Monday, October 27, 2014

Is there, "No Salvation outside the Church"?

Is there salvation outside the Church?  The way I understand it, not in this life, but in the next, maybe.

Here's what I mean.  Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

Let's break this down.

Circumcision is nothing

This is a reference to the Old Law which required circumcision and 612 other ordinances.  Jesus annulled this law, nailing it to the cross.  These were the means of receiving grace in the Old Testament.

Uncircumcision is nothing

In my opinion, the Apostle Paul  is making reference to the Sacraments here. These are the means of receiving grace in the New Testament.

But according to the Apostle, both are null and void, IF WE DON'T KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.

This is reiterated by St. James when he says:

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

So, then, a person, outside of the Church, who is caring for his fellow man, is fulfilling God's law and can be saved.  And that is why the Catholic Church teaches:

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:
Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.337

If that's the case, what's the difference?  

Oh, it's a big difference.  Do you want to walk with the Saints, now or later?  You see, in the Sacraments our sins are washed away and we receive the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ.  That is why Scripture says:

Mark 16:16 King James Version (KJV)16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And the Catechism says:
1277 Baptism is birth into the new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord's will, it is necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism.
But outside the Church, there are no Sacraments.  Therefore, it is only in the Church that we can be saved and walk with the Saints because of our being saved through the Sacraments.
And those outside the Church, must wait for the Last Day, when all of us together will stand before Jesus Christ and be judged by what we did in our body, whether it was good or bad:
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
What do you think?



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