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Are the Catholic Sacraments Necessary for Salvation?

 

DOES GRACE COME THROUGH THE SACRAMENTS?
DO WE RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH SACRAMENTS?


The Catholic Blog - Helping people find answers to the most common questions about Catholicism with answers from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible. (www.catholic.blog)


“Are the Catholic sacraments necessary for salvation?” - Important Passages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church to Consider:

  • “The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and sacraments….Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony” (CCC 1113)
  • “Through the Church’s sacraments, Christ communicates his Holy and sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body.” (CCC 739)
  • “The communion of the sacraments…unite us to God” (CCC 951)
  • “Sacraments are ‘powers that come forth’ from the Body of Christ” (CCC 1116)
  • “The ordained priesthood guarantees that it really is Christ who acts in the sacraments” (CCC 1120)
  • “The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or ‘seal’ by which the Christian shares in Christ’s priesthood and is made a member of the Church” (CCC 1121)
  • “the sacraments confers the grace they signify.  They are efficacious” (CCC 1127)
  • “The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation.” (CCC 1129)
  • “The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful the partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in loving union with the only Son, the Savior” (CCC 1129) [Council of Trent in 1547]
  • “The New Law … uses the sacraments to communicate grace to us” (CCC 1983)


“Are the Catholic sacraments necessary for salvation?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

  • Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (ESV)
  • Galatians 2:16–21 “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. … And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” (ESV)
  • Galatians 3:2–3 “Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? [3] Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (ESV)
  • Romans 5:15 “But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.” (ESV)
  • Jude 4 “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (ESV)
  • Colossians 1:5–6 “you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, [6] which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth” (ESV)
  • Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people” (ESV)
  • Romans 8:15 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (ESV)
  • Ephesians 1:5 “In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (ESV)
  • John 1:12–13 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (ESV)
  • John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (ESV)
  • John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (ESV)
  • John 6:47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” (ESV)
  • John 20:31 “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (ESV)
  • Acts 10:43 “To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (ESV)
  • Acts 13:39 “by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (ESV)
  • Acts 16:31 “And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” (ESV)


“Are the Catholic sacraments necessary for salvation?” - Important Questions to Consider:

  • If we are saved “by grace” and “it’s not our doing” according to the Bible (Ephesians 2:8-9), then why do we need to be conferred grace by the sacraments (CCC 1127 and 1983)?
  • If we are “not justified by works” (Galatians 2:16) then why are the works of the sacraments “necessary for salvation” (CCC 1129)?
  • Why would the whole “life of the Church” (CCC 1113) revolve around rituals and ceremonies to receive grace?  Does the New Testament say that’s the primary task of the Church?
  • If Romans 8:15 and Ephesians 1:5 explain that we have already been adopted, then why do we need sacraments to “unite us to God” (CCC 951 and 1129)?
  • Is it biblical that the Holy Spirit is communicated to us through the sacraments (CCC 739)?
  • Is it not true that the Bible describes all of the blessings of salvation as occurring at the point of faith? (See: John 1:12; 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 20:31; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 16:31)


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Free Bible Reading Plan - Downloadable PDF eBook

 

How much time would you like to spend reading or listening to the Bible each day?  Whether you would like to read the Psalms & Proverbs, the New Testament, the Old Testament, or the whole Bible, there is a simple chronological plan inside to help guide & encourage you.  Be sure to check out the many helpful resources included at the end of the book and online as well! 

This book is the formulation of years of guiding myself and my church family through Bible reading.  It is a simple but helpful tool to help with the discipline of drawing near to God through regular Bible reading and listening.




What is Sin According to the Catholic Catechism? Do Different Sins Need Different Sacrifices?


WHAT IS SIN?
DO DIFFERENT SINS NEED DIFFERENT SACRIFICES?

The Catholic Blog - Helping people find answers to the most common questions about Catholicism with answers from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible. (www.catholic.blog )


“Do different sins need different sacrifices?” - Important Passages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church to Consider:

  • “The distinction between mortal and venial sin, already evident in Scripture, became part of the tradition of the Church.  It is corroborated by human experience” (CCC 1854)
  • “Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude by preferring and inferior good to him” (CCC 1855)
  • “Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it” (CCC 1855)
  • “Mortal sin…necessitates a new initiative of God’s mercy and a conversion of the heart which is normally accomplished within the sacrament of reconciliation” (CCC 1856)
  • “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent” (CCC 1857)
  • “Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments” (CCC 1858)
  • “Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life” (CCC 1472)
  • “every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified here on earth, or after death in a state called Purgatory” (CCC 1472)
  • “this purification frees one from what is called the ‘temporal punishment’ of sin” (CCC 1472)


“Do different sins need different sacrifices?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

  • 1 John 2:16–17 “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. [17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." (ESV)
  • Galatians 2:16 “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (ESV)
  • Romans 3:19–20 “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. [20] For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (ESV)
  • Matthew 5:20 "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (ESV)
  • Galatians 2:20–21 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” (ESV)
  • Mark 10:26–27 “And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” [27] Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (ESV)
  • James 2:10 “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” (ESV)
  • James 4:17 "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (ESV)
  • 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (ESV)
  • Hebrews 7:27 “He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.” (ESV)
  • Romans 8:1–2 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (ESV)


“Do different sins need different sacrifices?” - Important Questions to Consider:

  • Is 1 John 2:16-17 distinguishing between different levels of sin or different ways in which we are tempted to sin?  
  • Is tradition alone such a valid tool to determine whether someone goes to Heaven, Hell or Purgatory?
  • Where does the Bible rank, compare, and evaluate the seriousness of sin?
  • What does James 2:10 mean?  What does James 4:17 mean?
  • What is the purpose of the law according to Romans 3:19–20?  Can fulfilling the law save us?
  • Is it possible to fulfill the Ten Commandments?  Who is the only one who has fulfilled the law?
  • How can we obtain a righteousness that “exceeds the scribes and the Pharisees”?
  • In the story of the rich young man (Mark 10:17-27), how did Jesus answer his question?  Is it possible for man to save himself by fulfilling the Ten Commandments?
  • Does 1 John 1:9 say anything about different kinds of sins or different ways of obtaining forgiveness?  How do we receive forgiveness? Who do we confess to according to this verse?
  • Where does the Bible speak about purgatory?  If purgatory exists, why would it exist if we are already forgiven “from all unrighteousness”?
  • What does Romans 8:1-2 mean?


Subscribe to “The Catholic Blog” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC03uZywULBplunOmh4nCB2A    
Free Books for Catholics: www.catholic.blog/books 
Free Videos for Catholics: www.catholic.blog/videos 
Frequently Asked Catholic Questions: www.catholic.blog

You can download the free eBook "A Biblical Study of The Catechism of the Catholic Church" at www.catholic.blog or purchase a Kindle, paperback, or hardback version at Amazon (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098L1MRLK).

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