"In the process of salvation by co-operating with grace through faith in Jesus Christ, as sustained

"In the process of salvation by co-operating with grace through faith in Jesus Christ, as sustained by the sacraments and by works of love, because faith without works is dead."

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Salvation

 


The Catholic Gospel of Salvation:

Through Jesus Christ—true God and true man—humanity is redeemed from sin and offered eternal life by God’s grace, received through faith, baptism, the sacraments, and perseverance in love.

From Scripture

  • John 3:16–17 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

  • Ephesians 2:8–10 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”

  • Mark 16:16 – “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

  • Romans 10:9–10 – “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

  • James 2:17 – “Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

  • CCC §422–424 – “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. … Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation.”

  • CCC §1257 – “The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation… the Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude.”

  • CCC §1992 – “Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy.”

  • CCC §1815 – “Faith apart from works is dead and useless.”

  • CCC §2008 – “The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace.”

  • CCC §2027 – “No one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification; it is bestowed freely by God.”

In One Sentence

Salvation, according to the Catholic Church, is the free gift of God’s grace won by Christ’s death and resurrection, received through faith and baptism, lived out in the sacraments and works of love, and completed by perseverance in communion with Him unto eternal life (cf. John 3:16; Mark 16:16; CCC §§422, 1257, 1992).

What the Catholic Church Teaches About Salvation

Grace, Faith, Sacraments, Theosis, and Life in the Body of Christ — A Catholic Perspective

Introduction

One of the biggest misunderstandings about Catholicism is what the Church actually teaches about salvation. Some claim Catholics try to “earn” heaven. Others say Catholics are not “saved” or not “born again.” Still others believe Catholicism replaced the Gospel with rituals, rules, or works.

The truth is far deeper, more biblical, and more ancient.

The Catholic Church teaches that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ — a salvation begun in baptism, lived in the Church, nourished by the sacraments, expressed through charity, and completed only if we persevere to the end.

This is not a system of fear or legalism. It is a relationship. A transformation. A journey into the very life of God.

Below is a full exploration of Catholic teaching, Scripture, Church Fathers, and my own perspective as a Catholic believer who finds this vision richer than any “just Jesus and me” theology I’ve encountered.

📑 TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Introduction

  2. Salvation in Catholic Teaching: The Foundations

    • a. Salvation Comes from God Alone

    • b. Christ Is the Only Savior

    • c. Salvation Is a Lifelong Process

  3. Are Catholics “Saved”?

  4. Are Catholics “Born Again”?

  5. Faith and Works in Catholic Teaching

  6. The Role of the Sacraments in Salvation

  7. Assurance of Salvation

  8. How Catholics Are Saved — Step by Step

  9. Theosis: Becoming Partakers of the Divine Nature

  10. Theosis in the Church Fathers

  11. Salvation as Communal: Life in the Body of Christ

  12. My Personal Perspective

  13. Key Authoritative Links

  14. Footnotes and Citations

1. Salvation in Catholic Teaching: The Foundations

a. Salvation Comes from God Alone

The Catholic Church is crystal clear: salvation is entirely God’s work, not ours.

“The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us… the New Being we receive in Baptism.”
— Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC §1992)
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6Z.HTM

Grace is not a reward — it is a gift.

b. Christ Is the Only Savior

No saint, sacrament, or Church authority replaces Jesus.

“There is no other name under heaven… by which we must be saved.”
— Acts 4:12

The Church’s role is not to compete with Christ, but to be His Body — the instrument through which He continues His saving work in the world.

c. Salvation Is a Lifelong Process

Catholics reject “once saved, always saved.”

“No one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness… but moved by the Holy Spirit, we can then merit for ourselves the graces needed for our sanctification.”
— CCC §2010
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P71.HTM

Salvation:

  • begins with grace

  • continues through cooperation with grace

  • is completed at our final judgment

This is exactly how Scripture describes salvation — past, present, and future.

2. Are Catholics “Saved”?

Yes — but not in the simplistic, once-and-done way some Christians use the word.

Catholics can confidently say:

“I have been saved.”

“By grace you have been saved through faith.”
— Ephesians 2:8

“I am being saved.”

“To us who are being saved…”
— 1 Corinthians 1:18

“I hope to be saved.”

“He who endures to the end will be saved.”
— Matthew 24:13

Catholicism simply embraces the whole biblical picture.

3. Are Catholics “Born Again”?

Yes — absolutely. But Catholics use the biblical meaning, not the modern Protestant reinterpretation.

Jesus explicitly defines being “born again”:

“Unless one is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
— John 3:5

For 2,000 years, the Church has understood this to refer to baptism.

“Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as children of God.”
— CCC §1213
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P3N.HTM

Thus:

✔ Catholics are born again.
✔ Catholics believe in a personal relationship with Jesus.
✔ Catholics believe in daily conversion.
✘ Catholics do NOT believe “born again” is a one-time emotional moment.

4. Faith and Works in Catholic Teaching

Catholics do not believe in “works-based salvation.”
This is a myth.

Catholic teaching is:

Salvation = Grace + Faith + Cooperation with God

Not:
✘ faith alone
Not:
✘ works alone
But:
living faith expressed in love.

Scripture is clear:

  • “We are justified by grace.” (Romans 3:24)

  • “We are saved by faith.” (Ephesians 2:8)

  • “We will be judged by our works.” (Romans 2:6–8; Matthew 25)

  • “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:24–26)

The Catechism harmonizes this beautifully:

“Faith is an entirely free gift… but faith without works is dead.”
— CCC §1815
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P63.HTM

Works do not earn salvation — they are the fruit of salvation.

5. The Role of the Sacraments in Salvation

Catholics do not believe sacraments replace Christ.

Catholics believe sacraments are the instruments Christ Himself established to bring us His grace.

Baptism — New Birth

John 3:5
CCC §1213
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P3N.HTM

Eucharist — Food of Eternal Life

“Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
— John 6:51–58

Confession — Restoration After Mortal Sin

John 20:23

Anointing — Perseverance to the End

James 5:14–15

The sacraments make salvation tangible, personal, and incarnational — just like Jesus Himself.

6. Assurance of Salvation

Catholics do not believe in absolute, infallible assurance.

Scripture warns:

  • “Let anyone who thinks he stands take heed.” (1 Cor 10:12)

  • “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12)

But Catholics do believe in:

✔ Moral assurance (confidence in God’s mercy)
✔ Hopeful certainty (trusting God’s promises)
✔ Living assurance (remaining in grace through the sacraments)

7. How Catholics Are Saved — Step by Step

  1. God gives prevenient grace.

  2. We freely respond in faith.

  3. We are born again in baptism.

  4. We receive the Holy Spirit.

  5. We grow in holiness through grace, prayer, works of love, and sacraments.

  6. We repent when we fall.

  7. We persevere in Christ.

  8. We are judged and saved by His mercy.

This is the ancient Christian understanding — long before the Reformation.

8. Theosis: Becoming Partakers of the Divine Nature

One of the most beautiful and neglected Catholic teachings is theosis — the idea that salvation is not only forgiveness, but transformation.

Biblical Foundation

“…that you may become partakers of the divine nature.”
— 2 Peter 1:4

Catechism

“The Word became flesh to make us ‘partakers of the divine nature.’”
— CCC §460
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P17.HTM

Theosis means becoming Christ-like, filled with God’s life, reshaped into holiness.

Not becoming a god — but becoming what we were made to be.

9. Theosis in the Church Fathers

The earliest Christians preached theosis boldly and consistently:

St. Athanasius

“The Son of God became man so that we might become God.”
— On the Incarnation

St. Irenaeus

Christ “became what we are, that He might bring us to be what He is.”

St. Gregory of Nyssa

“The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.”

St. Augustine

“By loving Him we become divine.”

This is not New Age spirituality — it is ancient apostolic Christianity.

10. Salvation Is Communal: Life in the Body of Christ

Catholics reject the idea that salvation is “just Jesus and me.”

We are saved in the Body of Christ, not apart from it.

Scripture:

  • “The Church is His Body.” (Ephesians 1:22–23)

  • “The household of God… the pillar and foundation of truth.” (1 Tim 3:15)

  • “We were all baptized into one Body.” (1 Cor 12:13)

Catechism:

“All salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is His Body.”
— CCC §846

The Church is:

  • God’s family

  • Christ’s Body

  • The earthly Kingdom preparing us for the heavenly Kingdom

  • The community where salvation is lived, nourished, and guarded

To be united to Christ is to be united to His Body.

11. My Personal Perspective: Why Catholic Salvation Feels More Real

For me, Catholic teaching on salvation is far more beautiful and human than the individualistic, minimalistic approach found in much of Protestantism.

a. Communion over Isolation

Salvation is a family affair, not a private contract.

b. Transformation over Transaction

Catholics don’t just want to be “declared righteous.”
We want to become righteous — by grace.

c. Theosis over Spiritual Minimalism

Protestantism largely lost the ancient belief that we are called to share in God’s life.
Catholicism kept it alive.

d. The Church over Individual Feelings

Jesus founded a visible Church — not a spiritual abstraction.
I find real peace in that.

e. A Journey, Not a Moment

Catholics aren’t looking for a single emotional experience.
We’re seeking lifelong holiness — sainthood.

In a world drowning in individualism, Catholic salvation theology feels communal, ancient, biblical, and breathtakingly complete.

12. Key Authoritative Links

Catechism of the Catholic Church
Justification: https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6Z.HTM
Grace and merit: https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P71.HTM
Baptism: https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P3N.HTM
Salvation in Christ alone: https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2H.HTM

Vatican II – Dei Verbum
https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html

USCCB: What Catholics Believe
https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe

📚 FOOTNOTES & CITATIONS

1. Salvation Comes from God Alone

  1. Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) §1992. “Justification.”
    https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6Z.HTM

  2. Romans 3:24 — “They are justified freely by His grace…”

2. Christ Is the Only Savior

  1. Acts 4:12 — “There is no other name under heaven…”

3. Salvation as a Lifelong Process

  1. CCC §2010 — “No one can merit the initial grace…”
    https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P71.HTM

  2. Philippians 2:12 — “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”

4. Past, Present, and Future Salvation

  1. Ephesians 2:8 — “By grace you have been saved…”

  2. 1 Corinthians 1:18 — “To us who are being saved…”

  3. Matthew 24:13 — “He who endures to the end will be saved.”

5. Being “Born Again”

  1. John 3:5 — “Born of water and Spirit…”

  2. CCC §1213 — Baptism as rebirth.
    https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P3N.HTM

  3. Titus 3:5 — “He saved us… by the washing of regeneration…”

6. Faith and Works Together

  1. James 2:24–26 — “Faith without works is dead.”

  2. Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8 — salvation by grace and faith.

  3. Matthew 25:31–46 — judgment based on works of mercy.

  4. CCC §1815 — “Faith without works is dead.”
    https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P63.HTM

7. Sacraments and Salvation

  1. John 6:51–58 — the Eucharist gives eternal life.

  2. John 20:21–23 — authority to forgive sins.

  3. James 5:14–15 — Anointing of the sick.

8. Assurance of Salvation

  1. 1 Corinthians 10:12 — “Let anyone who thinks he stands…”

  2. 1 Timothy 3:15 — “The Church… pillar and foundation of truth.”

9. Theosis

  1. 2 Peter 1:4 — Partaking in the divine nature.

  2. CCC §460 — “The Word became flesh to make us partakers of the divine nature.”
    https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P17.HTM

10. Church Fathers on Theosis

  1. St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation, 54.3.

  2. St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book V.

  3. St. Augustine, Commentary on Psalm 82.

  4. St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Christian Life.

11. Salvation Is Communal

  1. CCC §846 — “All salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is His Body.”
    https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P29.HTM

  2. Ephesians 1:22–23 — Church as Christ’s Body.

  3. 1 Corinthians 12:13 — Baptized into one Body.

  4. Acts 2:42 — Early Christians live the communal faith.

12. Key Authoritative Documents

  1. Vatican II, Dei Verbum — On Revelation and Authority of Scripture.
    https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html

  2. USCCB — Catholic Teaching on Salvation.
    https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe




Chris M. Forte is a San Diego–based Catholic author, researcher, and cultural historian whose work focuses on theology, heritage, and the lived experience of faith. Formed by both Catholic and Lutheran backgrounds, Chris pursued extensive studies in Scripture and Christian doctrine, ultimately finding in the Catholic Church the historical continuity and theological depth he sought.

His writing spans nonfiction, cultural analysis, and historical fiction, with ongoing projects such as My Catholic Defense, The Italian Californian, and Sieli Story, a multigenerational novel exploring faith, identity, and California history. In addition to his writing, Chris is active in community outreach and cultural preservation initiatives throughout Downtown San Diego.

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