Save

Jesus did not come to save 

for Heaven, 

he came to save 

from sin 

all the way to Heaven. 

Forsake Sin is Heavenly

Heaven is only for sinners that forsake their sin, by the Holy Spirit Power, following Christ in humility and dependence. 

Just because God loves you does not mean he will save you. 

Salvation is in Christ. 

You must choose to be in Christ by abandoning your whole self into his care. 

Heaven

Heaven is only for sinners that forsake their sin and surrender complete abandonment to Jesus.

Grace and Free Will

Saved by grace yes; but he will not save apart from free will ascent. (It’s both not one or the other)

Grace convicts

You choose: agree or disagree

Agree: grace delivers

Disagree: grace retreats

Sacraments

Introduction to the Sacraments

* There are three elements in the concept of a sacrament: 1. The external- a sensibly perceptible sign of sanctifying grace 2. Its institution by God 3. The actual conferring of grace

* From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1131)- Sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us”.

“Efficacious signs of grace” (CCC 1127, 1145-1152)- Efficacious means that something is successful in producing a desired or intended result; it’s effective. Sacraments are accompanied by special signs or symbols that produce what they signify. These are the external, sensibly perceptible signs.

“..instituted by Christ” (CCC 1117) -no human power could attach an inward grace to an outward sign, only God could do that. During his public ministry, Jesus fashioned seven sacraments. The Church cannot institute new sacraments. There can never be more or less than 7. In the coming weeks as we look at each of the sacraments individually, you’ll learn about how Christ instituted each one.

“... entrusted to the Church” (CCC 1118) – By Christ’s will, the Church oversees the celebration of the sacraments.

“...divine life is dispensed to us” – This divine life is grace, it is a share in God’s own life. The sacraments give sanctifying grace which is the sharing in God’s own life that is the result of God’s love, the Holy Spirit, indwelling in the soul. Sanctifying grace is not the only grace God wants to give us. Each sacrament also gives the sacramental grace of that particular sacrament.

* The sacramental principle- This is the idea that God engages both our body and soul (sense and intellect) to affect our salvation in order to sanctify the whole person. The sacramental principle affirms the goodness of the material world and of matter in general.

* Matter and Form: Matter- what is perceptible to the senses, it is either a physical substance or a perceptible action. Form – refers to the words that are spoken in prayer of the sacrament. Both the matter and the form of the sacraments come from Christ and the apostles; because of this divine origin, the Church teaches that if either matter or form is lacking there is no true sacrament.

* Validity and Invalidity: To say a sacrament is valid is to say that is has truly and really been brought about. Besides matter and form, a valid sacrament needs two additional elements: a

 

validly ordained minister (there is one exception to this but I don’t want to give it away, you’ll have to listen for it in the coming weeks) and the intent to do what the Church does when administering a sacrament. When a sacrament is invalid, there is no real sacrament. Invalidity can be brought about in several ways: defect of form, defect of matter, lack of the properly ordained minister, or the lack of intent.

* Purposes of the Sacraments- from the Catechism (1123) - to sanctify the recipient (conferring of grace)

- to build up the Church, the Body of Christ (gives sanctification to the help carry on Christ’s work on earth

- to give worship to the Father (all we do should bring us to closer God and should bring Him glory)

Church to relationship with

*Three groups of sacraments- Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist) Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick) Sacraments of Service (Matrimony, Holy Orders)

The sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders are received only once. This is because they imprint a specific character on the soul. It is an individual mark that God puts on the soul, a permanent quality with lasts forever.

Unbelief is the test of faith

Unbelief is the test of faith 

Repentance is a Biblical word. The Old Testament thunders, “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin” (Ezekiel 18:30). The New Testament also vigorously exhorts men and women to repent. “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish,” said Jesus (Luke 13:3). “Repent … and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,” said the Apostle Peter (Acts 3:19). “Now [God] commands all men everywhere to repent,” the Apostle Paul said (Acts 17:30).

The Bible commands it, our wickedness demands it, justice requires it, Christ preached it and God expects it. The divine, unalterable edict is still valid: God commands all people everywhere to repent.

Unbelief is the test of faith: conviction, contrition, changing your will to agree. 

1. God is
2. God is love
3. He has been calling you all your life. He has been acting on your Will attracting you to himself. 
4. God loves you with a special love (knows you personally) (made you himself)
5. God has a specific plan for you tailored for you. Even sin and the evil all around is built into his plan. (This must not scandalize you….he uses all things)
6. God wants you to fight the sin inside by walking in Holy Spirit’s Grace. Accept responsibility for your own dysfunction. Repent. 
7. God wants you to absorb the pain and trust he is good and will heal-do not hate or try to get retribution. 
8. Trust God knew the evil and will work it for good
9. Trust that you don’t need to fight battles if you let God have his way he will work it out. 
10. You can’t pay people back for the harm you have caused and others can’t pay you  for what you think you are owed…you must let God handle things and pray for both parties to be healed. 
11. Trust you don’t understand his ways and what you think, see, or feel is not the gage. Only faith and trust in Him is. 
12. You must let him guide you. You must surrender and be docile to the Holy Spirit. He is trying to enlighten your mind to his love. 
13. You can resist 
14. Refusing to believe is what damns people to hell. 

This is what Christ was telling us when He said, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Of all the people who hear God’s calling, only those who respond with repentance become His chosen people—His elect.

God wants everyone to be saved. God gives sufficient grace to all men. What makes the saving faith grace efficient is your Will agreeing with His. (Just like all the sacraments) You must choose to Believe Him at all costs to what you think, see, and feel. He is more majestic than your mind can fathom. 

Joseph, Mary, Paul, Peter: knew even during trials it was Gods will. Kept the faith. Trials and evil do not mean God does not love you. It means he uses them to grow you. 

Cain and Judas wanted to keep doing their way and not believe God is good and could forgive. Did not want to accept their wrongdoing. Gave up hope in love. Kept running away instead of to God. 

Cain and Judas could have accepted responsibility for the sin they did. Take the punishment and ask for forgiveness. Unwillingness to accept responsibility, absorb the pain, and pray for healing led to Unbelief in His desire to be in union with them. 

You cannot force someone to take responsibility for their sin. You cannot force someone to love you. You cannot force someone to want good to the detriment of possible pain of self. You cannot force someone to want Faith hope and love.  

God punishes the sinner who is not covered in the blood of Christ: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

Consider the case of a righteous judge who must sentence a man to death. The judge is a good man, honest, and full of mercy. Yet, he must enforce the law set before him. Is it his will (desire) to sentence the man to death? No. But, because there are laws, he must enforce them. Likewise with God. He desires that people not perish, but many will because they reject God and His Messiah. They will then face the judgment of the Lawgiver. The Law will be enforced.

Repentance is key for salvation. 

First, repentance is not penance. Penance is the voluntary suffering of punishment for sin and does not necessarily involve a change of character or conduct. People who lie on a bed of spikes or throw themselves headlong on the ground are doing penance, but this act does not mean that their guilt has been absolved.

Second, repentance is not remorse. Judas was remorseful over his sin of betrayal of the Son of God, but his shallow regret led to suicide instead of to God, because remorse is not true repentance.

Third, repentance is not self-condemnation. You may hate yourself for your sinfulness, but self-condemnation only opens wider the wounds of guilt and despair. We should hate our sins, not ourselves. Hate your false ways, hate your vain thoughts, hate your evil passions, hate your lying, hate your covetousness, hate your greed, but do not hate yourself. Self-hatred leads to self-destruction, and it is wrong to destroy that which was created in God’s image. Repentance is not self-condemnation.

There are three elements in genuine repentance. 

First, there is conviction. You must know what is right before you can know what is wrong. 

The second element of true repentance is contrition. The Bible says, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Contrition, or “godly sorrow,” as it is called in 2 Corinthians 7:10, is not a shallow sentiment nor empty emotion. It is a sincere regret over past sins and an earnest desire to walk in a new path of righteousness.

Third, repentance carries with it the idea of changing—changing your mind, changing your attitude, changing your ways. The Bible says, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). If we are truly repentant, our will is brought into action and we will make a reversal of direction. And God, seeing that we are in earnest, gives us the gift of eternal life.

God calls all:

When I’m lifted up call all men to myself 

He has mercy on all he has made

Grace is in Jesus

Acts 17:30

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,

Isaiah 45:22

“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other. 

Ezekiel 33:11, “‘As I live,’ saith the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. 

Daily Prayer in Soul Closet

My Daily Prayer in the Quiet of my Soul

1. In returning & Rest you shall be saved

In quietness & trust you shall be strengthened

1. I go into my room and close the door-close out the whole world & commune with you in the room of my soul in Returning, rest, quiet & trust.

A Come Holy Spirit take control of me

B Make my thoughts words and deeds Holy

In & out 3 times

A. Lord Have Mercy on me

B. Jesus I trust in you 

In & out 3 times

A. Be Still & Know I Am God.

B. Thy Will Be Done My Father

In & out 3 times

On the in Breath-God fills me with Him

A. Come Holy Spirit take control of me 

B. Lord have Mercy

C. Be Still & Know I AM God.

On the Out Breath-I Surrender to Him

A. Make my thoughts words and deeds Holy 

B. Jesus I trust in You

C. Thy Will Be Done My Father

Holy Trinity in breaths (Spirit, Jesus, Father-In & out 3 times)