THE R.C. CHURCH DOES NOT ACCEPT "SOLE FIDE"

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THE R.C. CHURCH DOES NOT ACCEPT "SOLE FIDE"

In recent "Jack Van Impe Presents" broadcasts in Apr. 2005, Dr. Jack Van Impe claimed that the Roman Catholic Church now accepts the Biblical teaching of salvation by faith alone. His supposed basis for this claim was the 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification [JDDJ] signed by officials of the Lutheran World Federation [LWF] and representatives of the R.C. Church and the official Catholic Catechism of the Catholic Church.
In that declaration, however, R. C. representatives were using duplicity, speaking, as it were, out of both sides of their mouth at the same time! To validate the fact that the R.C. church does not accept "sole fide" [Salvation by faith alone], the F.D. editor cites the following items: He is reprinting exactly the article that appeared in the Mar.-Apr. 2005 The Catholic Answer, p. 11, a bi-monthly R.C. publication that ardently defends all Catholic dogma to the hilt! Following that article, he also quotes several other sources, including the official Catechism of the Catholic Church that validates the R.C. denial of the Scriptural doctrine of salvation by faith alone!

(1)
"HAS THE CHURCH ACCEPTED SOLE FIDE?"

          "Q. [question]: Sometime ago I read an article in a Protestant magazine that the Catholic Church has now officially recognized the validity of the Reformation (Lutheran) 'salvation by faith alone' (sola fide) doctrine, which is the central teaching of most Protestant churches. Is this so? If so, can you explain this further?
          A. [answer]: The Catholic Church has not accepted the Reformation doctrine of salvation by faith alone. In 1999, the Lutheran World Federation officials and representatives of the Catholic Church issued a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. Though a great measure of accord was reached, the Catholic Church has pointed out subsequently that there is still much work to be done.
          At the time when the Catholic-Lutheran statement was issued, the Vatican made it plain that the teachings of the Council of Trent and of the First Vatican Council were not being changed. Conservative Lutherans and others have attacked the statement for that reason. They view the joint declaration as a betrayal of true Lutheran doctrine and a reprehensible concession to the Catholic Church."

(2)
NEW OFFICIAL "CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH" PROVES THAT "ROME HAS MADE NO CHANGE IN ITS FALSE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION"

The following excerpt was taken verbatim from the Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Vol. 95, Number 1, Winter 1998, p. 47: "Rome has made no change in its false doctrine of justification. The new Catechism of the Catholic Church says: 'Justification includes the remission of sins, sanctification and the renewal of the inner man.' (Par. 2029). '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 others all the graces needed to attain eternal life. (par. 2027).'"
"This is the same false doctrine which was condemned by the Lutheran Confessions in the 16th century. It still must be condemned today."

(3)
NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM TEACHES SACRAMENTS NECESSARY FOR SALVATION

          First Things is a magazine published by R.C. priest John Neuhaus. In the letter column in the June/July 1998 issue, p. 7, John Tors responded to an article that Neuhaus had written criticizing "some Baptists for their criticism of the Evangelical-Catholic 'Gift of Salvation' statement." Cited below is a partial excerpt from Tors' letter:
          "Evangelicals believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. This means that the requirement for salvation is belief plus nothing else. There are too many statements in the Bible affirming that those who believe are saved (including, of course, John 3:16, which is cited as the preface to 'The Gift of Salvation') for us to say that something other than belief is necessary for salvation.
          Furthermore, we believe that adding any other requirement for salvation is to depart from the gospel…What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) say about the requirements for salvation? CCC 1129 says, 'The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation." (emphasis in original).
          CCC 1257 says, 'Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have the possibility of asking for this sacrament.' These are only two of many examples, but they are more than enough to show that the Roman Catholic Church does indeed add requirements, beyond simple faith, for salvation. Thus, by the Protestant understanding, Rome preaches a different gospel, which is no gospel at all."

(4)
THE COUNCIL OF TRENT CONDEMNS THOSE WHO ADHERE TO SALVATION BY FAITH ALONE

The Australian Beacon, 1997, p. 2, states: "The Council of Trent, an important Catholic council, called to reject the teachings of the Reformation, went so far as to curse the Biblical doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. It declared:
'If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than trust in divine mercy, which remits sins for Christ's sake, or that it is by trust alone by which we are justified, let him be damned [anathema] (Canon XII.).' These and may similar statements are still official Catholic teaching. The New Catholic Catechism and other contemporary documents still teach that salvation is by a combination of faith and works."

(5)
NOTED ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN ACKNOWLEDGES ROMAN DOGMA TEACHES OBTAINING SALVATION INCLUDES HUMAN MERIT AND WORKS

          Cardinal Avery Dulles, is one of the Roman Catholic Church's most distinguished and respected theological scholars. In the First Things magazine, Dec. 1999, p. 25, Dulles freely acknowledges that the R.C. church official dogma adheres strictly to a combined system of faith plus works for attainment of eternal life. Dulles states:
          "After several colloquies had unsuccessfully attempted to reconcile the Catholic and Lutheran positions, the Council of Trent in 1547 set forth the official Catholic doctrine in its decree on Justification. The Council taught that although justification is an unmerited gift, it needs to be freely accepted, so that human cooperation is involved.
          Secondly, it taught justification consists in an inner renewal brought about by divine faith; thirdly that justification does not take place by faith alone without hope, charity and good works; and finally, that the justified by performing good works, merit the reward of eternal life."
          When Dr. Jack Van Impe claimed that the R.C. Church now believes in salvation by faith alone, he was grossly deceived and obviously barking up the wrong religious tree! The F.D. editor does not like to be ungracious, but Dr. Van Impe appears to fit the description given by Paul in II Tim. 3:13 concerning those seducers who are "deceiving and being deceived."

(6)
TWO EXCELLENT SERMON TAPES BY THE F. D. EDITOR DEALING WITH THE ABOVE ISSUE
"The Peril of Apostate Duplicity"

A documented study of the deception and duplicity of the Catholic-Lutheran 'Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification [JDDJ] that supposedly ended 400 plus years of bitter controversy over this major Bible doctrine; exposes Rome's wily deception in claiming it adheres to Biblical justification by faith. #179,
$5.00 includes S &H.

"Justification by Faith"
Called a "college course in one sermon" by one pastor, this sermon has been acclaimed by other pastors as the most thorough declaration they have ever heard. This vital doctrine is exhaustively yet simply delineated in evangelistic style. An extensive study in simple terms. #260, $5.00 includes S & H. D.J.

June-July 2005 The Fundamentalist Digest; Permission granted for reprint, so long as proper credit is given. The above item is a sample of the numerous timely articles that are contained in the bi-monthly issues of The Fundamentalist Digest.

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