Discussion:
Protestant position:
Once God calls it just it is just.
Synthesis: the adding of Jesus and his merit to man to gain salvation.
Imputation of Jesus' merits over man's merits.
No human merit: nothing man can offer will gain him salvation, he only uses
Jesus' merits to attain salvation.
Can't lose the salvation. Since gain the salvation only depended on Jesus' merits
and those aren't going to change there's no way you can lose your salvation.
Faith alone. Salvation comes from the knowledge of the fact that Jesus is your
Savior and complete trust in Jesus.
Catholic position:
God calls it just only once it becomes just.
In the power of Christ man can arrive at a point where he is just.
Infusion of Jesus into man to help him become just
Congruous merit - works with grace so that a sinner can live a life that is
fitting to earn justification
Can lose salvation - by committing a mortal sin
Faith and works
Two opposing views are actually very similar, the Protestants believe that works will follow if you have faith, but that they are not needed for salvation.
You can never now if you are truly saved. Because of free will you can turn away from God's grace that has been offered to you.
There's always a part that is willing to hurt God. No action proceeds without desire.
We shouldn't be living to go to heaven, we should be living to glorify God.
Is salvation dependent on any one religion?
Someone who leads a virtuous life, why would God punish them by sending them
to Hell? Maybe there is no absolute religion.
God puts us in time to give us lots of chances to make that decision whether or not to love him, since out of time we only get one chance to decide.