Does God only demand Faith?

Please read my previous post on Salvation outside the Church before you read this where I evaluate the Protestant ''Sola Fide'' ( By Faith Alone)


SOLA FIDE

  I am sure it has been examined before, but nowhere I have seen.  But I recently considered the story of Adam and Eve.

  If all we need is FAITH? Then why was Adam and Eve ever punished?  They did not need faith, they knew God.  Faith is that gift where we do not yet fully know God, but we believe in His word which has been revealed through various apostles and disciples, and in Jesus himself.

  Lucifer himself was in Heaven.  Yet he fell.

  God has a will.  That implies that he is demanding us to something, and it makes little sense to say 'faith alone' when those that had known Him were punished.

  Lucifer, Adam and Eve did not follow God's Will. They chose their own will, and their disobedience did not satisfy God so He punished them.

  If we seriously examine this, we see that God does demand something in us.  The ''faith'' that we are asked to have is in His Will, not necessarily a ''belief in Him.''   As Adam & Eve and Lucifer surely 'believed he existed.'  They knew Him.

 We are to have faith in what He wants for us, and not believe He exist and have faith that this is enough for Him.

  I heard once of a vision of Heaven where people were walking around praying and singing.  They were not ski diving, watching TV, or doing any of those pleasurable things we know in this material world. They were praying and singing in His glory, worshipping Him.

  God calls us to worship Him in Body, Heart, Soul and Mind.  After the age of sin after the fall of Adam and Eve, we see incest and murder in the Bible even at the time of Abraham, the patriarch of the One True God.

  Let's continue to evaluate this call to do God's Will.  Abraham believed in God, but that wasn't enough.  God tested His faith in doing what God asked of Abraham, by almost sacrificing his only son.  But God intervened before the death, and God loved Abraham for believing in his will, not only believing in his existence.

   But the understanding of who God was was still not clear.  God came to Moses to give him a covenant of the 10 commandments.  In these commandments, God called the chosen people to find a way to His will.  He called them to stop the various sins and to have faith in the 10 commandments.  To have faith that this is what God wants us to do in worshiping Him.

   Then let's go to Mary.  The wonderful, best human who was not Christ himself.  God did not only ask Mary to have belief that Jesus would be His only Son, but to give in to the will of God., and she did it so perfectly that she said said a resounding YES to the call of God.

  Lastly, consider Jesus's mission.  What mission did Jesus have to the Jews who believed in the One God if Jesus did not want to present a new covenant.  A new covenant that is a new promise to salvation.  What sense does it make to have a message where salvation is promised in ONLY FAITH in Jesus Christ? What sense was it for Jesus to present Himself to the world whent they believed in the one true God? If Jesus' only mission was revelation, why was He not presented when God presented Himself to Abraham and Moses? Because Jesus' mission was more than revelation of existence, but a revelation of ''the way'' at a moment in God's great plan when He was ready to reveal this to the world.

  Jesus said he was''the Way'' and he was also ''the Light.''  The way is a direction.  A direction to God's Will. The light is the vision to see His way.  Or maybe, in another way, to have faith in the guiding light along the way?

  Only knowing God is not enough, He calls us to worship Him and to live yb His covenant to us.

Otherwise there was never a need for Jesus for the Jews who already believed in God.  They had a belief, but Jesus presented the ''Truth'', or the true way through the Light.

One way, One promise to salvation through His teachings.

Happy Lenten season!

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

 Breathe into me Holy Spirit, That all my thoughts may be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Spirit of wisdom and understanding, enlighten our minds to perceive the mysteries of the universe in relation to eternity. Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision to follow Jesus' way of love. Spirit of knowledge and reverence, help us to see the lasting value of justice and mercy in our everyday dealings with one another. May we respect life as we work to solve problems of family and nation, economy and ecology. Spirit of God, spark our faith, hope and love into new action each day. Fill our lives with wonder and awe in your presence which penetrates all creation. Amen.


appendage:::  We often get caught up in thinking of the Good as what we enjoy. Our fovorite ice cream, our favorite tv show, our zest for life in romance and adventure.
  But let us remember, what did our caveman anscetors enjoy? Very little, they barely enjoyed a bathe.  But they were not removed from the Truth of ''the way''in their nature. Their nature is still ours, but they were long from the awareness we have today.
  Despite living in so much despair, they still were human.  Maybe we can understand what is Good if we think about these long anscetors.  That praising and worshiping is Good.  If they knew nothing, but to say thank you then that may have been a great Good of their time, to express happiness towards others despite their raw existence.  Any thankfulness must have been one of the greatest prayers and signs of humbleness in God's eyes.
  It is wonderful to be Thankful when we are given something.  God gave life, we owe it to Him to live up to His demands to express sincere thanksgiving.

Salvation ''Outside the Church''

 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. (Luke 23: 34)

I want to clarify something...


THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THE ONE TRUE CHURCH AS RESTATED BY VATICAN II.

THOSE WHO 'KNOW' THE CHURCH THROUGH BAPTISM OR CONVERSION, AND FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH, ARE PROMISED SALVATION. 

THOSE BORN IN FAITH, ARE NOT TO LEAVE FAITH, THEY RISK DAMNATION.
 
THOSE BORN AS NON-CATHOLICS ARE OPEN TO SALVATION THROUGH THE JUDGEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST, BUT ARE NOT PROMISED SALVATION.

Let me make this clear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ONLY GOOD STANDING CATHOLICS ARE PROMISED SALVATION

I am writing in context of the ''no salvation outside the Church'' doctrine.....

It is a message to Catholics... Because the crux of the doctrine came at a time when there was a French Bishop who tried to call himself Pope.... and the Pope wrote then pronounced that those ''outside of the Church'' do not receive salvation..... the Church is the 'Bride of Jesus'.... and anyone who 'KNOWS' the Church and rejects it... then they are ''outside of salvation''
PROTESTANTS, JEWS, MUSLIMS, OTHERS....It is the doctrine of the Church that they are not PROMISED salvation.....
But even though they are 'outside the church'... it is seen as 'innocent ignorance' ..and in their Human Dignity and their conscience they are allowed to go where they believe they are lead.....

So what Vatican II did, was give them the respect of Human Dignity to discern their life... but try to dialogue with them and pray they are inspired by the Holy Spirit to bring them into the True Church....... Towards the promised salvation
 ......... After Vatican II, a pastoral not doctrinal congression, the Church does not do the action of converting, but the Church places trust in the Holy Spirit to convert the Open Hearts......

So dialogue has been a HUGE effort of the papacies after Vatican II.....hence all the traveling by John Paul II

SO in regards to the other faiths.... they ARE NOT PROMISED salvation, they are simply left to Jesus as their judge .... which is seen in the fact that the Church only recognizes those in heaven as Saints.. and never making any claim to the souls who were damned..... as Jesus is the Judge, not the Church...... but the Church followers are  promised salvation.

THAT IS THE NEW COVENANT... THE PROMISED SALVATION TO CATHOLICS....

I can only suspect... MY TWO CENTS, NOT THE CHURCHES.....but the rest are left to the mercy of Jesus... which is a great mercy..... so the knowing that we are to 'Love creation and others'' and not DENY creation and its beauty in God... I think is the 'hope' of non-catholics...... but their is nothing promised... it is Jesus' judgement to make.

REMEMBER: On the cross Jesus said, '' Forgive them FATHER, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO'' concerning his crucifiers

ALSO:

JESUS IS LEFT TO JUDGE 

 Jesus as judge to non-belivers....
because judging assumes a divine prerogative; final judgment belongs to God alone, and those who seek to judge others now will answer then for usurping God's position (see also 6:12-15).

BUT THE CHURCH STILLS IS BOUNDED IN CHRIST, SO WHO LEAVES THE CHURCH LEAVES CHRIST!

 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Let's pray to the Holy Spirit for the conversion of all humanity, especially those who have turned away from Christ's Church.


Prayer to St. Monica for Fallen Away Catholics

Eternal and merciful Father, I give you thanks for the gift of Your Divine Son who suffered, died and rose from the dead for all mankind. I thank You also for my Catholic Faith and ask Your help that I may grow in fidelity by prayer, by works of charity, and by Penance and the Holy Eucharist.
You gave St. Monica a spirit of selfless love manifested in her constant prayer for the conversion of her son Augustine. Inspired by boundless confidence in Your power to move hearts and by the success of her prayer, I ask the grace to imitate her constancy in my prayer for (N) who no longer share(s) in the intimate life of your Catholic family. Grant through my prayer and witness that (she/he/they) may be open to the promptings of the HOLY SPIRIT to return to the loving union with Your people. Grant also that my prayer be ever hopeful and that I may never judge another, for you alone can read hearts. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen