Spiritual Direction: Salvation

Spiritual Direction: Salvation

Compare a Protestant Version of Salvation with A Catholic Version

Many people are leaving the Church today and finding homes in Protestant Churches.  There are many reasons for this and over the course of the next several weeks we look into these more deeply but today we are going to look at the logical flaws of the Protestant vision of Salvation. 

Definition

Salvation: deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ: "the Christian gospel of salvation for all mankind" Oxford Dictionary

Protestant Version

What is God's Simple Plan of salvation?

God's simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe in Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.

The most important thing to understand about the plan of salvation is that it is God’s plan, not humanity’s plan. Humanity’s plan of salvation would be observing religious rituals or obeying certain commands or achieving certain levels of spiritual enlightenment. But none of these things are part of God’s plan of salvation.

God’s plan of salvation – The Why

In God’s plan of salvation, first, we must understand why we need to be saved. Simply put, we need to be saved because we have sinned. The Bible declares that everyone has sinned (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8). Sin is rebellion against God. We all choose to actively do things that are wrong. Sin harms others, damages us, and, most importantly, dishonors God. The Bible also teaches that, because God is holy and just, He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. The punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23) and eternal separation from God (Revelation 20:11–15). Without God’s plan of salvation, eternal death is the destiny of every human being.

God’s plan of salvation – The What

In God’s plan of salvation, God Himself is the only one who can provide for our salvation. We are utterly unable to save ourselves because of our sin and its consequences. God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14). Jesus lived a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5) and offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice on our behalf (1 Corinthians 15:3; Colossians 1:22; Hebrews 10:10). Since Jesus is God, His death was of infinite and eternal value. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross fully paid for the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:2). His resurrection from the dead demonstrated that His sacrifice was indeed sufficient and that salvation is now available.

God’s plan of salvation – The How

In Acts 16:31, a man asked the apostle Paul how to be saved. Paul’s response was, “Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” The way to follow God’s plan of salvation is to believe. That is the only requirement (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9). God has provided for our salvation through Jesus Christ. All we must do is receive it, by faith, fully trusting in Jesus alone as Savior (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). That is God’s plan of salvation.

God’s plan of salvation – Will you receive it?

If you are ready to follow God’s plan of salvation, place your faith in Jesus as your Savior. Change your mind from embracing sin and rejecting God to rejecting sin and embracing God through Jesus Christ. Fully trust in the sacrifice of Jesus as the perfect and complete payment for your sins. If you do this, God’s Word promises that you will be saved, your sins will be forgiven, and you will spend eternity in heaven. There is no more important decision. Place your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior today!

Now that you have a better understanding of what Protestants believe, let us look at their beliefs to actually see if they are correct.

Three Major Protestant Mistakes About Salvation

Humanity’s plan of salvation would be observing religious rituals obeying certain commands or achieving certain levels of spiritual enlightenment. But none of these things are part of God’s plan of salvation.

It is not Humanity’s plan to follow the word of God or his Church that He established with His Apostles.  In fact, would it actually be humanity’s plan to follow the whims or dictates of mere mortal men complaining about their understanding of the facts and changing these facts almost 1500 years later?  Who would know more-the first witnesses or people 1500 years later? If you choose the people 1500 years later would that not be following in the footsteps of humanity?
The wording here is the justification of man breaking away from the Divine Liturgy and replacing it with utterances of men.  Again which would be following the footsteps of humanity- a Divine Liturgy that centers around the Last Supper- a model service that Jesus did with His Apostles or listening to a minister stand up and give a talk about religious beliefs almost 2,000 years ago?

2.  In Acts 16:31, a man asked the apostle Paul how to be saved. Paul’s response was, “Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” The way to follow God’s plan of salvation is to believe. That is the only requirement

Paul also admonishes people to work out their salvation.  
Have you ever thought about the logic behind this statement? Satan and his Angels know that Jesus is the Christ- according to this definition would they be saved as well?  Is knowing enough? 
So if you have to work out your salvation it is not a simple one-step process correct?  If Satan knows Jesus to be the Christ, then belief is not enough for salvation correct?  Add to this concept-is acceptance enough?  Is that why Jesus came here to establish his Church?  If Jesus came to establish his Church and died 33 years later (only to be resurrected on the third day) why did he do this in the Roman Times and not during the Reformation period?  Why was he born into a Jewish community?  Why did he speak Aramaic?  If Jesus came to establish a way of life and Church-why would men have to change it?  Wasn’t Jesus perfect like his Heavenly Father?  Wasn’t he created by the Holy Spirit?  If you truly believe in this then you would not change the Church he set up, would you?

3.  Can you truly justify the Holy Bible as the word of God and then not take all of the Bible to be true or take true the Bible itself was a product of the Church that you condemned?

Notice that in the defense of their plan of salvation they quote from the Holy Bible.  They use the Bible to prove their point without acknowledging the fact that the Holy Bible was officially canonized by the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church in their Church Council.   
If the Catholic Church or the Orthodox Church is so bad why use their Sacred Documents to prove your point?
Can you use their Books to complain about the Church saying the Bible is the foundation of your beliefs and that the Bible is the infallible word of God but at the same time take Books out of the Bible?  If the Church Councils formally created the Holy Bible how can mere men (without an official gathering) do the same?

Clearly, you can not Bible against the Church when you correctly know that the Bible was created by the Church for the people of the Church.  The Bible was the inspired writings of men over a very long period of time.  It shows their interaction with God.  It shows the interaction between Jesus and his Apostles.  It also shows the earliest history of the Church.  Jesus came to earth to become the Christ (Messiah).  He established his Church.  He did not establish a myriad of Churches.  His Church is still here on earth and men should not try to change the facts to suit their needs. You can not come 1500 years later and try to reform something that Jesus had established and say that that one Jesus had established was the Plan of Humanity.  Then do so in such a way that uses the words of the Church to prove that somehow you can change what Jesus put in place.  If salvation was an event- why then try to live a holy life all of your days on earth?  Is it not our goal on earth to love our neighbors as ourselves?  Were we to do this all of the days of life and not just one?  Is once enough for God?  Of course not.  Think about this and change your ways.  If living the principles of Jesus and believing in him is important should we not do it now and forever?  Is once enough?   Amen