see here is a common characterization of conversion by what are known by some as Lordship salvationists.  We must always remember how precious the gospel is and should never allow anyone, no matter how well meaning they may seem, to confuse the truth and cloud the gospel message.  Next up we will take a look at some quotes by one of the most popular Lordship salvationists, John MacArthur.

I pray that readers will observe what I have written and study these things for themselves to see whether they be so.

Suggested Scripture reading: John 3, Eph 2, Rom 4 and 5

Please feel free to comment and remember that I will only allow posts that I deem acceptable. I will also not allow links to sites that I feel promote error.

God Bless,

Jim F

 

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