Our new SPSE Public Store is open, and we have the best deals on bulk Miraculous Medals on the internet. If anyone can find me an online store that has this quality of Miraculous Medals for cheaper than us, I will beat the price. Visit the SPSE Store today: https://streetevangelization.com/spse-store/
Hi there,
I would like to purchase a lot of medals….but I’m not able to place an order because I live in Canada….am I do something incorrect?
Marlene
You’re kidding, right? Miraculous medals? Repent and stop fleecing the flock of God.
Acts 8:20 NKJV
But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
Lance, how much did your NJKV Bible cost?
Zero. Are you really going to justify a false product (miraculous medals) to sell to the gullible? There is nothing miraculous about your medals and thus you are bearing false witness of God and selling a false hope all in the name of Christ to support your ministry. I don’t fault you for raising money, just don’t sell a worthless lie. Just call them ornaments and not “miraculous.” Your question was a sorry attempt to justify your actions.
Great! That means that someone paid for the Bible so they could give it to you for free. We equip evangelists with the lowest possible cost for miraculous medals, tracts, rosaries, and other evangelistic materials so they can purchase them in bulk and hand them out for free, just like someone did for you. Someone does pay for that material at some point, because a worker deserves a wage so he can feed his family, even if his job is printing Bibles so others can read the Word of God.
You can read more about the medal here: https://streetevangelization.com/blog/2013/06/08/evangelization-and-the-miraculous-medal/
Again, are you really going to justify a false product (miraculous medals) to sell to the gullible? There is nothing miraculous about your medals and thus you are bearing false witness of God and selling a false hope all in the name of Christ to support your ministry. I don’t fault you for raising money, just don’t sell a worthless lie. Just call them ornaments and not “miraculous.” Your answer was a sorry attempt to justify your actions.
I have three minutes to live. I have a knife in my back. I’m dying. I want to know how to be saved. Can you give me the Gospel you preach on the streets?
Three minutes are up. I’m dead. I’ll give you one more shot. What is the gospel you preach on the streets?
I hope you’re not dead, Lance, because then we have a whole new problem of you posting on our website from beyond the grave. During street ministry we might say something like the following (this is an example we use in training which people adapt to their own personal experience of coming to faith in Jesus Christ):
—-
God truly has always loved us. But I didn’t experience that love because of so much sin in my life. Yet, He was always with me. And it was when I had my personal encounter with God’s son – Jesus, who died for my sins, that he gave me New Life. I experienced this encounter when I believed in Jesus and truly prayed from my heart and repented of all the bad decisions in my life. It was then that I experienced the joy and love and amazing peace of His Spirit, and I decided to follow Him for the rest of my life. Today, I live in God’s family as his son/daughter. And I encourage you to pray to Him from your heart, because Jesus, my savior, is always with you—because He loves you. If you want we could pray together.
—-
I’m glad we settled your first argument about “fleecing” people and that you agree it is okay to make Christian materials possible at the lowest possible cost so people can give them away for free. It really does matter that we pay Christians a just wage. Even though we want to make sure Bibles and other materials are available for free, we can work together so no one person or ministry is overwhelmed with the burden.
Now, cutting through the inflammatory language (it weakens your position), we can deal with the second argument, that holy medals cannot be miraculous. Indeed they can be! We know this through the witness of the Bible, Our Lady, and Christians both past and present.
In the Bible, God uses objects as a means of grace. Let’s look at two examples. In Numbers 21:7-9 God commands Moses to make an image of a serpent and hold it up on a pole. Those who looked upon the serpent were healed of their illness. Again, in Matthew 9 a woman touched Jesus’ garment, and through that act of faith, she was healed. The serpent and garment aren’t magic, they are used to heal people who have faith in God.
A sacramental is similar. It’s not a magic charm. In 1830 Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine and asked her to make the medal, and anyone who wears it, with faith in Jesus, will receive great graces from God. This is a private devotion of the Christian Church that Christians can participate in. So many miracles have been associated with it, that it has come to simply be known as “the miraculous medal”. You can read many of these stories here: http://www.amazon.com/Miraculous-Medal-Stories-Prayers-Devotions/dp/1616366257/ Our evangelists have witnessed these miracles in their own lives and those they have shared the medal with.
“I’m glad we settled your first argument about “fleecing” people and that you agree it is okay to make Christian materials possible at the lowest possible cost so people can give them away for free.”
Uh, no. You didn’t settle the argument. You merely deflected. The issue wasn’t fundraising but the illegitimacy of what you are using as a means of fundraising. You are marketing “miraculous medals.” How is that any different than the others who sell “prayer clothes” and “miracle water” or “anointing oil”? Do you agree with their practices?
Testimonials are not a litmus test for truth. If that’s the case, what do you say to Mormons who say, “I have a testimony. I asked God to give me a burning in the bosom if the Book of Mormon is true and He did.” Can there be lying signs and wonders? God warned us about that. Are you familiar that Satan himself can transform himself into an angel of light and that his angels can masquerade as ministers of righteousness? Could they not also deceive you in thinking this was a message from Mary? “Great graces from God” by using these “medals” contradict what Scripture already says regarding the Christian in Ephesians 1 that we have ALREADY been blessed with ALL spiritual blessings in the heavenlies IN CHRIST. (Ephesians 1:3). See Deuteronomy 13:1-2. Test all things, prove all things, hold fast to that which is true. Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God. The Mary you believe in is not the Mary of the New Testament. The Mary of the New Testament is never given titles in Scripture as you give her that are solely titles given to Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Mary is not Mediatrix (CCC 969), All Holy One (CCC 2677), Mother of Mercy, Advocate, Helper (CCC 969) and nowhere is she called Queen of all things (CCC 966). Besides that God strictly forbids communication with the dead.
Lance, I suspect that the Catholics that visit this site are pretty solid in their faith. I doubt that you’re going to get them to believe you instead of the Church Jesus established.
Lance, The christian that does not feel that the virgin Mary is his or her mother is an orphan. -Pope Francis-
John 14:16-18 NKJV
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. — Jesus Christ
Mary was blessed to be the vessel from which the Messiah came. Theotokos emphasized that Jesus was God incarnate. Mary contributed nothing to His Deity. She was no more the mother of God than Joseph was His father.
The Mary of the New Testament is never given titles in Scripture as you give her in the Catechism that are titles given solely to Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Mary is not Mediatrix (CCC 969), All Holy One (CCC 2677), Mother of Mercy, Advocate, Helper (CCC 969) and nowhere is she called Queen of all things (CCC 966).
Lance.. Where in scripture does it say that it has to be in scripture for the Christian to believe it ? Scripture never states that.. I suspect that you believe in the Holy Trinity.. Where is the word Tinity in the Bible? It’s not. But the idea or concept is.. It’s implicit. It’s not explicit. There are concepts in scripture that are implicit and explicit. Now, I believe that you are my brother on Christ, and both of us are Christians. If a Christian has a devotion to a relic or blessed item, it doesn’t take away from faith, but it adds to it. So as long as the Christ is object of adoration or devotion. There is no conflict in faith. It’s when the relic or devotion takes place of adoration that it becomes wrong. If you wish not to participate in devotion oin such items that okay, but it doesn’t make it wrong for us in our faith tradition to use such items to strengthen our faith. I suspect that you know it was the Catholic Church that collected and compiled the Bible in 405 AD under the direction of Pope Damicus I. Why would it put something together that would conflict what the Church was teaching? It wouldn’t. The Bible is a Jewish book written by Jews for Jews. To properly understand it, you must become culturally a Jew to understand it in its proper context. When you come at scripture with a Jewish lens, it will speak a whole lot differently to you. Christianity is fulfilled Judiasim. Jesus said “I came to fulfill the law not to abolish it”. You come at scripture with a bias that you were taught by your faith tradition. That’s the lens that you read it through. I ask you to look at the first Christians and read their writings to see if your beliefs are found there. The water is always clear and cooler at the source. The first Christian writers are known as the Church Fathers. I challenge you to read them. See how close your faith tradition is to them. There is a contemporary source that you can read as well called “Rome sweet Home” by Scott Hahn. He was a militant anti-Catholic who hated the Catholic Church. He tore apart rosaries because of his hated for the Church. Maybe his story will help you understand our faith tradition a little better. I will leave you this to ponder on. What authority does the Bible give as the final authority? It’s the Church. 1 Tim 3:15 and Matthew 18:16-20. Now what Church was in existence when the scriptures were being written that it references I these quotes? There’s only one. The Catholic Church. If you don’t believe me, look it up. Research the birthday of every Christian faith tradition that you can think of. I recommend using the encyclopedia Brittianica.. It’s not a Catholic or Protestant reference. It’s a scholarly reference. In fact it’s the only set of encyclopidias that you can submit into the court of law in the US as evidence. A testament to its scholarship. May God Bless you abundantly my brother in Christ.
Lance I think its funny you try and use the scriptures to attack the very Church that gave you the cannon of scripture in the first place, the miraculous medals are sacramentals and are used to invoke pious thoughts and feelings, nothing bad about them.
I don’t know why you dislike the Catholic Church but I would personally invite you to come fully into the body Christ and receive energizing grace in the sacraments which you cannot have outside the Catholic Church. Christ instituted one Church, the Catholic Church which is guided by the Holy Spirit just as Jesus promised in John 14 , and recognized by the earliest Christians, check out the writings of the early Church Fathers
” wherever Jesus Christ is present, there is the Catholic Church” – Ignatius of Antioch (Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2 [A.D. 110])
Lance, have you heard a Catholic claim that Jesus received something divine from Mary? If you have, they were mistaken. The Catholic Church doesn’t teach that.
Mary is Jesus’ mother. Jesus is God. Mary is the Mother of God. That makes sense, doesn’t it?
Jesus is a person. Jesus is God. A mother gives birth to a person, not a nature. Mary is the mother of God. As St. Elizabeth testified, “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Luke 1:43. Now, since St. Elizabeth was inspired by the Holy Spirit in the moment to say ‘ mother of my Lord’, it was certainly an eternal, perpetual anouncement that Mary is and will forever be the Mother of God. Mary capitulates this when she speaks in her Magnificat, “…behold, from now on will all ages call ME blessed” (emphasis mine) Since Mary too, full of grace and inspired by the Spirit, uttered these words given to her by the Spirit, we say with confidence that it is God’s holy will that she be known as the real Mother of God. So too, as the Miracle at Cana was set in motion by Mary’s request to her Son, as well as John the Baptist’s leaping in Elizabeth’s womb at the very voice of Mary, it is also apparent that miracles can be brought through Mary’s intercession though certainly has God as the final Cause.
I’m glad you recognize that Jesus is God, thus has supreme authority since all, not just some, all authority has been given to Him. Where in the Bible does it teach that Mary intercedes in Heaven? Or any saint for that matter? Jesus instructed us how to pray and not once is prayer directed to Mary. He said When you pray, pray Our Father…In the words of Mary, whatever He tells you to do, do it.
Lance, you keep asking, “Where in the Bible is this or where in the Bible is that?”
Did you see Beto’s question to you? He asked, “Where in scripture does it say that it has to be in scripture for the Christian to believe it?”
If you want us to think that everything we believe must be in the Bible, you have to show us what passage in the Bible teaches such a thing.
Do you understand that if you don’t provide such a passage that you’re guilty of what you’re accusing us of?
The difference is that we don’t think everything we believe must be explicitly taught in the Bible.
Incidentally, regarding your question about where we see saints praying in the Bible, consider the following passages from the Book of Revelation:
When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.
(Rev 5:8)
Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne.
The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.
(Rev 8:3-4)
Another thing, we don’t pray to Mary like we pray to God.
Look up pray in the dictionary. It has more than one definition.
One definition is – to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to (God or an object of worship).
another definition is – to to make earnest petition to (a person).
When we pray to Mary, we are earnestly petitioning her to pray to God for us… just like I would ask a friend of mine to pray for me.
Scripture tells us that the prayers of the righteous avail much (James 5:16). It’s a no brainer to ask the saints in heaven to pray for us. They are more righteous and closer to God than anyone on earth.
Last thing, Mary never tells us to do anything that goes against what Jesus tells us.
God Bless!
Ok, Scripture says It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His mercy He has saved us. By grace are we saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. If it is by grace, it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 11:6)
The RCC says in contrast “2027 No one can merit the initial grace which is at the origin of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary temporal goods.
1477 In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission the Father entrusted to them. In this way they attained their own salvation and at the same time cooperated in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body.”89
1479 Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so that the temporal punishments due for their sins may be remitted.
And that’s not all, Keeping Mass is also a requirement for salvation according to RCC 1405 There is no surer pledge or dearer sign of this great hope in the new heavens and new earth “in which righteousness dwells,”248 than the Eucharist. Every time this mystery is celebrated, “the work of our redemption is carried on” and we “break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.”249
In contrast when Christ died on the Cross, he cried out Tetelestai, Paid in full. It is finished.
Scripture says the means of propitiation (expeciation) was accomplished on the Cross whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, (Romans 3:25). And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
RCC says, “1030 All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
In contrast, we are ALREADY purified through faith. “and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.(Acts 15:9)
For the death that He died, He died to sin ONCE for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Yet the RCC says 1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: “The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.” “And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner. . . this sacrifice is truly propitiatory.”190
“Without the shedding of innocent blood there is no remission of sins. Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. For by ONE offering He has PERFECTED FOREVER those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 9:22; Hebrews 10:14, 18)
Do you see that what the Roman Catholic Church is teaching you DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS what Scripture says? The Bible warns if we (the apostles) or an angel from heaven (Mary) preach a different gospel than what we already preached to you (through the Scripture) let this person be anathema.
I pray that you will read these passages and think about them and pray for God’s mercy.
God is a just God. He will ensure that justice is done. This means none of our works merit salvation. Scripture says our own righteousness is like filthy rags. By offering our good deeds, righteousness to merit or keep salvation is like bribing the Judge of the Universe and thus directly undermines what Christ accomplished on the Cross.
Lance, first of all, where in the Bible does it say that it has to be in the Bible for it to be binding on the Christian? Nowhere in the Bible does it say that. There are concepts in Scripture that are explicit and implicit. The teaching on the Holy Trinity is implicit since the word Trinity is never mentioned in Scripture, yet you believe it anyway. The same goes for the Communion of Saints. It is an implicit teaching that is found in Scripture if you open your mind to see it.
The Word of God is a person (Jesus Christ Jn 1:1), and his teachings have been passed down in two ways. They are Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition (which is the oral Tradition that has been passed down from the Apostles to us today, and is what Martin Luther threw away during the Protestant Reformation). Not everything that Jesus taught us is found in Sacred Scripture (Jn 21:25-“But there are also many things which Jesus did; were everyone of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”). That’s why we have Sacred Tradition (oral Tradition) which is also binding for the Christian [2 Thes 2:15-“so then, Brethen, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth (sacred Oral Tradition) or by letter (Sacred Scripture).”] to fill in the blanks in Sacred Scripture.
We as Catholics appeal to both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition to teach us our faith led by the teaching magisterium of the Church which is binding to all Christians not just Catholics. The authority of God which guides His Church is bound to all Christians and is not limited by walls that the Protestant reformation built.
Now getting back to the Communion of Saints. I can see that you have no understanding of this concept found in Scripture and/or are refusing to accept its implicit teaching. It is found in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. It’s the Sacred Tradition that helps us to understand and see it’s teaching in Sacred Scripture. Let’s start with, what is the Communion of Saints? Quite simply, it’s the Body of Christ. You and I enter into the Body of Christ through the waters of Baptism (1 Cor 12:12-13-“For just as the Body is one and has many members, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and all were made I drink of one Spirit.”). So when you stub your toe, does your hand know about it? Yes it does because that’s how closely your body has a relationship to itself. Your hand immediately reaches to console your toe. That’s how closely related we are to one another in the Body of Christ. When one of us is in pain or rejoicing the rest of the Body feels it too, but we on earth are corrupted by our flesh and cannot experience each others’ pain or joy to its fullest. However, the souls in heaven are not corrupted, and they do experience our pain and joy to its’ fullest. They are always attentive to us (Heb 12:1-“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great cloud of witnesses,”).
Now you confuse mediator and intercessor. There is only one mediator which is Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5-“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”), but there can be as many intercessors as there are members in the Body of Christ. We, as members of the Body of Christ, are expected are to be intercessors for one another (1Tim 2:1-“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men,”).
Now, when our time is done on earth, our body goes to sleep (Mat 9:24, Mk 5:39, Lk 8:52, John 11:11-“Thus he spoke, and then said ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep.'”), but our soul goes to it’s destination (heaven, hell or purgatory). So when our soul reaches it’s destination, it is very much alive (Lk 20:38-“‘Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him.'”). So the Body of Christ, exists in three planes: earth, purgatory and hell (Purgatory is not the topic of discussion, so I’ll not give an explanation to its implicit teaching from Scripture). It’s one body in three planes. You do not leave the Body of Christ when you go from one plane to another. Let me ask you, do you think that the soulsin heaven are righteous? Absolutely! Nothing unclean can enter into heaven (Rev 21:27-“But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of Life.”). Do you think that the prayers of the righteous are powerful? Absolutely! (Jas 5:16-“Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you maybe healed. The prayer of the righteous man has great power in its effects.”). So if the prayers of the righteous powerful, and the souls in heaven are righteous, why wouldn’t you ask them to pray and intercede for you? It’s is not binding on the Christion to ask for their prayers. We just need to believe in the Communion of Saints, but you would be a fool not to ask for their prayers. We know that the souls in heaven are continuously praying for us because their prayers surround the alter of God (Rev 5:8-“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;”).
There is more that I could include, but I think that this explanation is adequate for now. I don’t believe that you will accept this explanation, but I’ve provided a scripturely referenced response. I do pray that you open your mind to see the implicit teachings of the faith Tradition that has been pass down to us from the Apostles. May God bless you abundantly my brother in Christ!!
Ok, Scripture says It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His mercy He has saved us. By grace are we saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. If it is by grace, it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 11:6)
The RCC says in contrast “2027 No one can merit the initial grace which is at the origin of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary temporal goods.
1477 In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission the Father entrusted to them. In this way they attained their own salvation and at the same time cooperated in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body.”89
1479 Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so that the temporal punishments due for their sins may be remitted.
And that’s not all, Keeping Mass is also a requirement for salvation according to RCC 1405 There is no surer pledge or dearer sign of this great hope in the new heavens and new earth “in which righteousness dwells,”248 than the Eucharist. Every time this mystery is celebrated, “the work of our redemption is carried on” and we “break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.”249
In contrast when Christ died on the Cross, he cried out Tetelestai, Paid in full. It is finished.
Scripture says the means of propitiation (expeciation) was accomplished on the Cross whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, (Romans 3:25). And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
RCC says, “1030 All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
In contrast, we are ALREADY purified through faith. “and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.(Acts 15:9)
For the death that He died, He died to sin ONCE for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Yet the RCC says 1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: “The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.” “And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner. . . this sacrifice is truly propitiatory.”190
“Without the shedding of innocent blood there is no remission of sins. Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. For by ONE offering He has PERFECTED FOREVER those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 9:22; Hebrews 10:14, 18)
Do you see that what the Roman Catholic Church is teaching you DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS what Scripture says? The Bible warns if we (the apostles) or an angel from heaven (Mary) preach a different gospel than what we already preached to you (through the Scripture) let this person be anathema.
I pray that you will read these passages and think about them and pray for God’s mercy.
God is a just God. He will ensure that justice is done. This means none of our works merit salvation. Scripture says our own righteousness is like filthy rags. By offering our good deeds, righteousness to merit or keep salvation is like bribing the Judge of the Universe and thus directly undermines what Christ accomplished on the Cross.
Okay.. You still haven’t answered my question.. Where does it say that it has to be in scripture for the Christian to believe it.. Most of what you said is placed out of context of the intention of such passages.. James 2:24 “you see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” The only place in scripture the the words “faith” and “alone” are found in scripture together..let’s finish the thought in Ephesians..2:10..”for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” The previous Versus aren’t saying that works aren’t necessary..it’s saying that that we can’t claim the source of good works is from us.. It’s from God.. We have a choice to make either we cooperate with his grace to do good works or we disobey the call and don’t do it.. By cooperating with his grace we merit salvation, but the good work is his not ours.. We do have a purging of our souls if we die in friendship with God because nothing unclean can enter into heaven.. Purgatory is another implicit teaching that is found in scripture..1 Cor 3:13-15 “each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day (the day a person dies and is judged) will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort work each one has done. If the work (good works) which any man has built on the foundations survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned (sin) up, he will suffer loss (being purified of the corruption of the flesh), though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (purgatory).” Where is this place that each soul must go to that Paul is talking about. It’s not heaven, and it’s not hell. It’s a place of purging the soul so that it can enter into heaven completely clean.. Without stain.. Just like it says in Revelation.. “Nothing unclean can enter into it”. It’s not and either/or such as you put it.. Either faith or works but rather, and/both faith and works together.. You and I can play bible verse ping pong all day with scripture.. So the crux of the matter is who has authority to interprete scripture and who doesn’t. Well, scripture is not meant for private interpretation 2 Pet 1:20 ” first of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,”.. So who can interprete Scripture? Titus 1:7 “For a bishop, as God’s STEWARD, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy, and self-controlled; he must HOLD FIRM to the sure word as taught, so that he maybe able to GIVE INSTRUCTION in SOUND DOCTRINE and also to CONFUTE those who CONTRADICT it. For there are many insubordinate men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially the circumcision party; they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for base gain what they have NO RIGHT to TEACH.” The Bible says that The Church is the arbiter amongst the faithful when there is a disagreement regarding faith and morals Matt 18:15-19 and the place for a Christian to find “the pillar and bulwark of truth” is in the Church 1 Tim 3:15.. So, from your response.. You can’t refute that pleading for the souls in heaven to pray for us.. So you try to change the topic to another.. Again your interpretation of such verses are wrong because they are out of context and you weren’t taught by a Bishop so by the Scriptures you have no right to teach.. Now, you have to ask which Church was around when the Scriptures were being written?? Look up the birthday of every denomination including Catholisicim. Use a good reference that isn’t bias like the encylopdiea Briilttiancia.. It’s the only set of encylopdieas that you can submit as evidence in the court of law in the US.. A testimony to their scholarship.. And see by your research which Church is around that the scriptures reference… May God Bless you always my brother in Christ
My Name is Beto.. Sorry typo.. Not Beti
I need to obtain 200 miraculous medals for a poor priest in India who needs them for 200 new legionaries . My apostolate supplies these articles which are usually donated to us but this is a very specific order or request. Usually I beg such items such as rosaries and get them to post on. Can you help.
Halina Holman
The Host Apostolate.