Are the sacraments necessary for salvation?
| "The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation." Pg. 292, #1129 |
What are the sacraments?:
| "There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony." Pg. 289, #1113 |
These seven sacraments are nothing more than a series of good works. As we have already seen in previous chapters, the Bible states repeatedly that good works will never save anybody:
| "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight..." Romans 3:20 |
Here is what God thinks of our good works:
| "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..." Isaiah 64:6 |
Must one be a Catholic to be saved?
Since the sacraments are supposedly necessary for salvation, and since the sacraments are only available through the Catholic church, then obviously, one must be a faithful member of the Catholic church to be saved.
Though you will never hear a spokesperson for Catholicism admit it, this is exactly what this Catholic doctrine purports.
I ask you again, can you accept that everyone outside the Catholic church will burn forever in hell?
Traditions of men
Please understand, these sacraments, which the Catholic church contends are necessary for salvation, did not even come from God. They are man-made rules which have been handed down through generations.
So when you perform them, you are not obeying God, you are obeying the traditions of men.
One must wonder, under such conditions, if these sacraments are really necessary, or if the Catholic church is using man's traditions to scare people into lifelong obedience to the church, under the threat of eternal damnation.
Salvation: through Christ or sacraments?
If sacraments are necessary for salvation, why does God's Word proclaim the following?
| "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." John 20:31 |
Paul, the Apostle, delivered these sobering words on the subject:
| "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18 |
Catholic friend: do you believe that good works like the sacraments are necessary for salvation? Do you consider it foolishness to believe that salvation can only be obtained through faith in Christ' s work on the cross? If so, God's Word warns that you will perish in hell.
When Jesus declared that salvation came only through Him, not only was He telling the truth, He was repeating what He heard from the Father:
| "But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God..." John 8:40 |
To suggest that Jesus is wrong is to suggest that the Father is wrong, as well. Jesus goes on to explain why people refuse to believe His Words:
| "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." John 8:47 |
To accept this Catholic doctrine, you must refuse to hear God's Words. Jesus said that if you can do this, then you are not of God.
Are you sure, beyond any shadow of a doubt, Roman Catholic friend, that you are of God?
Are you willing to turn your back on God's Word to accept man's words. If you can, you have reason for grave concern:
| "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29 |
Understanding Roman Catholicism © 1995 by Rick Jones
