IS IT A GIFT, OR IS IT AN "IF?"

My parents divorced when I was about six.  I lived with my dad who, due to his excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church, no longer attended church.   Following his second marriage, my new siblings and I were sent to the nearest Protestant church. At the age of eighteen, while in the Navy, I was informed by my aunt, my godmother, that I was baptized as a Catholic when I was baby.  I attended Catechism classes on base, was baptized again (a “conditional baptism”), and was confirmed that same year.  Ten years later, I came to realize I had been religious, but that I needed to have a relationship with God; I needed to be a son to the Father.  On January 31, 1971, I received the free gift of salvation offered to any and all who will simply receive it by faith. 

Since that time, I have lived with the knowledge that I am a child of God (1 Jn. 3:2; 5:13)!  I have devoted my life to the study of God’s Word, and I have discovered my Roman Catholic “education” was really, according to what the Apostle Paul taught, a “false gospel” (Gal. 1:6-9; 3:1-3).  According to Ephesians 2:8-9, salvation is a free gift, but according to the following, it is an achievement earned over a lifetime of faithfulness to the Roman Catholic Church.     

THE SACRAMENTS, THE TOOLS TOWARDS SALVATION

Prepared by The Catholic Doors Ministry (www.catholicdoors.com/courses/salvatio.htm)

29. To receive the free gift of salvation, Catholics must until their last breath, maintain the righteousness that they received during the Sacrament of Baptism. Ongoing righteousness is maintained through the reception of the Sacraments of Confession and the Holy Eucharist. While belonging to the invisible Body of Christ, Catholics recognize that they absolutely need the Sacraments of the visible Body of Christ, the Catholic Church, as their assurance of righteousness and salvation. Hence, believers require the Catholic Church as the "fullness of the means of salvation."

Salvation is obviously not a “free gift” if one must be baptized, be confirmed, go to confession, partake of the Eucharist, avoid “mortal sins,” and be a member of the Roman Catholic Church “as the fullness of the means of salvation” in order to keep it!  When I give my child a gift for her birthday or Christmas, it becomes hers.  She didn’t deserve it (that’s for sure!), but it belongs to her.  When I give it to her, I am absolutely certain that she, having received it, is not going to suddenly become a perfect “angel.”  As her father, I still have the responsibility of raising her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).  Likewise, our heavenly Father continues the process of making us into the image and likeness of His only begotten Son (Jn. 3:16; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 1:6; 1 Jn. 3:2; etc.).  We didn’t deserve the “gift,” we don’t deserve the “gift,” and we will never deserve the “gift!” 

That is why God, in His mercy (not giving us what we do deserve), and His grace (giving us what we do not deserve), is to be praised forever for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord!