The Nicene Creed - The essentials of our faith
The Justification of the sinner according to the Catholic Church
First, what is the justification of the sinner?
Well, in a nutshell, it is the forgiveness of sins.
In the Catholic Church, justification occurs in two ways.
The justification of the sinner by faith expressed in good works. God takes into account our good works for others. So Jesus tells us:
Luke 11:41
King James Version (KJV)
41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
In addition:
Matthew 19:21
King James Version (KJV)
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
So the spiritual saying is true.
James 2:24
King James Version (KJV)
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
The justification of the sinner by faith and works is the system we inherited from the Jews.
But Jesus Christ instituted another system.
The Catholic Sacramental system. This is the system that Saint Paul considers the justification of the sinner by faith apart from works.
These two systems are combined perfectly in the theology of the Catholic Church.
Justification by faith without or apart from works succinctly describes the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing and the Eucharist. In these Sacraments, God forgives sins by the washing of the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The Catholic Church teaches that the sacraments are the works of God:
740 These "mighty works of God," offered to believers in the sacraments of the Church, bear their fruit in the new life in Christ, according to the Spirit. (This will be the topic of Part Three.)
987 "In the forgiveness of sins, both priests and sacraments are instruments 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" (Roman Catechism, I, 11, 6).
These sacraments confer grace to the extent of our faith.
The Church further teaches that the effect of a sacrament comes ex opere operato, by the very fact of being administered, regardless of the personal holiness of the minister administering it.[9] However, a recipient's own lack of proper disposition to receive the grace conveyed can block the effectiveness of the sacrament in that person. The sacraments presuppose faith and through their words and ritual elements, nourish, strengthen and give expression to faith.[10]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrame...atholic_Church
Justification by faith and works is the preparation of man for the reception of grace in the sacraments:
2001 The preparation of man for the reception of grace is already a work of grace. This latter is needed to arouse and sustain our collaboration in justification through faith, and in sanctification through charity. God brings to completion in us what he has begun, "since he who completes his work by cooperating with our will began by working so that we might will it:"
Indeed we also work, but we are only collaborating with God who works, for his mercy has gone before us. It has gone before us so that we may be healed, and follows us so that once healed, we may be given life; it goes before us so that we may be called, and follows us so that we may be glorified; it goes before us so that we may live devoutly, and follows us so that we may always live with God: for without him we can do nothing.(St. Augustine, De natura et gratia, 31, 35).
An adult who converts to the faith of Jesus Christ, must be justified in preparation for the sacraments by performing deeds appropriate to repentance. He performs these good works through the exercise of faith in God. Just as we exercise our muscles, it strengthens our faith by making it more open to receiving the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit, which transforms us according to our faith. Then we are sent again to continue doing the works that God prepared for us from the beginning of time and continue to practice and extend our faith to become more open and willing to receive sanctifying grace that is communicated by the Sacraments.
This is completely consistent with the Scripture that says:
only doers of the law shall be justified (Romans 2:13), apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28).
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