Subject: "Once Saved Always Saved" |
Bible Note: Dear Brian, And His name is Jesus, the Christ! There are those that seek false gods 'with all their heart,' but this is of no merit before God. By the way, Norrie is correct that the Roman Catholic church considers themselves to have a monopoly on salvation. Even though their catechism may seem to provide loopholes for those of 'other' faith, I assure you that they still hold that the Pope holds the keys to the kingdom through apostolic succession, and that he is the infallible vicar (substitute) of Christ on earth. Also, they clearly imply that baptism into (membership in) the church is necessary for 'guaranteed' salvation. (whatever that means) Additionally, but to what degree I am not sure, partaking in the Eucharist and giving confession are commonly considered necessary to be in the 'good graces' of God through His church. To sum up, I would say that rather than looking at the somewhat mealy-mouthed catechismal teachings, I would pay attention to what the Pope affirms. I would say that I have seen no backing down whatsoever in the doctrine of papal authority. Again, His name is Jesus, and He is the Christ. In Him, charis |