1. Faith, Grace, & Salvation

2. 2 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation Father Mathur  fr.mathur@stmchurchallentown.org  610-433-7413 x40 Mr. Kevin Damitz  kevin@stmchurchallentown.org  610-437-3491 Useful Information

3. 3 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation “To love God is to know God, and to love God we must know God” - Saint Anselm on 1 John 4:7 Fides Quarens Intellectum “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.” - 1 John 4:7 NAB “To know Scripture is to know Christ and to be ignorant of Scripture is to be ignorant of Christ!” - Saint Jerome on the importance of Scripture in our lives

4. 4 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation ? ? ? Q U E S T I O N S ? ? ?

5. 5 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation Faith

6. 6 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation What is Faith?  FAITH is a “Theological Virtue”  There are 3 “theological virtues” which we receive as gifts of baptism:  Faith  Hope  Love

7. 7 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation A Good Working Definition of Faith  Faith is a firm assent to what is not seen based upon the credibility of a witness  God Himself is a witness to Himself (through self-revelation, the fullness of which is Christ)  Witnesses are the Apostles commissioned directly by Christ and who witnessed His Resurrection (importance of Apostolic Succession)

8. 8 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation What’s the Purpose of Faith? Very Simple: Our SALVATION

9. 9 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation SALVATION  Salvation- the forgiveness of sins and restorations of friendship with God, which can be done by God alone.  Heaven, hell, death, judgment  Our entire aim in life!  “Salvation of souls”

10. 10 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation GRACE  What is grace?  Free Gift  Grace  All the sacraments  Exercising good works  God’s gift  Faith is a grace

11. 11 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation Proofs for the Existence for God QUESTION? If faith is belief in what cannot be seen or fully comprehended, how then do we have any sort of knowledge of God at all?

12. 12 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation Revelation & Creation 1) Divine Revelation A. Sacred Scripture B. Sacred Tradition 2) Creation

13. 13 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation Proofs  Proofs use: CREATION  “Convincing Arguments”  Creation  Reflects God’s goodness and wisdom  Genesis  Truth, Beauty, Wisdom

14. 14 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation Proof from our own Desires  There is an ultimate good  Romans 2:15  “They show that the demands of the law are written in their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even defend them.”  Man’s quest for God has taken many different expressions: monotheism versus polytheism, etc.

15. 15 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation ? ? ? Q U E S T I O N S ? ? ?

16. 16 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation Role of the Church in Coming to know God by Faith  We need Divine Revelation  Sacred Scripture  Sacred Tradition  Stages in Scripture  Adam & Eve  Noah  Abraham  Moses  Prophets  Jesus Christ

17. 17 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation Role of the Church in Coming to know God by Faith  Sacred Tradition  “ Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God.” (2 Peter 1:20-21)  Saint Paul in Hebrews 11 gives us a treatise on the importance and necessity of faith

18. 18 STM RCIA Faith, Grace, & Salvation ? ? ? Q U E S T I O N S ? ? ?