THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHES WORKS BEFORE JUSTIFICATION FOR JUSTIFICATION REVELATION STUDIES By Nyron Medina

Thomas Aquinas also exposited the doctrine of the Sacraments. Here is what he said.

i. The doctrine of the Sacraments in the Catholic Church finally took the form of seven sacraments, and was fixed within the Thomistic period of the Papal heads. We are told.

“The doctrine of the sacraments received during this period the form in which it was afterward dogmatically fixed by Pope Eugene iv at the Florentine Council of A.D. 1439.” Reinhold Seeberg, The History of Doctrines Vol. ii, pg. 124-125.

ii. The sacraments in the Catholic Church are seven means of Grace for salvation. They are signs that contain the Grace of God, that, when followed, gives salvation to the persons doing them. Under the Thomistic head the sacraments are:

1. Baptism

2. Confirmation

3. The Eucharist

4. Penance and Reconciliation

5. Holy Orders

6. Matrimony

7. Extreme Unction

iii. The sacraments are signs that make men holy.

“Signs are made to men for whom it is proper to learn the unknown from the known. So that strictly speaking, a sacrament is the sign of some sacred thing referring to man; so that a sacrament in the strict sense defined here is the sign of a holy thing insofar as it makes men holy.” An Aquinas Reader, pg. 481.

iv. The actual power to save is in the sacrament itself but from Christ who produces the effect in the sacrament itself.

“The power of achieving something is present both in the instrument [the sacrament] used and in the principal agent, but since it is more perfectly in the latter, it is not present in both in the same way.” Ibid, pg. 480.

“Christ as God and man produces the interior sacramental effect…. As God he acts by authority in the sacraments, yet as man his action brings about the interior sacramental effects meritoriously and efficiently but instrumentally.” Ibid, pg. 480.

“But if we hold that a sacrament is an instrumental cause of grace, we must admit in the sacrament a certain instrumental power of achieving the sacramental effects. Now, this power is proportionate with the instrument…” Ibid, pg. 486.

v. Sacraments are used to worship God and to sanctify or save man.

“There are two aspects in the use of the sacraments: the worship of God and the sanctification of man.” Ibid, pg. 482.

“So that in the sacraments of the New Law by which man is sanctified… “You are washed, you are sanctified,” we must make use of those things determined by divine institution.” Ibid, pg. 483.

vi. The sacraments are necessary for man’s salvation, they give grace to man.

“There are three reasons why sacraments are necessary for man’s salvation.” Ibid, pg. 484.

“And in this way the sacraments of the New Law cause grace, for they are instituted by God to be used for the giving of grace.” Ibid, pg. 485.

vii. The sacraments are meritorious, that is, when they are done by men they earn grace and salvation.

“Now, our power of the keys is, like other sacramental powers, instrumental; but it is present in Christ as principal agent in saving us, as God authority and as man by merit.” Ibid. pg. 480.

“…as man by his action brings about the interior sacramental effects meritoriously…” Ibid, pg. 480.

u. Let us now summarize what we have seen about the sacraments as presented by Thomas Aquinas.

i. A sacrament is a sign of grace that itself give grace for salvation to those who participate in the sacraments.

ii. The actual power to save man is in the sacraments from Christ, and they make man holy.

iii. Sacraments as instruments of Grace are meritorious, they merit salvation to those who do them and participate in them.

v. There is nothing in the Bible called sacraments, they are mere inventions of sinful minds, but they glorify things and man as participating in causing man’s salvation.

i. Man cannot be saved by his works not even works of God’s Law. Rom. 4:1,2,6; Eph. 2:8,9.

ii. We are saved by grace through Faith, this is what God gives, not sacraments. Eph. 2:8,9.

iii. Neither signs, things, nor men can save man, salvation is from God only. Ps. 37:39; Jer. 3:23.

iv. Instruments that participate in the salvation of man, whether signs or physical things, or actions as rites, share in God’s glory. God says He do not share His glory with anyone or anything. Isa. 42:8; Isa. 48:11.

v. Any instrument or sign that shares in the giving of salvation to man with God, shares in God’s Glory, thus is exalted as God with God; this is Lucifer’s original claim. Thus sacraments make creation into God with God. Isa. 14:14.

w. The next important Thomas Aquinas teaching was about the Eucharist. He actually taught that Jesus was in the form of bread in the host or Eucharist, which was also a sacrament. We are told.

i. “…But it [the Eucharist] contains within itself Christ, in whom there is not the character but the plenitude of the priesthood.” An Aquinas Reader, pg. 486-487.

ii. In fact, the greatest Sacrament in the Catholic Church; and the real centre of all of Catholic worship is the Eucharist. Of this Aquinas tells us.

Absolutely speaking, the sacrament of the Eucharist is the greatest of all the sacraments, as it is evident in three ways. First, because it contains Christ himself substantially, while the other sacraments have a certain instrumental power that is a participation in Christ’s power…. Now, that which is essentially such is always greater than that which is such, by participation.” Ibid, pg. 490.

iii. However, it is the Eucharist that celebrates the heart, centre, mystery, and real meaning for the existence of the Catholic Church, because it is the Eucharist that reveals what the entire system is about, and what it points to. Here is the height of blasphemy that the Eucharist stands for.

1. It shows the ability of Creation to create its Creator by its own works. This clearly makes creation God with God.

2. It identifies the Creator as the same as His creation. This clearly says that creation is God with God.

3. It says that God the Creator is also creation. This clearly says that creation is God with God.

4. By saying that God is present in inanimate creation or matter, it means that God dwells in unintelligent matter; this exalts the doctrine of pantheism. Pantheism claims that creation is God with God.

5. Pantheism was the theology invented by Lucifer to claim that creation is God with God, thus as Lucifer was a creation, he was God with God.

6. This clearly shows us that the mystery of the Catholic Church is the substrata theology that it professes behind all its teaching, rites, and traditions, this theology is pantheism. Thus the Catholic Church is about claiming that creation is God with God, and thus justifying Lucifer’s rebellion that he was God with God.

7. Thus the centre of Catholicism is the Eucharist which celebrates pantheism, which itself ratifies Lucifertheism, the concept of Lucifer being God with God.

8. Observe the illustrative chart.