The Biblical Foundations of Catholic Salvation
(Part 1)
Paul Newcombe
CATHOLIC SALVATION IS COMMONLY MISUNDERSTOOD
The differences between Protestants and Catholics over how we are made right with God for salvation became the basic spark that caused the early Protestants to split from the Catholic Church. Martin Luther writing about justification by faith alone said that the church stands or falls over this doctrine. Now, as then, the issue of the justification of man before a holy God remains as the central issue. Meaningful dialogue between Protestants and Catholics needs to include this subject — this is the central question.
Within the body of Protestantism, the Christian doctrine of justification has been explained in numerous ways with a wide variety of variations regarding the mechanisms it employs and the methodology it encompasses. However, among the Evangelical and Fundamentalist Protestant traditions a keen sense of salvation by grace alone has been maintained and vigorously re-enforced by their teaching and publications. These Bible-Protestant denominations have continued to draw members to their congregations in steady numbers and this has been heavily aided by their continuing proclamation of this most precious truth—that mankind is justified by the grace of God.
Sadly, and regrettably, there is another phenomenon which also continues to operate effectively within the Evangelical and Fundamentalist cultures — a phenomenon which propounds a deeply inaccurate perception of the Catholic system of justification. It seems, overwhelmingly so, that the majority of Bible-Protestants are convinced Catholics believe salvation is obtained by unaided human works. Many times, they conclude that Catholics are not saved since God would never let anyone into heaven who believes he deserves heaven because of his own good works instead of being dependent upon Christ’s work upon the cross. This is a powerful message to uphold and proclaim, however it is also a profound misconception of Catholic beliefs regarding salvation. Salvation by works alone is not a Catholic belief. It is important to remove this common misconception.
It must also be said that Bible-Protestants are not promoting this misreading of Catholic doctrine out of an unkind discrimination against Catholics. Rather, it is motivated by a genuine conviction that salvation is by grace.
It needs to be stated at the outset that both Catholics and Protestants agree that because of sin, mankind finds itself in a state of unrighteousness. Both believe that our need is righteousness before God (i.e., justification). The questions which require ongoing dialogue and explanation focus on — how this comes about and what are the effects.
A BRIEF DEFINITION OF JUSTIFICATION FROM A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE
What then is meant by justification?
“Justification denotes that transformation in the soul by which man is transferred from the state of original sin to that state of grace and Divine Sonship through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.”[1]
Notice that, in the Catholic perspective, salvation is a family affair from beginning to end. As Gods’ children we receive our heavenly inheritance by receiving “Divine Sonship”. We are adopted into Gods’ family and recreated as His children. As children of God we will share, for all eternity, in the divine family life of our heavenly Father.
To understand and to more deeply appreciate the precious gift of salvation, the following pages will walk step-by-step through the teachings of the Catholic Church. Here we will discover God’s family design. Here we will discover how wayward sinful children, who have become disobedient runaways, can once again become justified as fully fledged sons and daughters in the family of God.
JUSTIFICATION IS BY THE GRACE OF GOD
The Catholic Church has always taught that we are justified by God’s grace. We do not work our own way into heaven by unaided human effort. Salvation is 100% an action of God’s grace:
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).
They are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus… (Romans 3:24).
But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will. (Acts 15:11).
These biblical descriptions of grace are re-enforced by official Catholic statements:
Second Catholic Council of Orange, 529 A.D.
“If anyone says that the… beginning of Faith and the Act of Faith itself… is in us naturally and not by a gift of grace that is by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, he is opposed to Apostolic teaching” [D. 178].
The Council declared the following proposition to be heretical: “Man, by the power of nature alone and without the enlightenment and inspiration of the Holy Ghost, can think and act as he ought to, and be saved, that is assent to the preaching of the Gospel.” [D. 180].
Catholic Council of Trent, 1547 A.D.
“If anyone says 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.” [Catholic Council of Trent, On Justification, 1547 A.D., Canon 1]
“In adults the beginning of justification must proceed from the antecedent grace of God through Jesus Christ. …man… is not able, by his own free will, without the grace of God, to move himself into justice in His sight.” [Catholic Council of Trent, Decree On Justification, 1547 A.D., Chapter 5]
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994 A.D.
“Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to His call…” [Section 1996].
“This vocation to eternal life is supernatural. It depends entirely on God’s gratuitous initiative, for he alone can reveal and give himself.” [Section 1998].
“The preparation of man for the reception of grace is already a work of grace. This latter is needed to arouse and sustain our collaboration in justification through faith, and in sanctification through charity.” [Section 2001].
“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.” [Section 2010].
It is an enormous step forward to overcome the common Protestant concern which imagines Catholic doctrine as a fatal system that passes over Christ’s saving work. Moreover, it is an even larger revolution-of-the-mind to overthrow the incorrect notion that Catholicism somehow has an absolute focus upon unaided human effort as the best means of human salvation. Yet, Protestant Christians, in small but ever-increasing numbers, are arriving at a firm knowledge that Catholic people are not, in fact, being trained to build their own stairways to heaven. These rather valiant Protestants who have carefully read official Catholic statements are pleasantly surprised to discover that Catholic doctrine places all of human salvation into the hands of God. Catholic justification is, and always has been, firmly grounded in the absolute necessity of salvation by grace. Understanding salvation as an exclusive action of God’s grace is the keystone upon which the justification of the human race is built — on this most critical point Catholics and Protestants are, in fact, unreservedly united.
JUSTIFICATION IS BY FAITH IN CHRIST
The Catholic Church is in the fullest agreement with St. Paul in Romans and Galatians that the gift of justification by God’s grace is through faith in Christ:
...it is the same justice of God that comes THROUGH FAITH to everyone, Jew and pagan alike, who believes in Jesus Christ. Both Jew and pagan sinned and forfeited God’s glory, and both are justified through the free gift of his grace by being redeemed in Jesus Christ who was appointed by God to sacrifice his life so as to win reconciliation THROUGH FAITH. (Romans 3:22-25)
...the just man lives BY FAITH. (Galatians 3:11).
for you are all the children of God BY FAITH in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26).
Catholic statements likewise depict the centrality of faith in our justification:
Catholic Council of Trent, 1547 A.D.
“We are therefore said to be justified by faith, because faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and root of all justification, without which it is impossible to please God. …we are therefore said to be justified gratuitously, because none of those things that precede justification whether faith or works, merit the grace of justification.” [Catholic Council of Trent, Justification, 1547 A.D., chapter 8].
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994 A.D.
“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 this fellowship of his sons, therefore without faith no one has ever attained justification…” [Section 161].
Unfortunately, the incorrect view held by millions today which accuses the Catholic Church of teaching people to work their own way into heaven apart from grace or faith ― this view continues to thrive and spread within the body of Protestantism. Overcoming this vast misconception can be achieved by reading the official statements of the Catholic Church and allowing them to become a central part of discussions regarding Catholic teaching.
[1] Catholic Encyclopedia, 1910, Vol. VIII, p.573.