Is this six minute clip from Bishop Barron, he speaks to why the cross of Jesus was necessary. I will summarize and expand on some of his points in this post, but I will not do justice to what he says, so if you have a few minutes it’s well worth the time. https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/video/why-was-the-cross-necessary-faith-seeks-understanding/122/ Bishop … Continue reading God’s Justice versus God’s Mercy
Month: October 2020
The Atonement as Satisfaction
In the eleventh century St. Anselm, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote “Cur Deus Homo,” which translated is “Why God Became Man.” In this work, he directly took on the idea that there was no true justice in the idea that God had to pay Satan a ransom to redeem His creation. His focus … Continue reading The Atonement as Satisfaction
The Atonement as Christus Victor
Another dominant view of the atonement from the early Church is Christus Victor. This view focuses on the victory Christ won on the cross over the powers that hold mankind in bondage – sin, death, and Satan. Adam and Eve by their disobedience placed humanity under this bondage. Unlike the ransom view of atonement which … Continue reading The Atonement as Christus Victor
The Atonement as Ransom
In my last post I referred to a common saying that “Jesus paid a debt he did not owe, because I owed a debt I could not pay.” Sacred Scripture does support the idea that Christ is paying a “debt” with his sacrifice as we read in Colossians 2:13-14 - “And you, who were dead … Continue reading The Atonement as Ransom
An Overview of the Atonement/God’s Active or Permitted Will?
Scripture tells us three times in the Garden of Gethsemane Christ prayed to the Father to allow the cup of his passion to pass from him; that he would not have to drink it. And all three times he also prayed that not his will, but the Father’s will be done. It becomes a model … Continue reading An Overview of the Atonement/God’s Active or Permitted Will?
Mortal and Venial Sins Part 3
A couple of posts back I quoted a view that the concept of a difference between mortal and venial sins isn’t Biblical. We’ll now turn to the most explicit passage of Scripture that specifically says, yes it is. We already reviewed this passage in the context of whether a person can lose their salvation where … Continue reading Mortal and Venial Sins Part 3
Mortal and Venial Sins Part 2
To resolve the question as to whether some sins are greater than others, we simply have to look to the words of Christ. When standing before Pilate to be condemned to death, Pilate asks Jesus, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to … Continue reading Mortal and Venial Sins Part 2
Mortal and Venial Sins Part 1
Closely related to our understanding that a person who was once a member of the body of Christ can be severed and “lose” their salvation is an understanding of whether certain sins will result in this separation. For all of those Christian groups who do not profess a doctrine of Once-Saved, Always Saved or in … Continue reading Mortal and Venial Sins Part 1
Presumption versus Despair
The Catholic teaching about “presumption” is one that some Christian groups can find offensive. It can be seen as an affront to how they view Christ’s finished work on the cross. We will explore that concept more as we delve deeper into our understanding of salvation and how it may differ from some. But for … Continue reading Presumption versus Despair
Once-Saved, Always-Saved Part 6
In his writings in Sacred Scripture, St. Paul affirms many of the things we’ve already seen regarding our salvation –faithfulness to Christ is not optional, we must remain in him, and we must persevere to the end. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, St. Paul writes “Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached … Continue reading Once-Saved, Always-Saved Part 6
Once-Saved, Always-Saved Part 5
The Bible includes many passages that indicate an individual can lose their salvation. We’ve looked at what Christ has to say. Before we move on to St. Paul, I’d like to look at some of the other New Testament passages that speak to this topic. In the book of Acts we read “When they had … Continue reading Once-Saved, Always-Saved Part 5
Between the Farm and the Cross 