HERE'S THE PROBLEM..... THIS IS WHY WE GET NOWHERE ON THIS TOPIC
In my 18 years of having this discussion.... and as can be seen SO obviously in forums of CF, CA, etc..... some Protestant posts the Jesus is the Savior and does the saving (even just an implication of such will do)... and POW, the non-Protestants jump in, very passionately, to debate, argue, disagree. It's usually very unclear WHAT specifically they so strongly disagree with but boy, do they!!! They will go on for pages, sometimes hundreds of pages debating that, arguing against that, protesting that! Everyone knows how true that is.
Some Protestants make it crystal clear what (precisely) they mean by "salvation" but it does no good; even if what Protestants state is EXACTLY what some Catholics say (SOME Catholics: it's initial grace in justification! Protestants: It's grace in initial justification) - it's just useless, because there is a "knee-jerk" protest (loud and amazingly persistent) to any protestant even implying that God does the saving (not self).
Of course, this IS the Catholic/Protestant divide. BOTH the RCC and Lutherans (and later Calvinists) stated THIS was the "deal breaker", THE issue at the very heart of the "split". There were other issues (infallible RCC bishop in Rome, etc.) but all those paled in comparison and perhaps were not "deal breakers" (lots of Catholics disagreed with these) THE issue was justification (in a very specific, very well defined sense). THIS very, very specific issue IS the divide in western Christianity, and has been for 500 years and counting.
In Catholicism, the foundational issue is the power - authority - infallibility - lordship of that specific, individual, unique denomination and ERGO they will defend their unique denomination (at least on formal dogma) no matter what: what is at stake is the lordship/authority of the RCC, the very denomination itself! In Protestantism, the foundation is the Gospel, the central point is not the divine power and control of one's denomination but the Savior Jesus Christ, and with a passion equal to the Catholics, they will defend that Gospel against any threat, anything that endangers it. The Catholic must defend his denomination.... the Protestant must defend his Savior.... both with equal passion. And it's been EXACTLY that since 1517 (or at least 1521). Thus, Protestants speak of the Gospel and Catholics of their individual denomination...... Protestants defend the Gospel above all while Catholics do all they can to belittle it; meanwhile Catholics defend the power/lordship/infallibility of their denomination while Protestants do all they can to belittle that.
Yes, the divide stems from different "starting points." Protestants tend to be monergists, holding to a BIG Savior for those who must be saved. Modern Catholics (for the past 500 years anyway) tend to be Pelagian synergists holding that we are little sinners who just need an opportunity and some divine help ("He who sees himself a little sinner will embrace a little savior). BUT (and I've made this point often with no non-Protestant agreeing with me), the Means of Grace exists fully in the RCC and is constantly present in the RCC and His Word does not return to God void, so I am fully convinced that Catholics (as generally as is true in Protestantism) DO have faith and DO believe in Jesus as their SAVIOR (not just helper, not just door-opener, not just offerer) it's just that their denomination's confusion has become theirs. IF you an help the Catholic "untangle" the MESS they have been fed, you'll find faith (and an amazingly LUTHERAN theology on this point!). I KNOW it. It is my own experience (and that of many Catholics - I've witnessed it repeatedly). But radical Catholics, focused only on being absolutely docilic toward their singular denomination, with defending their unique denomination NO MATTER WHAT. But, some of us keep trying....
Thus, round and round we go.... as everyone witnesses..... over and over and over. Endlessly. It's been going on for 5 centuries now...
There is NOTHING in all the universe Christians SHOULD be clearer on and should agree on more than this. But the reality is the opposite: THIS is the issue that (more than any other) divides us. SOME of us lament that and TRY to do something about it (if only on a personal, one-on-one level) but in my 18 years.... well.....
Lord, have mercy on us.
- Josiah
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