HOW CAN WE BE SAVED? IS SALVATION ALONE THROUGH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?

“Is salvation only found through the Catholic Church?” - Important Passages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church to Consider:

• “No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother” (CCC 181)

• “It is the Church that believes first, and so bears, nourishes, and sustains my faith” (CCC 168)

• “we receive the life of faith through the Church, she is our mother: ‘We believe the Church as the mother of our new birth” (CCC 169)

• “We believe all ‘that which is contained in the word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church proposes for belief as divinely revealed” (CCC 182)

• “For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal hope toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained” (CCC 816)

• “There is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive” (CCC 982)

• “the Church possesses the power to forgive the sins of the baptized and exercises it through bishops and priests normally in the sacrament of Penance” (CCC 986)

• “In the forgiveness of sins, both priests and sacraments are instruments through which our Lord Jesus Christ, the only author and liberal giver of salvation, wills to use in order to efface our sins and give us the grace of justification” (CCC 987)

• “It is only within the faith of the Church that each of the faithful can believe” (CCC 1253)

• “Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God” (CCC 1445)

“Is salvation only found through the Catholic Church?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

• John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (ESV)

• Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (ESV)

• John 6:40 “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (ESV)

• 1 John 1:2–3 “the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—[3] that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (ESV)

• 1 John 2:23 “No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” (ESV)

• Hebrews 12:2 “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith”

• 1 Peter 1:23 “since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (ESV)

• 2 Timothy 3:15 “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)

• 2 John 9–10 “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. [10] If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting” (ESV)

• Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (ESV)

• Acts 5:31 “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” (ESV)

• Luke 5:24 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” (ESV)

• 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (ESV)

• Romans 8:28–30 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (ESV)

• Romans 10:9–10 “because, 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. [10] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (ESV)

“Is salvation only found through the Catholic Church?” - Important Questions to Consider:

• Which Catechism quote stood out most to you? Why?

• Which Bible verse impacted you the most? Why?

• How do we have God as our Father? What does Jesus say in John 14:6? Why does He mention not the Church or Peter’s priesthood and authority?

• How can we be born again? Have eternal life? Become a child of God?

• Who has the power to forgive sins according to Luke 5:24?

• How do we find forgiveness from sin? Does the Bible teach us that forgiveness comes through the church or directly through Jesus?

• What does Romans 8:28-30 and 10:9-10 say about how salvation happens? Is salvation exclusive to belonging to a particular church or through Jesus being confessed as Lord and believed upon as resurrected?

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