We must strive for a holy indifference in our lives.  A “holy” indifference is not indifference to God and His Will; rather, a holy indifference is a detachment to all preferences regarding what the Lord asks of us.  We must be ready for all but we must be willing to receive nothing.  The goal is to be ready for God and His Will, whatever it may be (See Diary #952).

Reflect upon whether or not you are ready and willing to accept whatever God wills of you.  WhatHe wills is not as important as the fact that He wills.  This may be a difficult subtlety to grasp at first.  But it’s important to understand.  The simple truth is that we should be ready for anything God asks of us without clinging to our personal preference.  If you can achieve this level of detachment, the Mercy of God will begin to flow in abundance in your life, and through you into the lives of many others.

Lord, I surrender to You all my selfish preferences in life.  I give You complete freedom to do whatever  You will in my life.  No matter what You ask of me, I accept, and no matter what You take from me, I give to You.  Give me, dear Lord, the grace of a holy indifference so that I may be free to love You and Your holy Will more than life itself.  Jesus, I trust in You.

We must strive for a holy indifference in our lives.  A “holy” indifference is not indifference to God and His Will; rather, a holy indifference is a detachment to all preferences regarding what the Lord asks of us.  We must be ready for all but we must be willing to receive nothing.  The goal is to be ready for God and His Will, whatever it may be (See Diary #952).

Reflect upon whether or not you are ready and willing to accept whatever God wills of you.  WhatHe wills is not as important as the fact that He wills.  This may be a difficult subtlety to grasp at first.  But it’s important to understand.  The simple truth is that we should be ready for anything God asks of us without clinging to our personal preference.  If you can achieve this level of detachment, the Mercy of God will begin to flow in abundance in your life, and through you into the lives of many others.

Lord, I surrender to You all my selfish preferences in life.  I give You complete freedom to do whatever  You will in my life.  No matter what You ask of me, I accept, and no matter what You take from me, I give to You.  Give me, dear Lord, the grace of a holy indifference so that I may be free to love You and Your holy Will more than life itself.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Five Disciplines of Discipleship – A Homily for the 13th Sunday of the Year

This Sunday’s Gospel portrays through the life of Jesus some important disciplines for disciples. Let’s look at them and see how to apply them to our lives today.

I. Purposefulness – The text says, When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him.

Note that Jesus was resolute. He was heading to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and rise; to undertake the great battle and the great mission entrusted to Him. Everything He did was to be oriented toward this goal.

What about us? Are we as determined to seek Christ and head for His Kingdom? Is our direction clear? Have we set our sights resolutely, or do we meander about? Are we on the highway to Heaven, or do we make compromises with this passing world, seeking to serve two masters? Notice how easily we take exits for sin city, vicious village, and injustice junction.

Our goal is to set our face like flint and pursue the Jerusalem of Heaven, just as Jesus set His face toward the Jerusalem of this earth to accomplish His mission.

Scripture speaks often of developing a firm and unequivocal resolve, of being purposeful and single-hearted in our determination to follow Jesus and set our sights on Heaven.

This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:13).

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:4).

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Mat 6:24).

There is one thing I ask of the LORD, this alone I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life and gaze upon the beauty of the LORD (Ps 27:4).

Are you focused? Purposeful? What is the one thing you do? Concentration is the secret of power. Water over a large area is a stagnant pond, but in a narrow channel it is a powerful river.

The first discipline of discipleship is to be purposeful, determined, single-hearted, and focused in our pursuit of the Lord and His kingdom.

II. Perseverance – The text says, On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

James and John are angry at and discouraged by the rejection of Jesus and the values of the Kingdom, but He Jesus rebukes their desire for retaliation.

Notice how Jesus stays focused on His task. Rejected here, He moves forward. He does not let the devil distract Him or His disciples from the task of proclaiming the Word whether in season or out of season, popular or unpopular, accepted or rejected. Keep preaching; keep plowing; keep walking. Do not give up; do not grow angry; just keep working. Leave judgment to God. For now, just preach, teach, warn, and admonish.

Scripture says,

And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. … and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next (Matt 10:14, 22).

Yes, persevere! Remember, we’re called to be faithful, not successful. We need to persevere not just in the face of rejection, but in the face of trials, temptations, setbacks, sorrows, hurts, hardships, failures, and frustrations. Preach, teach, and be tenacious. Remember to trust in Jesus. They killed Him, but He rose.

Many have announced the end of faith. Many have sworn that they will bury the Church, but she has buried every one of her would-be undertakers. They dug our grave but fell into it themselves. Yes, we read the funeral rites over them. We have outlived every opponent.

No weapon waged against us will prevail. Long after the current confusion and pride of the decadent West has gone, the Church will still exist, preaching Christ and Him crucified.

III. Poverty – The text says, As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

Here is another critical discipline of discipleship: following Jesus even if worldly gain not only eludes us but is outright taken from us. Do you love the consolations of God or the God of all consolation? Do you seek the gifts of God or the Giver of every good and perfect gift? What if following Jesus gives you no earthly gain? What if, in fact, being a disciple brings you ridicule, loss, prison, or even death? Would you still follow Him? Would you still be a disciple?

In this verse Jesus’ potential disciple seems to have power, prestige, or worldly gain in mind. Perhaps he sees Jesus as a political messiah and wants to get on the “inside track.” Jesus warns him that this is not what discipleship is about. The Son of Man’s Kingdom is not of this world.

We need to heed Jesus’ warning. Riches are actually a great danger. Not only can riches not help us in what we really need, they can actually hinder us! Poverty is the not the worst thing. There’s a risk in riches, a peril in prosperity, and a worry in wealth.

The Lord Jesus points to poverty and powerlessness (in worldly matters) when it comes to being disciples. This is not merely a remote possibility or an abstraction. If we live as true disciples, we are going to find that wealth is seldom our lot. Why is this? Well, our lack of wealth comes from the fact that if we are true disciples, we won’t make easy compromises with sin or evil. We won’t take just any job. We won’t be ruthless in the workplace or deal with people unscrupulously. We won’t lie on our resumes, cheat on our taxes, or take easy and sinful short cuts. We will observe the Sabbath, be generous to the poor, pay a just wage, provide necessary benefits to workers, and observe the tithe. The world hands out (temporary) rewards if we do these sorts of things, but true disciples refuse such compromises with evil. In so doing, they reject the temporary rewards of this earth and may thus have a less opulent place to lay their heads. They may not get every promotion and they may not become powerful.

Yes, poverty is a discipline of discipleship.What is “poverty”? It is freedom from the snares of power, popularity, and possessions.

Jesus had nowhere to rest his head. Now that’s poor! But it also means freedom from the many duties, obligations, and compromises that come with wealth. If you’re poor no one can steal from you or threaten take away your things. You’re free; you have nothing to lose.

Most of us have too much to lose and so we are not free; our discipleship is hindered.

IV. Promptness (readiness) – The text says, And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

The Lord seems harsh here. However, note that the Greek text can be understood in the following way: “My Father is getting older. I want to wait until he dies and then I will reallybe able to devote myself to being a disciple.”

Jesus’ point is that if the man didn’t have this excuse, he’d have some other one. He does not have a prompt or willing spirit. We can always find some reason that we can’t follow wholeheartedly today because we have to get a few things resolved first. It’s the familiar “I’ll do tomorrow.”

There is a peril in procrastination. Too many people always push things off to tomorrow, but tomorrow is not promised. In the Scriptures there is one word that jumps out over and over again; it’s the word now.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD (Isaiah 1:18).

… behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).

Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart (Ps 95:7).

Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for you know not what a day may bring forth(Prov 27:1).

That’s right, tomorrow is not promised! You’d better choose the Lord todaybecause tomorrow might very well be too late. Now is the day of salvation.

There were three demons who told Satan about their plan to destroy a certain man.The first demon said, “I’m going to tell him that there is no Hell.” But Satan said, “People know that there is a Hell; most have already visited here.” The second demon said, “I’m going to tell him that there is no God.” But Satan said, “Despite atheism being fashionable of late, most people know, deep down, that there is a God, for He has written His name in their hearts.” The third demon said, “I’m not going to tell them that there is no Hell or that there is no God; I’m going to tell them that there’s no hurry.” And Satan said, “Now that’s the plan!”

Yes, promptness is a great gift to be sought from God. It is the gift to run joyfully and without delay to what God promises.

V. Permanence – The text says, And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

When we accepted Christ, we set our hand to the gospel plow and we left certain things behind. We are not to return to those things, things like harmful habits, ruinous relationships, soul-killing sinfulness, and perilous pleasures.

Yes, there are some things that we used to do that we have no business doing now. We need to give up our former ways and not look back.

Scripture says,

Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness. You did not so learn Christ, assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness(Eph 4:17-23).

Therefore, brothers, make every effort to make permanent your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble (2 Peter 1:10).

An old spiritual says,

“Hold on, Hold on! If you want to get to heaven let me tell you how, keep your hands on the Gospel plow! Keep your hands on the plow and hold on! Hold on. When you plow that field don’t lose your track, can’t plow straight and keep a-lookin’ back. Keep your hands on the plow and hold on, hold on!”

Persevere. Hold on and don’t let go.

Here, then, are five disciplines of discipleship. Learn about them and seek them from the Lord. Without them we will surely perish.

Five Disciplines of Discipleship – A Homily for the 13th Sunday of the Year

This Sunday’s Gospel portrays through the life of Jesus some important disciplines for disciples. Let’s look at them and see how to apply them to our lives today.

I. Purposefulness – The text says, When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him.

Note that Jesus was resolute. He was heading to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and rise; to undertake the great battle and the great mission entrusted to Him. Everything He did was to be oriented toward this goal.

What about us? Are we as determined to seek Christ and head for His Kingdom? Is our direction clear? Have we set our sights resolutely, or do we meander about? Are we on the highway to Heaven, or do we make compromises with this passing world, seeking to serve two masters? Notice how easily we take exits for sin city, vicious village, and injustice junction.

Our goal is to set our face like flint and pursue the Jerusalem of Heaven, just as Jesus set His face toward the Jerusalem of this earth to accomplish His mission.

Scripture speaks often of developing a firm and unequivocal resolve, of being purposeful and single-hearted in our determination to follow Jesus and set our sights on Heaven.

This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:13).

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:4).

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Mat 6:24).

There is one thing I ask of the LORD, this alone I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life and gaze upon the beauty of the LORD (Ps 27:4).

Are you focused? Purposeful? What is the one thing you do? Concentration is the secret of power. Water over a large area is a stagnant pond, but in a narrow channel it is a powerful river.

The first discipline of discipleship is to be purposeful, determined, single-hearted, and focused in our pursuit of the Lord and His kingdom.

II. Perseverance – The text says, On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

James and John are angry at and discouraged by the rejection of Jesus and the values of the Kingdom, but He Jesus rebukes their desire for retaliation.

Notice how Jesus stays focused on His task. Rejected here, He moves forward. He does not let the devil distract Him or His disciples from the task of proclaiming the Word whether in season or out of season, popular or unpopular, accepted or rejected. Keep preaching; keep plowing; keep walking. Do not give up; do not grow angry; just keep working. Leave judgment to God. For now, just preach, teach, warn, and admonish.

Scripture says,

And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. … and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next (Matt 10:14, 22).

Yes, persevere! Remember, we’re called to be faithful, not successful. We need to persevere not just in the face of rejection, but in the face of trials, temptations, setbacks, sorrows, hurts, hardships, failures, and frustrations. Preach, teach, and be tenacious. Remember to trust in Jesus. They killed Him, but He rose.

Many have announced the end of faith. Many have sworn that they will bury the Church, but she has buried every one of her would-be undertakers. They dug our grave but fell into it themselves. Yes, we read the funeral rites over them. We have outlived every opponent.

No weapon waged against us will prevail. Long after the current confusion and pride of the decadent West has gone, the Church will still exist, preaching Christ and Him crucified.

III. Poverty – The text says, As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

Here is another critical discipline of discipleship: following Jesus even if worldly gain not only eludes us but is outright taken from us. Do you love the consolations of God or the God of all consolation? Do you seek the gifts of God or the Giver of every good and perfect gift? What if following Jesus gives you no earthly gain? What if, in fact, being a disciple brings you ridicule, loss, prison, or even death? Would you still follow Him? Would you still be a disciple?

In this verse Jesus’ potential disciple seems to have power, prestige, or worldly gain in mind. Perhaps he sees Jesus as a political messiah and wants to get on the “inside track.” Jesus warns him that this is not what discipleship is about. The Son of Man’s Kingdom is not of this world.

We need to heed Jesus’ warning. Riches are actually a great danger. Not only can riches not help us in what we really need, they can actually hinder us! Poverty is the not the worst thing. There’s a risk in riches, a peril in prosperity, and a worry in wealth.

The Lord Jesus points to poverty and powerlessness (in worldly matters) when it comes to being disciples. This is not merely a remote possibility or an abstraction. If we live as true disciples, we are going to find that wealth is seldom our lot. Why is this? Well, our lack of wealth comes from the fact that if we are true disciples, we won’t make easy compromises with sin or evil. We won’t take just any job. We won’t be ruthless in the workplace or deal with people unscrupulously. We won’t lie on our resumes, cheat on our taxes, or take easy and sinful short cuts. We will observe the Sabbath, be generous to the poor, pay a just wage, provide necessary benefits to workers, and observe the tithe. The world hands out (temporary) rewards if we do these sorts of things, but true disciples refuse such compromises with evil. In so doing, they reject the temporary rewards of this earth and may thus have a less opulent place to lay their heads. They may not get every promotion and they may not become powerful.

Yes, poverty is a discipline of discipleship.What is “poverty”? It is freedom from the snares of power, popularity, and possessions.

Jesus had nowhere to rest his head. Now that’s poor! But it also means freedom from the many duties, obligations, and compromises that come with wealth. If you’re poor no one can steal from you or threaten take away your things. You’re free; you have nothing to lose.

Most of us have too much to lose and so we are not free; our discipleship is hindered.

IV. Promptness (readiness) – The text says, And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

The Lord seems harsh here. However, note that the Greek text can be understood in the following way: “My Father is getting older. I want to wait until he dies and then I will reallybe able to devote myself to being a disciple.”

Jesus’ point is that if the man didn’t have this excuse, he’d have some other one. He does not have a prompt or willing spirit. We can always find some reason that we can’t follow wholeheartedly today because we have to get a few things resolved first. It’s the familiar “I’ll do tomorrow.”

There is a peril in procrastination. Too many people always push things off to tomorrow, but tomorrow is not promised. In the Scriptures there is one word that jumps out over and over again; it’s the word now.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD (Isaiah 1:18).

… behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).

Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart (Ps 95:7).

Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for you know not what a day may bring forth(Prov 27:1).

That’s right, tomorrow is not promised! You’d better choose the Lord todaybecause tomorrow might very well be too late. Now is the day of salvation.

There were three demons who told Satan about their plan to destroy a certain man.The first demon said, “I’m going to tell him that there is no Hell.” But Satan said, “People know that there is a Hell; most have already visited here.” The second demon said, “I’m going to tell him that there is no God.” But Satan said, “Despite atheism being fashionable of late, most people know, deep down, that there is a God, for He has written His name in their hearts.” The third demon said, “I’m not going to tell them that there is no Hell or that there is no God; I’m going to tell them that there’s no hurry.” And Satan said, “Now that’s the plan!”

Yes, promptness is a great gift to be sought from God. It is the gift to run joyfully and without delay to what God promises.

V. Permanence – The text says, And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

When we accepted Christ, we set our hand to the gospel plow and we left certain things behind. We are not to return to those things, things like harmful habits, ruinous relationships, soul-killing sinfulness, and perilous pleasures.

Yes, there are some things that we used to do that we have no business doing now. We need to give up our former ways and not look back.

Scripture says,

Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness. You did not so learn Christ, assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness(Eph 4:17-23).

Therefore, brothers, make every effort to make permanent your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble (2 Peter 1:10).

An old spiritual says,

“Hold on, Hold on! If you want to get to heaven let me tell you how, keep your hands on the Gospel plow! Keep your hands on the plow and hold on! Hold on. When you plow that field don’t lose your track, can’t plow straight and keep a-lookin’ back. Keep your hands on the plow and hold on, hold on!”

Persevere. Hold on and don’t let go.

Here, then, are five disciplines of discipleship. Learn about them and seek them from the Lord. Without them we will surely perish.

Dealing with Interior Desolation

“The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away…” (Job 1:21).  How true this is.  There are times in life when we experience the abundant consolation of God.  It may be at moments of great family joy, or when we experience the unconditional love of another.  At times we sense the powerful presence of God in our life of prayer and are filled with joy.  But there are many other moments in life when God seems distant and our souls feel desolate.  Do not worry about this.  If this is caused by sin, then face that sin, confess it and move on.  But if it’s not a result of any sin, then know it’s an opportunity for you to deepen your faith and your love of God despite how you feel.  This is a true grace and we should be grateful that God loves us enough to call us to faith even when we feel very little inside (See Diary #943).

What do you experience in your soul right now?  Do you sense the closeness of God and does that closeness give you great consolation?  Or do you feel dry and desolate as if God is hidden from you?  We must rejoice in each experience and know that God offers the grace we need for each moment.  Renew your faith this day no matter how you feel.  Do it especially in moments of much desolation.  Your act of faith in those moments will open the gates of God’s Mercy to you and to the world more than you may realize.

Lord, I love You now and always and renew my love for You no matter how I feel.  In good times and in difficult ones I choose to love You, to have faith in You and to trust in You.  You are the God of consolation and the God of desolation.  I choose You no matter what.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Dealing with Interior Desolation

“The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away…” (Job 1:21).  How true this is.  There are times in life when we experience the abundant consolation of God.  It may be at moments of great family joy, or when we experience the unconditional love of another.  At times we sense the powerful presence of God in our life of prayer and are filled with joy.  But there are many other moments in life when God seems distant and our souls feel desolate.  Do not worry about this.  If this is caused by sin, then face that sin, confess it and move on.  But if it’s not a result of any sin, then know it’s an opportunity for you to deepen your faith and your love of God despite how you feel.  This is a true grace and we should be grateful that God loves us enough to call us to faith even when we feel very little inside (See Diary #943).

What do you experience in your soul right now?  Do you sense the closeness of God and does that closeness give you great consolation?  Or do you feel dry and desolate as if God is hidden from you?  We must rejoice in each experience and know that God offers the grace we need for each moment.  Renew your faith this day no matter how you feel.  Do it especially in moments of much desolation.  Your act of faith in those moments will open the gates of God’s Mercy to you and to the world more than you may realize.

Lord, I love You now and always and renew my love for You no matter how I feel.  In good times and in difficult ones I choose to love You, to have faith in You and to trust in You.  You are the God of consolation and the God of desolation.  I choose You no matter what.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Guide to St. Paul’s Writings on Salvation

Based onPaul’sLetter totheRomans

by Dr. Andrew Swafford

Let’s start at the beginning. What is sin?

Sin is more than a bad example or a mistake: sin is a dysfunction deeply rootedin our human nature, a dysfunction that manifests itself in the personal sins we each commit by individual human beings (see Romans 7:15, 17:19-20; Catechism 387, 404). This condition of sin stems from the first human being, Adam, and implicates us all (see Romans 5:12, 5:19). Even though we personally didn’t “choose” to place ourselves in opposition to God and his plan, the sin of our first parents still affects us in the same way that a pregnant woman’s decision to abuse drugs or alcohol adversely affects her child—even through no fault of the child’s own. In fact, original sin is anabsence—a lack of the grace we originally possessed. In their sin, our first parents forfeited this grace, and they couldn’t pass on what they no longer had. Original sin is like the parents of a grand estate who recklessly squander their inheritance, so there’s nothing left to pass on.

 

Because of what we have lost due to original sin, our intellects are darkened, our wills are weakened, and our moral lives are an intense struggle—a battle in which we very often know what the right thing to do is, but still have great difficulty doing it because we want to do the wrong thing. This dissolution within ourselves leads to spiritual andphysical distress and death, alienation from God, and disharmony with one another and even with the created order.

 

What does it mean to be saved?

In Jesus, God has united himself with us and entered fully the plight of our human condition, even dying our death. God chooses to enter our “mess,” so to speak, seeking to take sin out at its root and transform us from within. By dying as we die, Jesus deals with the full consequences of sin—namely, death itself (see Genesis 3:19; Romans 5:12). But death couldn’t hold Jesus—and indeed, this is what salvation is all about: by entering into Christ, we share in his death and his resurrection (see Romans 4:25; 6:5). In salvation, then, God atones for our sinand gives us a share in the risen life of theEternal Son (see Catechism 654).

 

How do we enter into Christ?

In Romans 5, St. Paul teaches clearly that those who are in Christ, the New Adam, now share in his victory over sin and death (see Romans 5:14, 5:19). The question for us is, “How do I get out of the Old Adam and into the NewAdam?” Paul answers this directly in Romans 6—through Baptism.

 

Baptism incorporates us into the death of Jesus and enables us to share— even now—in his risen life: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from death by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”(Romans 6:3-4). Clearly, for Paul, Baptism accomplishes something— it’s the means by which we enter into the victory of the Cross (see Romans 6:5, 6:8, 6:11).

 

Am I saved?

Is salvation a past, present, or future event? The answer is it’s all three:

●      I was saved in Baptism.

●      I am being saved throughthe power of the HolySpirit’s ongoingtransformation of my life.

●      And I hope to be saved bypersevering to the very end incharity.

 

Salvation is about entering into Christ’s life and death and sharing in his Eternal Sonship. Salvation is not merely an acquittal—it’s not just the removal of a guilty verdict. Salvation is about divine adoption, whereby we become sons and daughters in Christ.Salvation is thus a dynamic process,which begins in new birth and continuesin the Spirit’s continual transformationof our lives. In other words, it is not a static reality or a one-time event. This is why St. Paul can exhort us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

 

What is required for salvation—faith or works?

Paul says very clearly that both faithand works are required for salvation—in other words, “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). For Paul, faith is not simply a matter of “belief,” a positive attitude or disposition toward God. Rather, faith includes “obedience” (see Romans 1:5; 16:26)—it’s a matter offaithfulness. The evidence of our faith—the evidence of our salvation—is a transformed life marked by good works (see Romans 2:6, 2:13).

 

To overcome this dichotomy between faith and works, we need to think of salvation not in the context of a courtroom, but in the context of a family— because that’s what a “covenant” is all about. God forges family bonds with us and with one another.

 

In the New Covenant, God has sent us the Holy Spirit and thus has infused us with divine life—the very life of the risen Christ (see Galatians 2:20 and Romans 5:5). He has not merely acquitted us, as a judge might; he hasadopted us as a Father does. Our good works, then, are those of a loving son or daughter—not merely those of an employee or slave. Ultimately, a father demands more from a son or daughter than a judge does from a defendant, but a father’s mercy is also far greater and deeper than that of a judge.

 

Our natural life is a gift we did not earn, and yet we truly participate in ourown natural growth and maturation. The same is true of our supernatural life: it begins as pure gift, given to us in Baptism. But like our natural life, this gift of divine life is dynamic and grows within us as we become ever more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (see Romans 12:1). God is thesource of our salvation, but he doesn’tsave us without us. We truly participate and cooperate in the Spirit’s ongoing transformation of our lives. Salvation is about the gift of divine life and the growth of this life within us as we become mature sons and daughters of the Father, conformed to the image of Christ Jesus.

 

What’s it all about?

In essence, Christianity comes down to this: accepting with love the gift given to us in Baptism, and allowing the Holy Spirit to reproduce the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in and through each of us personally.

 

Jesus goes to the Cross as our Head, in solidarity with us, not merely as our substitute. And through the gift of the Spirit, he infuses our fallen humanity with his divinity (see Catechism 460). In Baptism, we enter into his death and resurrection; in the Holy Eucharist, we are offered up “in Him, with Him, and through Him” to the Father; and each day, through the power of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more and more an outpouring of love for others.

 

In this way, through the life of the Son and the gift of the Spirit, God answers the deepest yearnings of the human heart—healing our wounded nature andelevating us to share in his blessedlife.

 

“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)

Guide to St. Paul’s Writings on Salvation

Based onPaul’sLetter totheRomans

by Dr. Andrew Swafford

Let’s start at the beginning. What is sin?

Sin is more than a bad example or a mistake: sin is a dysfunction deeply rootedin our human nature, a dysfunction that manifests itself in the personal sins we each commit by individual human beings (see Romans 7:15, 17:19-20; Catechism 387, 404). This condition of sin stems from the first human being, Adam, and implicates us all (see Romans 5:12, 5:19). Even though we personally didn’t “choose” to place ourselves in opposition to God and his plan, the sin of our first parents still affects us in the same way that a pregnant woman’s decision to abuse drugs or alcohol adversely affects her child—even through no fault of the child’s own. In fact, original sin is anabsence—a lack of the grace we originally possessed. In their sin, our first parents forfeited this grace, and they couldn’t pass on what they no longer had. Original sin is like the parents of a grand estate who recklessly squander their inheritance, so there’s nothing left to pass on.

 

Because of what we have lost due to original sin, our intellects are darkened, our wills are weakened, and our moral lives are an intense struggle—a battle in which we very often know what the right thing to do is, but still have great difficulty doing it because we want to do the wrong thing. This dissolution within ourselves leads to spiritual andphysical distress and death, alienation from God, and disharmony with one another and even with the created order.

 

What does it mean to be saved?

In Jesus, God has united himself with us and entered fully the plight of our human condition, even dying our death. God chooses to enter our “mess,” so to speak, seeking to take sin out at its root and transform us from within. By dying as we die, Jesus deals with the full consequences of sin—namely, death itself (see Genesis 3:19; Romans 5:12). But death couldn’t hold Jesus—and indeed, this is what salvation is all about: by entering into Christ, we share in his death and his resurrection (see Romans 4:25; 6:5). In salvation, then, God atones for our sinand gives us a share in the risen life of theEternal Son (see Catechism 654).

 

How do we enter into Christ?

In Romans 5, St. Paul teaches clearly that those who are in Christ, the New Adam, now share in his victory over sin and death (see Romans 5:14, 5:19). The question for us is, “How do I get out of the Old Adam and into the NewAdam?” Paul answers this directly in Romans 6—through Baptism.

 

Baptism incorporates us into the death of Jesus and enables us to share— even now—in his risen life: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from death by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”(Romans 6:3-4). Clearly, for Paul, Baptism accomplishes something— it’s the means by which we enter into the victory of the Cross (see Romans 6:5, 6:8, 6:11).

 

Am I saved?

Is salvation a past, present, or future event? The answer is it’s all three:

●      I was saved in Baptism.

●      I am being saved throughthe power of the HolySpirit’s ongoingtransformation of my life.

●      And I hope to be saved bypersevering to the very end incharity.

 

Salvation is about entering into Christ’s life and death and sharing in his Eternal Sonship. Salvation is not merely an acquittal—it’s not just the removal of a guilty verdict. Salvation is about divine adoption, whereby we become sons and daughters in Christ.Salvation is thus a dynamic process,which begins in new birth and continuesin the Spirit’s continual transformationof our lives. In other words, it is not a static reality or a one-time event. This is why St. Paul can exhort us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

 

What is required for salvation—faith or works?

Paul says very clearly that both faithand works are required for salvation—in other words, “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). For Paul, faith is not simply a matter of “belief,” a positive attitude or disposition toward God. Rather, faith includes “obedience” (see Romans 1:5; 16:26)—it’s a matter offaithfulness. The evidence of our faith—the evidence of our salvation—is a transformed life marked by good works (see Romans 2:6, 2:13).

 

To overcome this dichotomy between faith and works, we need to think of salvation not in the context of a courtroom, but in the context of a family— because that’s what a “covenant” is all about. God forges family bonds with us and with one another.

 

In the New Covenant, God has sent us the Holy Spirit and thus has infused us with divine life—the very life of the risen Christ (see Galatians 2:20 and Romans 5:5). He has not merely acquitted us, as a judge might; he hasadopted us as a Father does. Our good works, then, are those of a loving son or daughter—not merely those of an employee or slave. Ultimately, a father demands more from a son or daughter than a judge does from a defendant, but a father’s mercy is also far greater and deeper than that of a judge.

 

Our natural life is a gift we did not earn, and yet we truly participate in ourown natural growth and maturation. The same is true of our supernatural life: it begins as pure gift, given to us in Baptism. But like our natural life, this gift of divine life is dynamic and grows within us as we become ever more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (see Romans 12:1). God is thesource of our salvation, but he doesn’tsave us without us. We truly participate and cooperate in the Spirit’s ongoing transformation of our lives. Salvation is about the gift of divine life and the growth of this life within us as we become mature sons and daughters of the Father, conformed to the image of Christ Jesus.

 

What’s it all about?

In essence, Christianity comes down to this: accepting with love the gift given to us in Baptism, and allowing the Holy Spirit to reproduce the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in and through each of us personally.

 

Jesus goes to the Cross as our Head, in solidarity with us, not merely as our substitute. And through the gift of the Spirit, he infuses our fallen humanity with his divinity (see Catechism 460). In Baptism, we enter into his death and resurrection; in the Holy Eucharist, we are offered up “in Him, with Him, and through Him” to the Father; and each day, through the power of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more and more an outpouring of love for others.

 

In this way, through the life of the Son and the gift of the Spirit, God answers the deepest yearnings of the human heart—healing our wounded nature andelevating us to share in his blessedlife.

 

“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)