But what if you end up chatting to a keen, convinced RC? (Not just someone who is culturally RC but someone convinced about their faith.)
Well I think it is helpful to acknowledge our differences and also to admit where we get it wrong.
For example, many RCs will have been told that Protestants don't have to live good lives, they just have to 'believe'. And we need to take that on the chin. There is a popular misconception around that faith in Jesus is just about getting your ticket stamped for heaven and then you can get on with living your life how you want to.
So hold your hand up to that one. Just as there are nominal RCs so there are nominal Prots. Jesus does call us to live godly lives. As Tim Blencowe likes to say, "sometimes it seems as if our only theology of good deeds is that they are bad!"
This is where we get down to the nitty-gritty. Where does our righteousness come from? We believe that it is a gift from God, through Jesus - that it is imputed to us as we are united to Christ by faith. Since we are 'in Christ' we receive what is his, his righteousness.
RCs. on the other hand, believe that we are infused with this righteousness. In other words there is a co-operation here. God gives us an injection of his goodness so that we can be good in our strength.
Now, I hope, we can see why RCs think we don't believe in being good. However, that is a misunderstanding. We believe that faith does not include good deeds, but that it does produce them. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2: 10)
Ephesians 2 is a great passage to read with a RC. We are saved by grace, not by works, but for works.
What a challenge all of this is for us! If our lives do not display God's glory in good works then we undermine the gospel. The acid test of WYD will be whether glory goes to Christ Jesus and whether good works come as a result. However, that is our test too. If our RC friends cannot see good works in us then we confirm all their prejudices.
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3 comments:
The media has gone crazy on a diet of complaints about parking problems, inconvenience to commuters, train strikes, people starting anti-Christian T-shirt slogans, people making note of the hypocrisies of one of the world's richest institutions and now a significant scandal involving allegations that Cardinal Pell watered down or covered up sexual abuse within the church. I don't for a minute believe that this is coincidence. It shouldn't be surprising that Satan does his thing at a time when Christianity is being discussed in an open forum, as a result of the WYD event.
Putting aside all theological objections that one might have to Roman Catholicism, I'm a little concerned about the timing of all of this. That’s our God up there being debated. I hope we're not so blase or naive to think that all this sludge is just scandalising the Roman Catholic Church. I'm not really worried about the damage to the reputation of the R.Catholic church, nor PBC for that matter. This is an issue of God's Almighty name being dragged through the mud. Upon reflection, I've decided the best thing that I can do is pray. Pray, not for any particular event, or for wisdom in any particular scandal, but only that God might be glorified and his Word made known despite the present situation. It appears that WTD could actually negatively-affect the reception that God's name receives in Sydney and indeed Australia. I just pray that God's light might pierce through all of Satan's best efforts to tear down belief, and that Christ Jesus might be made known.
Yep Sam, I agree, let's pray,
Hi all
I agree with you John - when in dialogue with Catholics, especially convinced Catholics, we need to allow their experiences and beliefs to challenge ours. Through working in a Catholic school this year I have been very challenged by the unquestioned committment to good works and social justice of most of the students. Whilst this is not undergirded by much knowledge of why it is important to fight for justice, it is impressive. It is a challenge to live in a way that is impressive to them.
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