Is Mary the Cause of Salvation? Did Mary Save the Whole Human Race?

  

IS MARY THE CAUSE OF SALVATION?

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“Is Mary the cause of salvation?” - Important Passages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church to Consider:

• “Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race.” (CCC 494)
• “Hence not a few of the early Fathers gladly assert … : ‘The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience: what the Virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith.’ Comparing her with Eve, they call Mary ‘the Mother of all living’ and frequently claim: ‘Death through Eve, life through Mary.” (CCC 494)
• “The Virgin Mary ‘cooperated through free faith and obedience in human salvation. … By her obedience she became the new Eve, mother of the living.” (CCC 511)
• “by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death” (CCC 966)
• “restoring supernatural life to souls” (CCC 968)
• “the Blessed Virgin…under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix” (CCC 969)
• “collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish” (CCC 973)
• “the new Eve, the Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ” (CCC 975)
• “she is inseparably linked with the saving work of her Son” (CCC 1172)
• “The Gospel reveals to us how Mary prays and intercedes in faith.  At Cana, the mother of Jesus asks her son for the needs of a wedding feast; this is the sign of another feast - that of the wedding of the Lamb where he gives his body and blood at the request of the Church, his Bride.  It is at the hour of the New Covenant, at the foot of the cross, that Mary is heard as the Woman, the new Eve, the true ‘Mother of all the living.’” (CCC 2618)
• “by asking Mary to pray for us….we address ourselves to the ‘Mother of Mercy,’ the All-Holy One.  We give ourselves our to her now…our trust broadens further…to surrender ‘the hour of our death’ wholly to her care. … May she welcome us as our mother at the hour of our passing to lead us to her son, Jesus, in paradise” (CCC 2677)

“Is Mary the cause of salvation?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

• NOTE: The Bible never mentions Mary being “full of grace” (but uses that phrase with Jesus and Stephen), redeemed from conception, or sinless.  While the Bible describes Mary as “highly favored” (Luke 1:28) and  “blessed . . . among women” (Luke 1:42) it does not support the claim to sinlessness.
• Romans 3:23–24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (ESV)
• Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (ESV)
• 1 John 1:8-10 "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us”
• John 2:4 “Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me?’”
• Acts 6:8 “Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”
• John 1:14 “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”
• Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
• Romans 5:17 “For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” (ESV)
• Romans 5:10 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (ESV)
• John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish”
• 1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (ESV)
  Romans 5:18 “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.” (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 15:45 “Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” (ESV)
• John 14:16 "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (ESV)
• Hebrews 13:6 “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (ESV)
• John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (ESV)
• John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” (ESV)
• John 16:7 "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (ESV)
• 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (ESV)
• John 2:4 “And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.'” (ESV)
• 1 Peter 4:19 “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” (ESV)

“Is Mary the cause of salvation?” - Important Questions to Consider:

• Why is Mary given titles that are only biblically used as titles to describe God Himself? “Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix [Mediator]”  Why are there no biblical passages giving Mary these titles?
• Did Jesus praise his mother or rebuke his mother for her interference at Cana?
• Why are we called to “trust” and “give ourselves” to Mary?  How is this different than faith and worship?  Doesn’t Peter say to entrust our souls to the Creator?  Where does Peter tell us to entrust our souls to Mary in the Bible?
• Is mercy referred to by the Bible as coming from Mary?  Where does the Bible refer to Mary as the “All-holy” one?
• Do these claims and titles about Mary elevate her to the level of deity (being a god/goddess)?
• Where does the Bible address Mary as the “cause of salvation” (CCC 494)?
• Where does the Bible connect Mary to Eve (CCC 494) as it connects Jesus to Adam (1 Cor 15:45)?
• How do “our prayers” cooperate with Mary to “deliver our souls from death” (CCC 966)?  Where does the Bible describe this practice?Subscribe to “The Catholic Blog” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC03uZywULBplunOmh4nCB2A    

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How Can I Be Sure that I Have Been Born Again?

HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT I AM A CHRISTIAN?

John 3:3  Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (ESV)

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. 

Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—

unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5, ESV)

1. Did a work start in you?  if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

• And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

2. Have you experienced God’s Spirit in you?  In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

3. Is there fruit of God’s Spirit growing in you? (Read the book of 1 John)

1. Do you enjoy having fellowship w/Christ & Christians? (1 John 1:3)
2. Would people say you walk in the light or darkness? (1 John 1:6-7)
3. Do you admit and confess your sin? (1 John 1:8)
4. Are you obedient to God's Word? (1 John 2:3-5)
5. Does your life indicate you love God or the world? (1 John 2:15)
6. Is your life characterized by "doing what is right"? (1 John 2:29)
7. Do you seek to maintain a pure life? (1 John 3:3)
8. Do you see a decreasing pattern of sin in your life? (1 John 3:5-6) 

[i.e. not continuing in sin as a way of life, not a total absence of sin.]
9. Do you demonstrate love for other Christians? (1 John 3:14)
10. Do you "walk the walk," vs just "talking the talk"? (1Jn 3:18-19)
11. Do you maintain a clear conscience? (1 John 3:21)
12. Do you experience victory in your Christian walk? (1 John 5:4)

4. Do you endure in the faith? They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. (1 John 2:19)

Works of the Flesh vs. Fruits of the Spirit: What best describes you?

The “works of the flesh” are evidence for unbelief and an eternity in Hell.

The “fruit of the Spirit” evidences God’s saving work and eternity with Christ. (Galatians 5:16-24)

[19] Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21] envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Parable of the Sower: 

What category of “soil” best describes your response to the good news about Jesus?

(Matthew 13:19-23 ESV)

1. [19] When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
2. [20] As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, [21] yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 
3. [22] As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 

Only the fourth ("good") soil below describes a genuine Christian.

4. [23] As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.

Do You See These Three Characteristics in Your Life?

The Book of 1 John Helps Us to See Characteristics of Truly Converted and Saved Souls.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God 

that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)

1. Obedience to God's Commands?

• If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (1 John 1:6 ) 
• Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:4-6) 
• If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. (Proverbs 28:9) 
• No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. (1 John 3:6)
• By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:10)
• For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.  (1 John 5:3)

 

2. Forgiveness?

• Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. (1 John 2:9) 
• For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matt 6:14-15) 

3. Love?

• If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15) 
• No one who denies the Son has the Father. (1 John 2:23) 
• But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8) 
• Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8) 

Was Mary Always Saved? Did Mary Ever Sin?

 

WAS MARY ALWAYS SAVED?

DID MARY NEVER SIN?

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 )

“Did Mary ever sin?” - Important Passages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church to Consider:

• “Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace”, was redeemed from the moment of her conception.  That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: ‘The Most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.” (CCC 491)
• “Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long” (CCC 493)
• "from the first instant of her conception, she was totally preserved from the stain of original sin and she remained pure from all personal sin throughout her life” (CCC 508)
• “the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin” (CCC 966)
• “her complete adherence to the Father’s will” (CCC 967)

“Did Mary ever sin?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

• 1 John 1:8 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (ESV)
• Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (ESV)
• Romans 3:10 “None is righteous, no, not one” (ESV)
• Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”
• Romans 5:18–19 “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. [19] For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.” (ESV)
• Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
• Jeremiah 17: 9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (ESV)

“Did Mary ever sin?” - Important Questions to Consider:

• Did Jesus or any of the apostles mention that Mary was sinless?
• Does any part of the Bible mention someone (apart from Jesus) who was sinless?
• Is not the claim to Mary’s sinlessness putting her on the same level as Jesus?
• If the implication is that Mary had to be sinless for Jesus to be unstained by sin, then wouldn’t that logic extend to Mary’s parents as well? When would that line of “sinlessness” end?
• What does 1 John 1:8 say about claiming to not have sin?  What does that imply about The Catechism of the Catholic Church?”

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