Understanding the Old and New Covenants

There is a misunderstanding of the Old and New Covenants, but it is in the sense that one is works based and the other is not. 
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Scripture alone, a tradition of men

Scripture says:

Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, 

A tradition of men, such as the one mentioned in Scripture, would be the doctrine of Scripture alone, which gives all individuals the right to interpret Scripture any way they want. Thus, invalidating the God given rule that one must obey those He has put in charge of our souls, in the Church.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Those who follow the erroneous doctrine of Scripture alone, replace God's authority with their own and make Scripture say what they want it to say, rather than what God wills. Therefore, they claim that attending the Mass is unnecessary. Whereas, Scripture says that missing the Mass intentionally makes one God's enemy:

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

And that is just one of the traditions of men, or should I call them, errors of men, that Protestants follow and whereby they replace God's Commandment with their tradition.

Misunderstanding the Old and New Covenants

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.

There is a misunderstanding of the Two Covenants, but it is in the sense that one is works based and the other is not.

On the contrary, they are both faith based, as Scripture attests. Read Heb 11 and see annotated therein, the list of the Old Testament faithful, who obeyed and did the works of God, by their faith. They are put there as an example for us.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, ...
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Those who have enough faith, will do the works which God wills for them to do. Old Covenant or New.

James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

So, what is the difference between the Old and New Covenants? It's illustrated in this parable:

Matthew 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

The first set of laborers, are those who do not accept the Sacraments. They will work their entire life, but will not be judged until they come to the Judgment Seat of Christ. At that time, those who claim salvation by faith alone, will be Judged by Christ. Whether they are truly saved, they will learn at that time.

The second set of laborers, are those who accept the Sacraments. Those who take them seriously, repent of their sins and do their best to obey God before and after receiving the Sacraments. They receive the Sacraments and are credited with righteousness for believing that God will keep His promises and for hoping in God for their salvation. Judgment comes to them in this life, everytime they approach the Altar:

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

God only saves those who do His righteous works, whether it be through the Sacraments or at the Judgment Seat. Both Covenants are based on faith. And in both Covenants, faith without works, is dead.

Come back to the Mass, come back to the Catholic Church. You will be blessed.

Quote: 

AE said:

I'm not sure.

I've been with Protestants that seem more "full" than most Catholics I've met. Some of them don't even have the luxury of the Sacrament of Confession and somehow manage not to go nuts worrying if they die before they get the absolution they will go to hell. I think that says alot about having a "fullness" of faith..

How many Catholics do you know who go nuts about that? What is harder? Which provides more faith building? ....

Quote:

A.) I'm going to trust God still loves me even though I've sinned and I hope not to do it again,....   or..... 

B.)I know I sinned mortally by not going to Mass, even though I'm not sure I believe I should be going there-

I suggest you learn the value and meaning of the Mass and learn that to skip the Mass is a sacriligious insult to our Lord and His Sacrifice for our salvation:

Hebrews 10:25-31

King James Version (KJV)

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Quote:

yet this means God has cut me off

If you are skipping the Mass, you are cutting yourself off of the grace of God which He died in order to provide for you.

Quote:

and I better go back to doing something I'm not sure I should be doing (confession

Yes, you should. Do you not see confession described in this verse?

Hebrews 13:17

King James Version (KJV)

17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

In confession we submit to and obey the Priest who is in charge of and accounts for our soul. Submitting to confession is profitable for you in respect of salvation.

Quote:
and Mass) so that I will not go to hell because it takes the priest to clear me of that sin. ???

The Priest is the ambassador of Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:20

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Do you not know that confession is also called the ministry of reconciliation? Do you think it a mere coincidence that it is mentioned in this verse?

Quote:
When I wasn't an unsure catholic, I was pretty sure it is both A. and B. that is really Catholic. However, it seems to me that Protestants do a better job of following the Lord, because that is all of WHO they have to go to. None of this worrying about if what a priest said was wrong. Its harder and takes more courage to have to pray an issue out and just trust. That's why Protestants have my utter respect.

You are saying that because you do not know the Word of God.

Scripture tells you NOT to lean upon your own understanding:

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Scripture tells you to obey the Church or be cast out:

Matthew 18:17

King James Version (KJV)

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Hebrews 13:17

King James Version (KJV)

17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you

Scripture tells you to attend the Mass as I mentioned before (Heb 10:25-31).

Quote:
Sorry. I understand what you say, because I do believe and love the "fullness" of the Catholic faith... but then again... I don't understand it. Its like the difference of being in Galilee and then in Jerusalem for me. One's got all the goods at their fingertips, the other has to rely on God to make do with what they have.

Be assured, you don't need to understand what the Church teaches. But you need to have faith in Christ and believe. Believing does not mean understanding. We step in faith, not by sight.

Come back to the Catholic Church. You will be blessed.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Ideas for New Year's resolutions

How about, studying the Catechism?

It's free, simple and effective. You get one email a day (MON-FRI) and cover the entire catechism in a year! 

To sign yourself up for Catechism in a year, click here. 

How about a Bible study?

Jeff Cavins has a great site.  The Great Adventure Bible study.  Find a study near you, or put your Great Adventure Bible study on the map!

Explore the Map


Not to be out done, the great Scott Hahn also has one.  

Reading the Bible from The Heart of The Church

The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology is a non-profit research and educational institute that promotes life-transforming Scripture study in the Catholic tradition. Learn More

"No, no!" You say, "I just want to become a better person and do more good for my fellow man!"

Huh?  Well, have you tried your Church.  At our Parish, we have the St. Vincent de Paul society.  Their members gather clothing, appliances and food to give to the poor members of the Parish.  In addition, the provide services, such as daycare, for mom's who have to work and they look for employers for people that need jobs.  And they do all that, on a voluntary basis.  

The Knights of Columbus, Knights of Peter Claver and many other societies are out there in the Catholic world which provide services to the needy.  I've never been to a Catholic Parish which did not at least have connections to several of these.  Just ask in your parish office.

"Yes, but what I really want is to feel closer to God!"

Ha!  You've come to the right place!  The best way to feel close to God, is to partake of the Eucharist.  And the Catholic Church offers the Eucharist daily.  Check your parish office for times.  Or you can check this website for Mass times in your area.  They even have an app for your phone.

Mass Times for Travel on the App Store - iTunes - Apple

Mass Times for Travel - Android Apps on Google Play

We've got several prayer devotions which you can do alone or in groups.

The Holy Rosary

The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy

The Five First Saturdays Devotion to the Immaculate Heart

THE SACRED HEART - Catholic Tradition

And there are tons of others. Ask around at your Parish.  There's lots of things they have for those of you looking to turn over a new leaf.

Faith alone people suffer with two false assumptions.

The difference between Catholics and Protestants is that they see faith as something that they can measure. Therefore, they claim to be saved by faith alone. I'm reminded of the question that faith alone people ask faith and works people. "How many works do you need to perform to be saved?" There are faith and works people outside of Catholicism. So, I don't know how they feel about this question. But I can tell you that the question is completely foreign to Catholics, because we are taught not to judge our faith nor our works. We leave the question of who is saved, to God.

Faith alone people suffer with two false assumptions.
1. That they have the right to declare themselves saved.
2. That they have the ability to measure their faith.

Thus, they assume that everybody lives with those assumptions. But we, Catholics, don't.

The proof is vey easy to discover. Ask a Catholic, any Catholic, whether he is saved. His answer will invariably be, "I don't know." Why? Because God is our Judge.

1 Corinthians 4:

4 I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God.

The reason that faith alone people ask this question is be cause they are used to judging themselves saved. Even though this is an unbiblical attitude. But, the question can easily be turned around on them. I ask them in turn, "How much faith do you need in order to be saved and how do you measure it?"

Can you read anyone's heart? Can you even read your own?

Jeremiah 17:9 More tortuous than anything is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?

As for me, I don't even try to read my own heart nor anyone else's. I leave that to God.

10 I, the LORD, explore the mind
and test the heart,
Giving to all according to their ways,
according to the fruit of their deeds

Faith alone is faith in oneself

On my virtual walk through the internet, I met a fellow with whom I had a discussion about salvation. He is one of those who always asks, "Are you saved?" And then extolls the value of the false doctrine of faith alone. At one point, he said this to me. Faith in works to obtain salvation is not faith in Christ. 

Read More...

Ideas for New Year's Resolutions

How about, studying the Catechism? It's free, simple and effective. You get one email a day (MON-FRI) and cover the entire catechism in a year! 

Read More..

Can a Saint sin?

Recently, someone on the internet said that once a man is justified, he becomes a saint and can no longer sin willfully. This is a Reformed doctrine which comes from a misunderstanding of St. Paul's Teaching that salvation is "not by works." But that is all it is, a misunderstanding. Read more...