What Must I Do to Be Saved?
A Response and An Examination of that Question.
By Matt1618
This is a response to an email from a Mr. Dwayne Farr, who sent a detailed paper which attempted to prove that the Bible teaches Faith as the only instrument of salvation and that Catholicism is wrong on many issues. He is a Baptist. The length of that paper is 52 pages. I have responded to only a portion of his whole paper here. However, the response that I do give here, is an extensive response to some issues that are very important. This response of mine does respond point by point to some essential issues that he has brought up. I have italicized his words. I respond with analysis and Scripture. He asked that I respond with Scripture, and so I do in this response. I respond that the Catholic Church is correct on the issues, and point out from the Bible why I find him and his theology to be incorrect. I cover some issues I have partially covered in other papers, but go into some issues and Scriptures that I have not gone over in some of those papers. Thus, I thought it would be helpful to make this response available. Dwayne has given me permission to post this response on the web. Each of the titles for the sections he gave for his own paper, I give the same titles down below (with a couple slightly amended). He also covers issues such as "Hell", "Grace Dispensers", "Papal Infallibility", "Mary", and other issues that I have not covered in this response. I disagree with him on many of the issues he brings up, though not all of them. Other issues I disagree with him on, but have not chosen to give him a response due to time. However, if you would like to see the full paper that he has written, you can email him at the following email address: dwaynefarr@yahoo.com
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Part 1 - What Must I Do to Be Saved? A Look at Justification.
- What Must I Do to be Saved? Answers from the Bible
- Are our Righteousness Works Filthy Rags? Isaiah 64 and Other Scriptures
- Justifying Righteousness - Infused or Imputed?
- Is Keeping the Commandments a Necessary Cause of Justification?
- Does Romans 10 Prove Justification by Faith Alone?
- Scriptural Passages on Good Works and Justification
Part 2 - Is Water Baptism Required to be Saved?
- The 'Berean Test' on Baptism and Salvation
- Does the Thief on the Cross Disprove the Necessity of Baptism?
- A Look at Scriptures that 'Disprove Baptismal Regeneration'
- Scriptures that Prove Baptismal Regeneration.
1 Pet. 3:21, Acts 22:16, John 3:5 don't prove baptismal regeneration?
- Does 1 Corinthians 1 prove Baptism is not Part of the Gospel?
- Acts 10:44-49 - Disproof of Baptismal Regeneration?
- A Look at Mark 16:16
- Putting this Together
Part 3 - Purgatory: An Essential Catholic Doctrine
- God's Holiness
- Justification - Cleansing or Covering? What Did Christ Accomplish?
- Does God Take Part in an Abomination?
- Scriptures that Point to and Reflect Purgatory
- Scriptures that Disprove Purgatory through Imputation of Righteousness?
- Is There Temporal Punishment?
- Is Suffering Redemptive? A Look at some Passages
- Why Offer the Sacrifice of the Mass for the forgiveness of Other's sins? A Look at Scriptures
- Where Did the Belief in Purgatory Come From?
Part 4 - A Look at Merit and Salvation
- Can We Merit Favor with God
- Jesus Teaching on Merit and Salvation
- A Look at Paul, A Look at James on Justification
- Examining Dwayne's Four Test of Works
- The Catechism, Merit, and the Bible
- How is Jesus' Accomplishment Sufficient for us? How is Merit Involved?
- Does Dwayne Follow Jesus' Teachings
- Conclusion
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