Is There Salvation

Outside of the Church ?

"A projected barrier to interreligious dialog seems to be an exclusiveness that claims — that in fact if you don't believe in Jesus Christ, you will not be right with God. ... " Can a Jew, Muslim, Hindu, or any person who sincerely believes and practices their religious tenants be received into Heaven?

A person can be saved, can attain salvation, but only on condition that the person is open to God's action within him. The fundamental philosophy is that God is good, He is just, and He is merciful. At the root of God's being is the fact that He is truth. At the root of all created beings is a sense of and need for truth. Without truth there is no basis for bodily, emotional, or material development.

No major bridge or skyscraper could ever be built without basic engineering truths. The human body would not hold together if it were not based upon highly developed and stable truths. Emotions without being given stability by way of truth would be devastating to individuals. Truth, by nature, is necessary for continued existence.

In one's personal life one must be open to truth. In addition, one must put into practice the truths acquired. It does no good to learn the truths of how to construct a suspension bridge and then to ignore the necessary principles of truth with which to construct it.

In the essence of God's being is truth. If anyone expects to be accepted before God one must have the sincere desire to seek out and accept truth (Baptism of Desire).¹ When truth is acquired it must then be put into practice or it would become idle and consequently useless truth. We cannot be like Pontius Pilate who asked the question, "What is truth?" ² To Pilate truth was subjective and consequently he found it expedient to have Jesus crucified according to the desires of the Jews. There should be no doubt that the three who were most responsible for Jesus' suffering and death –Judas, Herod, and Pilate ³– are sharing the same fate of eternal suffering (commonly being referred to as eternal death – dead in the sense of having lost eternal life).

Baptism of Desire

"Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes (admission of guilt), but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise (forgiveness – absolution)." " [Luke 23:39-43]

² So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" [Jn. 18:37-38]

"He willed to give us birth by the word of truth. . ." [James 1:18]

³ (Even) Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly. [Luke 23:11-12]

God not only is truth, He practices truth in every possible manner. We would be unable to place any degree of trust in God if He did not practice truth. Without common truth there can be no unity or harmony – a grave problem in today's world when nations are continuing on the path of developing doomsday weapons.

Another attribute of God is that He is reasonable. God holds no one accountable for truths that are not fairly presented in sufficient detail to be understood and put into practice. For those who are limited in their comprehension of truth, it (truth) must additionally be evidenced or given witness to by those who do have the capacity for its fuller appreciation. In God's goodness, justice, and mercy, no one is held accountable for knowledge they had no reasonable access to, did not have time to appreciate, was too sublime for them to comprehend, or, that was not given adequate supportive witness. (Jesus give perfect witness to faith. Believers must also give witness of faith.)

He summoned the crowd again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand." [Mark 7:14]
"If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it." [John 13:17]
but as it is written: "Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand." [Romans 15:21]
Now the natural person does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually." [1 Cor. 2:14]
"Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord." [Ephes. 5:17]
"But these people, like irrational animals born by nature for capture and destruction, revile things that they do not understand, and in their destruction they will also be destroyed,"
[2 Peter 2:12]
"speaking of these things as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures." [2 Peter 3:16]

ACCOUNTABILITY comes with understanding:

"On the first day of the seventh month, therefore, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak till midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion; at his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and on his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam. Ezra opened the scroll so that all the people might see it (for he was standing higher up than any of the people); and, as he opened it, all the people rose. Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, "Amen, amen! [the amens of the people acknowledged their belief in the Word of God and their acceptance of it.]" Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground. (The Levites Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah explained the law to the people, who remained in their places.) Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could understand what was read." [Neh. 8:2-8]

NOTE: Children not old enough to understand –logically this would include those who where mentally incapable of understanding regardless of age– where not accountable for what they were not able to hear or understand.

Openness To and an Interest In Acquiring
a Knowledge and Understanding of Truth:

"Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. This was the scripture passage he was reading:

"Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

In (his) humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth."

Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?" " [Acts 8:30-34]

The eunuch recognized his lack of knowledge and not only had the strong desire to learn, but was also open to receiving instruction. Philip was an excellent teacher and witness to his faith in Jesus. When the eunuch had acquired knowledge that was reasonable and was given adequate faith witness, he was granted the gift of faith and immediately proceeded to ask for and then received baptism. Apart from the instruction and faith witness he received, the eunuch's strong desire for truth (Baptism of Desire) and willingness to put it into practice should be seen as sufficient for salvation as long as he had sorrow for past transgressions and kept the natural law.

NOTE: The gift of faith is given to those who are open to truth, seek out (available) understanding,

and are willing to practice the truths received.

Jesus said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me." [John 14:6]

Was Jesus wrong then when he said that He was the way, the truth and the life?

Jesus is God and is therefore the epitome of truth. God is the fullness of truth. Anyone who honestly is open to truth and seeks it out is seeking unity with Jesus. –Jesus is the way. The way is truth. Acceptance of truth brings eternal life.– As can be understood from the above account concerning the prophet Ezra, only those able to hear and understand the Word of God are held accountable.

Regardless of the availability of particular truths one must be open to and practicing truths as they are established. Those who pass from this life –from the instant of conception (fertilization) to reaching the age of understanding– and have not had the ability or opportunity to make choices will, through God's justice and mercy, be granted a reasonable opportunity to accept or reject Him in some alternate state of existence. There are no free rides into Heaven. Everyone is given reasonable opportunity to either accept or reject truth (Jesus Christ).

It must always be remembered that one who has had a reasonable opportunity to learn truth is accountable for the truths acquired. Acquired truths must be put into practice as evidence of one's faith.

"Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that
faith without works is useless?" [James 2:20]

"See how a person is justified by works
and not by faith alone." [James 2:24]

"But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works
may be clearly seen as done in God." [John 3:21]

"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do
the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father." [John 14:12]

Can someone get to heaven without accepting Jesus?

The implication received from the word "accepting" is that one has had knowledge reasonably presented. If one has knowledge of truth made available and rejects that knowledge, then one does not obtain salvation. While I make this statement as a believing Catholic, it must be said that wherever truth is to be found it must be accepted and practiced. If that means that if one believes that Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists have the fullness of truth then one must go where they believe truth to exist.

So long as natural law is maintained then final determination of salvation must be left in the hands of God. To have hope of salvation one must always be open to truth and put received truths into practice. As a man trained in faith I am specially obligated to be open to presentations of truths accepted by others and reasonably presented. ⁴ If I am not open to examining presented systems of belief then I cannot reasonably expect others to be open to that which I present.

⁴ "Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient. So do not be associated with them." [Ephes. 5:6-7]
"I want you to insist on these points, that those who have believed in God be careful to devote themselves to good works; these are excellent and beneficial to others. Avoid foolish arguments, genealogies, rivalries, and quarrels about the law, for they are useless and futile. After a first and second warning, break off contact with a heretic, realizing that such a person is perverted and sinful and stands self-condemned." [Titus 3:8-11]

A truism is that many are not adequately trained in their faith and are dependant upon those they look up to for security in faith. A grave moral obligation exists in regard to those trained in faith to set example for, and to explain the faith so that others are made able to hold onto teachings of truth. — It is unfortunate that many religions depend upon keeping their flocks via systematics of half-truths and falsehoods. Reprisals and shunning are often used against those who choose (within natural law – one should not associate with those choosing to live immorally) a different path other than that in which they were raised. COMMENT: A true believer does not participate in false worship observances.

There are reasonable limits that can be set in regard to presentations. An understanding of the attributes or qualities of God would be a reasonable basis for developing dialog. If a developed understanding of God cannot be established then it is probable that at least one of the participants is not open to truth. Further discussions would then normally be fruitless.

A reasonable parameter for God should be that He is not whimsical. God does not play games with man. He is not changeable. His will is constant and is not swayed by human opinion or demands. God would not have one set of rules for some people for which others would not be held accountable. –Stealing must be understood to be wrong for all peoples of all ages. Stealing cannot be a punishable offense for one group and acceptable for another.– Since God is unchangeable, a doctrine of faith presented as coming from God must be understood to be unchangeable. True doctrine does not vacillate according to momentary human preference. Basic human nature is the same in all ages. It does not change.

Those with inadequate preparation in the true faith, or, who have been given repeated bad witness by those around them and particularly by priests and bishops, are seen to have lessened accountability ⁵ before God in regard to the true faith. All however are held accountability to basic standards commonly referred to as natural law. When one who has believed in Jesus Christ rejects Him, then one is accountable for subsequent judgement.

⁵ "It would be better for him if a millstone were put around
his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him
to cause one of these little ones to sin." [Lk. 17:2]

Carefully reflect upon the following passage:

"Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but
whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because
he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." [John 3:18]

A prerequisite for believing or not believing is knowledge. It is impossible for one to say that he accepts or rejects something that he has not been made aware of, or has not been given sufficient information upon which to base a decision. God, the perfect reasonable being that He is, would not expect the impossible from anyone.

When Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through me." [John 14:6], what did He mean?

Depending upon what one wants to be believe Scripture passages can be interpreted either broadly or narrowly. It is for this reason that a formal authoritative teaching source or systematic of belief must be available to all. While there have been general rules proclaimed by different ones, usually to their own benefit, they should not be accepted as definitive unless temporarily, or for an indeterminate period of time, no more highly authoritative source of authentication is available.

What Jesus said is absolutely true, but as previously stated Jesus is truth. It is the desire for truth and the subsequent practice of it that brings salvation. To desire truth is to desire Jesus and therefore anyone who desires truth, and practices it when found, obtains salvation through Jesus.

The following passages can be reflected upon as previously stated. One can neither believe in nor disobey that of which he has no knowledge.

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son
will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him." [John 3:36]

"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life." [John 6:47]

"Who (indeed) is the victor over the world but the one
who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" [1 John 5:5]

Every person who has a desire for eternal life and recognizes the need for being in accordance with the will of God, then with an open mind sincerely seeks truth -- God is truth -- gains salvation by putting learned truth into practice. Anyone who acts in faith concerning our creator and follows the pattern as stated previously can be accepted into the kingdom of Heaven even without direct knowledge of Jesus Christ. However, one who knowingly rejects or is indifferent to truth (Jesus), the Word of God, looses salvation.

Self-assurance in regard to salvation is counterproductive. It must be noted that Saint Paul only claimed salvation after enduring many hardships in the service of the Lord over a period of many years.⁶ Saint Paul knew he would die as a martyr in the service of his Savior. Unless one is inspired after years of service to the Lord in anticipation of imminent death as Saint Paul was, then any belief or feeling of assurance of salvation is misplaced confidence. Over confidence regarding salvation leads many to moral decay and eternal destruction.
"For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance." [2 Tim. 4:6-8]
⁶ "I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death. Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant?" [ 2 Cor. 11:23-29]

When we have truth available to us and do not accept it we are accountable to God. One can memorize the whole of Sacred Scripture, additionally can memorize the doctrines of their church, but does not act in faith –according to the truths of the teachings memorized– will not have salvation. They are not affected by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. (See references in the anti-abortion answering machine message 12/93).

The following is an intriguing passage because it too is often poorly understood.

Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not also blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, 'We see,' so your sin remains.
"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper (can be thought of as the Holy Spirit) opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger;⁷ they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers." [John 9:40-10:5]

⁷ False prophet, minister, priest, rabbi, guru, bishop, fakir, mujtahid, etc.

The Pharisees were acting as blind shepherds. They were not open to truth. They were not acting according to the will of God. They were not only bringing about their own destruction, but also the destruction of all who listened to their teachings.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves." [Matthew 23:15]

All false teachers, whether they be Pharisees, Catholic Christians, non-Catholic Christians, or other religious leaders, are counted among those who approach the sheep by some means other than through Jesus Christ (Truth). Those who know and practice the teachings of Jesus, under His authorization, are classed as acceptable servants of the Chief Shepherd and are entering through the gate. The reason there are so many divisions in Christianity and so much lack of cohesiveness in other religious beliefs is that there are so few who know or are willing to accept the full teachings of Jesus. Everyone who calls himself a spiritual guide and does not know, or diverges from, the full Word of God is no more than a wolf in sheep's clothing. He is at best a blind guide who leads his followers to destruction.

All leaders have an obligation to know and teach the facts of the true faith. Further, they are to give good examples of faith by leading a life of faith. Everyone who considers himself as being among the priestly people of God must set good example to members of his family, his friends, his associates, and to everyone else with whom he comes into contact.

A priestly person is one who presents (makes an offering of) his / her efforts ⁸ at serving Jesus in a worthy manner. Every person who does so is a member of the priesthood of the people. Jesus, as high priest –a term that indicates there are other priests serving under Him– is the one who presents all worthy gifts / offerings to God the Father. Jesus joins all of these gifts with His own propitiatory offering made at the Last Supper and consummated once on Calvary. (NOTE: Jesus, as He is God, is not subject to the constraints of time.)

⁸

in the state of grace

Jesus and His servant priests are referred to as ministerial priests. A ministerial priest is one who accepts / gathers offerings being made to God the Father and then passes them onto the next higher level. During the period of consecration and offering, a servant priest is one with Christ, that is, acts in the person of Christ (in persona Christi – is united with Jesus during His sacrificial offering that takes place at the Last Supper). Servant (ministerial) priests accept the offerings of the lay priests and offer them to Jesus so that He may combine them with His own sacrifice to be consummated on Calvary.

The true ministerial servant priesthood exists only in the Catholic Church. This belief is in accordance with the teachings and recognized authority of Jesus. Authority has been granted to the apostles and their successor priests who act in union with the authority of Peter and his legitimate successors.

"But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly." [1 Peter 4:13]
"So I exhort the presbyters (priests) among you, as a fellow presbyter (priest / elder) and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed." [1 Peter 5:1] NOTE: In this passage Peter is clearly referring to the ministerial priesthood, not to the priesthood of the people.
"Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." " [John 6:53-56]

Only through the true ministerial priesthood –found solely in the Catholic Church– is Jesus brought present through the auspices of His sanctioned ministers — to the twelve Jesus said, "Do this in memory of me" [Luke 22:19; 1Cor. 11:24f]. To fulfill the command of John 6:53-56 (quoted above) requires one to be a true believer in the Word of God. One who picks and chooses what he will and will not believe eats and drinks unto condemnation.

"Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily
will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord." [1 Cor. 11:27]

"For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body,
eats and drinks judgment on himself." [1 Cor. 11:29]

"By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.... But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." [Hebrews 11:3 & 6]

(Rev. 26 June 1999)

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