Expert: J.M.J. West - 10/27/2008

Question
Assurance of salvation: The Roman Catholic Church teaches that salvation cannot be guaranteed or assured. 1 John 5:13 states that the letter of 1 John was written for the purpose of assuring believers of the CERTAINTY of their salvation. whats your opinion on this "salvation" john was speaking of?

Good Works: The Roman Catholic Church states that Christians are saved by meritorious works (beginning with baptism) and that salvation is maintained by good works (receiving the sacraments, confession of sin to a priest, etc.) The Bible states that Christians are saved by grace through faith, totally apart from works (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 3:10-11; Romans 3:19-24). if in fact the bible says it is apart from works that we are saved...and  "not by works lest anyone boast" why is it still taught that we have to "do" things for God. "the God who made the world and everything in it is the lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. aand he is not served by human hands , as if he needed anyhting. our works do not help Him, he doesnt NEED us. But wants us to believe in his son, and what his son did for us... He wants a relationship with us, for us to love Him. He gives us freewill because love comes from freewill, He doesnt want mindless puppets who have to work for Him night and day. Yet the change in us after we are saved creates the urge within us to do things for Him because of the love we have for Him. your input ont this idea? and these comments thank you, if they are diffrent please use scripture to connect the dots. also the bible never stated that mary was the queen of heaven it was merely an interpretation based on how old kingdoms were ran. nothing in the new testament supports the idea of her being in any high status in heaven...come on...QUEEN OF HEAVEN? i believe heaven is far more than what the mind can imagine dont you? And to think that a woman would be queen of this vast domain in which God dwells is somewhat bizzar to me. so is it safe to say that catholics believing mary is queen of heaven is only interpretation from old testament and NOTHING SUPPORTS THAT IN new testament...? correct? thank you

Answer
YOU WROTE:
>>Assurance of salvation: The Roman Catholic Church teaches that salvation cannot be guaranteed or assured. 1 John 5:13 states that the letter of 1 John was written for the purpose of assuring believers of the CERTAINTY of their salvation. whats your opinion on this "salvation" john was speaking of?<<

St. Paul himself was clear that he could be DIS-Qualified (1 cor 9:27).  Salvation is a process that begins at our baptism into the faith and continues until the moment we enter into eternity (i.e. Death).

As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13).

see also:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Assurance_of_Salvation.asp

YOU WROTE:
>>Good Works: The Roman Catholic Church states that Christians are saved by meritorious works (beginning with baptism) and that salvation is maintained by good works (receiving the sacraments, confession of sin to a priest, etc.) The Bible states that Christians are saved by grace through faith, totally apart from works (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 3:10-11; Romans 3:19-24). if in fact the bible says it is apart from works that we are saved...and  "not by works lest anyone boast" why is it still taught that we have to "do" things for God.>>

Bear in mind James 2:

"So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (v. 17)
"Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works." (v. 20-22)
"See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone" (v. 24)
"For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." (v. 26)


YOU WROTE:
>>"the God who made the world and everything in it is the lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. aand he is not served by human hands , as if he needed anyhting. our works do not help Him, he doesnt NEED us. But wants us to believe in his son, and what his son did for us... He wants a relationship with us, for us to love Him. He gives us freewill because love comes from freewill, He doesnt want mindless puppets who have to work for Him night and day. Yet the change in us after we are saved creates the urge within us to do things for Him because of the love we have for Him. your input ont this idea?<<

Overall I agree with this.

YOU WROTE:
>> and these comments thank you, if they are diffrent please use scripture to connect the dots. also the bible never stated that mary was the queen of heaven it was merely an interpretation based on how old kingdoms were ran. nothing in the new testament supports the idea of her being in any high status in heaven...come on...QUEEN OF HEAVEN? <<

Well, Revelation 12 presents us with the picture of Mary, in heaven, Juxtaposed with the ark, and CROWNED WITH THE STARS!  Let alone that "interpretation on how old kingdoms were ran", whereby we know that Christ, the DAVIDIC HEIR, would have as his "queen" his mother, just as the Davidic King had as his queen not his wife but his mother (though as a member of the body, she is ALSO a member of the Church, the Bride of Christ (and it's foremost member arguably!))

YOU WROTE:
>>i believe heaven is far more than what the mind can imagine dont you? And to think that a woman would be queen of this vast domain in which God dwells is somewhat bizzar to me. so is it safe to say that catholics believing mary is queen of heaven is only interpretation from old testament and NOTHING SUPPORTS THAT IN new testament...? correct? thank you<<

I agree that "eye has not seen, nor has ear heard, nor has it entered in to the heart of man what god has prepared for those who love him"...

But I see nothing problematic about such a title of RESPECT for Mary, the first of all Christians who bore Christ in her womb, the Handmaid of the lord, who herself attested that "from this day all generations shall call me blessed".

And, of course, there's the consistent witness of the early church too.

CF:
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/blessed_virgin_mary.html#the_bvm-VII
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9812fea2.asp

That said, you can live your whole life and never bother with such a title for Mary if it makes you uncomfortable.  The church does not mandate that people must ever pray to Mary or the Saints, but simply that - PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD - such actions are not inherently wrong, and even benefit us in some way(s).

Hope that helps.

Pax Christi,

-J.M.J. West