Called To Communion: 2015.09.23

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Topics covered this show include: confession, forgiveness of sins, God's existence, hell, Jesus's sacrifice, joining the Church, obedience, prayer to saints, purgatory, salvation, St. Dismus aka the Good Thief, sola fide error, and more.



Called To Communion is a live, listener-participated radio program. Whether you are a non-Catholic or a Catholic, you are invited to contact the show with your question. Host Dr. David Anders, a former evangelical Protestant (Presbyterian Church in America), has a Ph.D. in Reformation history and historical theology. His dissertation was on John Calvin.

All people are called to communion with Christ through the Church He founded -- the Catholic Church. What's stopping you from becoming Catholic?

QUESTIONS & CONCERNS ANSWERED THIS EPISODE

1. SALVATION. a) How does someone get to heaven?
  • Matthew 19:16-26   ... what must I do to have eternal life?
  • Romans 2:13   it is those who obey the law that will be justified
  • Romans 3:23  all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God
  • Romans 8  those who have received the Spirit through grace have fulfilled the law
  • Romans 5:5  grace shed abroad in our hearts
  • Matthew 22:36-40  all the Law & the Prophets depend on these two commandments
    b) SALVATION. Why did Jesus come into the world and die on the cross?

    c) SALVATION. Isn't our salvation only gained through Christ?

    d) OBEDIENCE. Was there ever a man who walked on this earth, that was able to obey the Ten Commandments?
    e) JESUS'S SACRIFICE. If there's a chance of our being able to go to heaven by obeying the Ten Commandments, why did Jesus have to come into the world to die?

    f) SALVATION. What about John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"?

    g) SALVATION. If I understand you correctly, our salvation requires action from us?
    • Romans 2:13  not he who hears the law, but he who obeys the law 
    • 1 John 4:20  he who says he knows God, but hates his neighbour is a liar 
    • see also 1 John 2:4 
    h) ST. DISMUS AKA THE GOOD THIEF.  Do you believe the man to the right of Jesus on the cross went to heaven that day?
    i) OBEDIENCE. Did he obey the Ten Commandments?

    j) JESUS. Just think what Jesus was teaching: No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14:6]

    2. PRAYER TO SAINTS. a) Why do you pray to Mary? why do you "hail" a creation instead of the Creator?
    • Revelation 5:8  the saints in heaven offer up our prayers
    • see also Luke 1:28  Hail, thou who art full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women 
    b) CONFESSION. When Catholics go to confession, it's my understanding that they are usually told to say 3 Hail Marys. Why is Mary the important one?
    3. FORGIVENESS OF SINS. a) Is there any sin a priest can't absolve you of?

    b) PURGATORY. b) What is the point of purgatory?
    4. CONFESSION. a) I am considering coming back to the Catholic Church after over 30 years of being away. I don't remember what to do in confession, or the Act of Contrition. I`m afraid I'm going to stumble through the whole process.
    • see also Act of Contrition (Church teaching & the prayer) 
    • see also Act of Contrition (various)
    • Note: It's best to check with the particular parish church as regularly scheduled times for reconciliation / confession could vary somewhat between parishes.
    b) RECONCILIATION. If I do go to confession, does that allow me to go back to the Catholic Church and have Communion, and all that?

    5. GOD'S EXISTENCE. a) My atheist daughter thinks I believe in a God who doesn't accept the Muslims & Jews into Heaven. She wonders how He can let people who don't believe in Him into heaven.
    b) BELIEF. She wonders why she has to believe in God rather than just being a good person.
    c) HELL. How could God allow anyone to go to Hell?
    • 'There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done”, and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in hell choose it.'
           -- C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, Signature Classics, 340.
    6. PRAYER. I heard a speaker say it was a good idea to ask Jesus to pray for us. Why would we do that?
    • Hebrews 7:25  Jesus is able to save those who come to God through him ... he intercedes for us
    7. JOINING THE CHURCH. I want to marry a non-Christian. She wants to join the Catholic Church, but a family member told me she would need to have a calling. I don't understand what this family member said.
    8. ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED ERROR. I grew up in the 'hyper-Calvinist' tradition: the Primitive Baptist Church. I love the people dearly and I'm appreciative of what they taught me about Christ, but I was called to join the Catholic Church. The PBC believe that predestination means there is nothing you can do to determine whether you go to heaven or to hell. a) If you are a baptised Christian, can you fall from grace and go to hell?
    9. PURGATORY. Is the need and understanding of Purgatory based on Augustine?
    •  see 3b above

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