Rewind: JUST FOR my fellow CATHOLICS

There's a famous website called "Just for Catholics" which seeks to turn Catholics from the way of Truth.  I will begin a study of the arguments presented in that website and give my opinion as to where Dr. Mitzi has erred in Christian doctrine.

Lets begin with the essay, "Mama, What is Grace?"

My wife sings choruses to our son when she puts him to sleep. (He asks me to tell him a story about Fireman Sam but for some reason he never asks me to sing!)

One of his favourite songs is the first stanza of Amazing Grace,

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

John has practically learned it by heart, but this week he stopped his mum during the song and asked, ‘Mama, what is grace?’

Now that’s a good question! 

That was a nice intro.  I believe that is called a "segue".

Grace is a common word in the Bible, 

So far so good.

and Christians often include it in their conversation. But what does grace actually mean? 

We're going to see if your idea of grace conforms to Scripture and Catholic Teaching.

The apostle Paul illustrates its meaning in Romans 4:4; for clarity it is worth comparing different translations of this verse:

• Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due (ESV).
• Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt (NKJV).
• Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to debt (Douay Rheims).
• A worker's wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due (NAB).

Note that there are some Catholic Bibles included in this mix, the Douay and the NAB and they contain the same statement.  I would say they are identical, wouldn't you?

The illustration is clear. The salary that I receive at the end of the month is not given to me as a favour. I have every right to the remuneration for which I had laboured. The employer is indebted to me; he owes me the payment.

Very good.  Now, lets see what Scripture says about the laborer and the agreed upon amount:

Notice that the Lord had agreed upon a wage with the first group of labourers.  

So?  Is St. Paul contradicting Jesus?  I say no.  But lets keep studying.

Grace is the very opposite to the debt owed to a worker. If I deserve something, it is not grace! Grace is unmerited and unearned. In fact some Bible versions translate ‘grace’ simply as ‘gift’, for indeed, grace is a free gift.

Another good place to stop.  Certainly a gift is free.  But not always in the sense of free of all conditions. It is simply free because it is given by the giver's free will.

Let me illustrate.  Suppose a child is graduating from school and his rich uncle says, "if you graduate from school, I'll give you a car."

That's a conditional gift.  But it is still a free gift.  It is not given to the child if the child doesn't graduate.  But it is given to the child if he does graduate.  The uncle has obligated himself.

In the same way, God swore an oath:

Hebrews 6

12That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
 13For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
 14Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
 15And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
 16For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
 17Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 

We, Christians, are the children of that promise by which God obligated Himself.  Note the conditions, "faith and patience".

The concept of grace is easy enough to understand but it is much more difficult to accept. We readily understand the biblical teaching that God rewards his children on the day of judgement for their good works (albeit he himself helps us to perform them). But we naturally offer resistance to the truth that salvation is by grace, an unmerited favour, a free gift.

The reason we offer resistance is because it isn't true.  Only those who merit the gift, like the child who graduated from school, will receive the gift.

In our case, it is those who by exercising faith and patience inherit the promise.

Scripture is very clear in that regard:

Revelation 22:14

King James Version (KJV)

 14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

That seems very plain spoken.

Here's another:

Matthew 7:21

King James Version (KJV)

 21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

So, yes, the gift of salvation is a free gift.  But it is not without conditions.

We would rather think that salvation was the reward for our good deeds. Maybe that is why the Bible insists on different occasions that since salvation is by grace and not by our works (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 11:6,2 Timothy 1:9).

This is true.  Neither our faith nor our works merit the gift of salvation.  But that doesn't mean that those who have no faith and produce no good works will be saved.  Far from it:

John 15 1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit....
 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Note that if a man bears no fruit, that is, if he does not produce good works, the Father will cut him off the vine.  And since he no longer abides in Christ, he will be burned.

So, although we can do nothing to equal the grace of salvation.  God, because He has obligated Himself and promise to reward us with salvation if we obey Him, He will consider take into account our works:

Hebrews 6:10

King James Version (KJV)

 10For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

This truth is received only by a humble heart. When we seek God for salvation, we cannot approach him as if we deserve anything. 

That is Catholic Teaching.  It is Protestants who approach God as though he owes them salvation.  We are taught that we are unprofitable servants, we only do our duty:

Luke 17:10

King James Version (KJV)

 10So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

We should come to him as poor beggars, pleading for his kindness and generosity. We must admit that we are guilty and deserving punishment, imploring only for mercy rather than justice.

But how do you explain these profound truths to a 3-year old boy? I like my wife’s explanation.

‘John, you know that mama and papa loves you. What do we give you when you’re a good boy?’

‘A present,’ he replied.

‘Jesus loves you much more than mama and papa. Jesus gives you a present even though you have not been good. Jesus gives you a gift simply because he loves you. That is grace’

That is also true.  But he's mixed concepts.  Salvation is a conditional gift of God.  Only those who obey Him will be saved:

Hebrews 5:9

King James Version (KJV)

 9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

However, God wills that all men be saved:

1 Timothy 2:4

King James Version (KJV)

 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Therefore, the absolutely free gift of grace which God offers to all mankind, is the opportunity to be saved.  Salvation is there for all.  But only those who obey God and thereby cooperate with His Grace, will be saved.

John also liked his mum’s explanation, for he told her, ‘Sing, mama, sing!’

We too, when we we experience the amazing love of God in Jesus his Son, who saves us freely even though we are undeserving, we too will happily sing to the praise of the glory of his grace. His gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 6:23).

There's a big IF there.
Romans 6  
5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:...

8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:...

16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?...

 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A conditional gift.

Let me know what you think.  

Sincerely,

De Maria

*This article was originally posted on

Thursday, September 8, 2011