Article #28 - Sacraments

Sacraments

The following comes from the Catholic Catechism about sacraments. It tells us: "1113 The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments. 1114 'Adhering to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, to the apostolic traditions, and to the consensus . . . of the Fathers,' we profess that 'the sacraments of the new law were . . . all instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord.' 1115 ....The mysteries of Christ's life are the foundations of what he would henceforth dispense in the sacraments, through the ministers of his Church... 1116 Sacraments are 'powers that comes forth' from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving. They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body, the Church. They are 'the masterworks of God' in the new and everlasting covenant. 1127 Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies 1129 The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation."

Sacraments? I've been studying the Holy Word of God for a few years now, and I can boldly say that Jesus never saved anyone through sacramental means! When Jesus was asked by the crowd in John 6:28, 29, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Jesus never mentioned that we had to go to receive sacraments in order to gain salvation. Furthermore, His Word, the Bible says the opposite. This is quite a different gospel message in the Bible. First of all, Jesus came to Earth to save sinners with His Blood shed at Calvary. Isaiah 53:5 tells us, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." And elsewhere, we see more of this. For instance, we see the Bible says, "being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:9), "...we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" (Ephesians 1:7), "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself...." (Colossians 1:20), "... and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7). The Bible is careful enough to say, "And from Jesus Christ... Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," (Revelation 1:5), after, "... he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," (2 Corinthians 5:21) we can now, "... therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) This promise is for, "...whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).

So you say that you believe this? What part is the same? On the top paragraph, we are told that, "The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments." Whereas in the bottom paragraph we are told that we are cleaned by the Blood of Christ! You assume that we therefore receive salvation by sacraments, "empowered" by the blood of Jesus for this purpose? That we receive His graces through sacraments? But if that was the case, we would be meriting graces by how often we did them. And the Bible tells us that, "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Romans 3:27,28) And this meriting grace is an oxymoron because no one can merit grace by anything that we can do. If we merit something, it no longer grace, but a wage, as seen in Romans 4:4,5, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness," as well as Romans 11:6 telling us that, "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work," and even Ephesians 2:8,9 tells us, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

The point is that Jesus' works were done at Calvary. He took our sins upon Himself so that whosoever would believe in what He accomplished on that cross when He said, "It is finished" (John 19:30) will be saved. His way saves you, but if you believe in the sacramental method, with a priest performing, then you aren't. It's that simple.