For years it was an article of faith for many Christians that the most powerful vehicle for bringing nonbelievers to Jesus was a Billy Graham crusade.
Now, they expect it will be a Mel Gibson movie.
Three weeks before the release of "The Passion of the Christ," a graphic portrayal of the torture and crucifixion of Jesus, Christians nationwide are busy preparing to use it in an immense grass-roots evangelistic campaign.
Mr. Gibson, who produced, directed and largely financed the film, has tried to stoke their enthusiasm by screening it the past two months for at least 10,000 pastors and leaders of Christian ministries and media. Many emerged proclaiming it a searing, life-changing experience.
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This film will soon be "over here", and yes, it could be a great evangelistic "tool", many of the Lord's people will be outside the cinemas with tracts, leaflets and scripture posters for those attending !
D.M. I am open to the Lord's correction. He said I was saved by faith, and I would be foolish to go back to works (like the RCC would have me do) to complete my salvation.
Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Yes Christ fulfilled the O.T. sacrificial system. How did he do that? By becoming the ultimate sacrifice himself. Though he died once, the mass celebrates his sacrifice and relives it again. You use the word "atone", in the example 1414 from the Catholic Catechism that you posted, it says "offered in reparation for". Surely, you know the difference between atoning and making re-Pair-ations for something. I don't know if sins are forgiven, but according to 1414 they are meant to heal the effect of our sin.
D.M. Didn't Christ fullfill the O.T. Law? and Sacrifices? That's the point. There is no need to do sacrifices of any kind. Christ's one time sacrifice fulfilled all that. Do you believe that the mass actually atones for sins? i.e. "the Eucharist is also offered in reparation for the sins of the living and the dead"
This means that without the priests, people are still in their sins, no?
Pete: I would say not. Christ "offered himself "once" in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross". But, his body, blood, soul and divinity is "contained" and offered not by Christ, but by the priest upon the altar of the mass in an non-deadly, unbloody manner. This a partaking of the original death, not a re-executing of Jesus. Just like the sacrifices of the Old Testament, but with the Lamb of God instead. See Malichi 1:10-11.
D.M. Does this..."the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered in an unbloody manner" Not contradict this...
Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
I believe we were talking about the re-sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as in dying all over again. In fact 1365 says "In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross". this harkens back to what I said about a memorial being a re-experiencing not a re-execution of Jesus. I found nothing in your post to change my mind.
Newsflash to D.M. Here is what your catechism says:
1414 As sacrifice, the Eucharist is also offered in reparation for the sins of the living and the dead and to obtain spiritual or temporal benefits from God.
1365 Because it is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice. ... In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he "poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: ... "In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered in an unbloody manner."
Seems like a sacrifice to me... Am I missing something? Do I need the church to interpret these plain words for me?
News Flash to Pete: Eucharist is not now, nor never has been a re-sacrifice of Christ. Jesus died only once, no Catholic would want him to die again. The memorial aspect of Eurcharist is like the memorial aspect of the Passover. It is a re-living, on our part, of the original sacrifice. Is this a difficult concept? I seem to find myself repeating it.
I do not believe in transubstantiation. I consider The Holy Eucharist to be just like the Lutheran's consider it to be. I pay attention only to the scriptural parts of the Mass like the readings from the Holy Bible and the prayers to Jesus.
Every night when I go to bed I rededicate my life to Jesus and ask Him to forgive any sins that I may have committed during the day. I am remaining a Catholic because after being raised in the Catholic Church I would not feel comfortable attending a Church that did not have a liturgical worship service. There is nothing wrong with a liturgical worship service.
continued... Christ one time work on the cross is sufficient to pay for even the sins I forget to repent of. Once again this is why it is Good News! If I have to keep a diary of my sins I am in bondage. The Gospel set you free of that type of legalism.
Lance: You said "Do you mean that if I repent and am baptized, then I can commit all the sins I like, never repent again, and still get to heaven?"
Only a heart that was ungratefull would use God's salvation as a license to sin. (which showes you were never regenerated in the first place) But once again, each of my repentances is a RESULT of a changed heart, and not a coin to purchase salvation. I got the changed heart the day God saved me. I ALWAYS have a repentant heart. Will God condemn me if I miss a time? Well, do I abandon my own children each time they sin? Can God unadopt his children? Of course not.
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