- #GC91 This requires a clearer explanation? I mean that the Holy Spirit, while He dwells in our hearts, makes us feel the virtue of our Lord Jesus (Rom 5:5). For He enlightens us to know His benefits; He seals and imprints them in our souls, an...
- #GC92 What follows? The fourth part, where it is said that we believe in the Catholic Church.
- #GC93 What is the Catholic Church? The community of the faithful which God has ordained and elected to eternal life.
- #GC94 Is it necessary to believe this article? Yes, indeed, unless we want to make the death of Christ of none effect, and all that has already been said. The fruit that proceeds from it is the Church.
- #GC95 You mean then that up to this point we have spoken of the cause and foundation of salvation, how God has received us in love through the mediation of Jesus, and has confirmed this grace in us through His Holy? Spirit. But now the effect and fulfillment of all this is explained in order to give us greater certainty. It is so.
- #GC96 In what sense do you call the Church holy? All whom God has chosen He justifies, and reforms to holiness and innocence, that His glory may be reflected in them (Rom 8:30). And so Jesus Christ sanctified the Church which He redeemed, that it mi...
- #GC97 What is meant by the word Catholic or Universal? It is meant to signify, that there is only one Head of the faithful, so they must all be united in one body, so that there are not several churches but one only, which is extended throughout the whole...
- #GC98 And what is the meaning of what follows concerning the communion of saints? That is added to express more clearly the unity which exists among the members of the Church. Moreover by this we are given to understand, that all the benefits that the Lord gives to the Church, are...
- #GC99 But is this holiness which you attribute to the Church already perfect? Not as long as she battles in this world, for elements of imperfection always remain and will never be entirely removed, until she is united completely to Jesus Christ her Head, by whom she is sanctif...
- #GC100 Can this Church be known in any other way than by believing in her? There is indeed the visible Church of God, for the recognition of which He has certain signs, but here we speak properly of the fellowship of those whom He has elected to salvation which cannot be see...
- #GC101 What comes next? I believe in "the forgiveness of sins".
- #GC102 What do you understand by this word "forgiveness" That God by His pure goodness forgives and pardons the sins of believers, so that they are not brought to account before His judgment, in order to be punished.
- #GC103 Hence it follows that it is not at all through our own satisfaction that we desire to have God's pardon? That is true; for the Lord Jesus has made payment and born the punishment. We on our part could not make any recompense to God, but may only receive pardon for all our misdeeds through the pure genero...
- #GC104 Why do you insert this article after the Church? Because no man obtains pardon for his sins without being previously incorporated into the people of God, persevering in unity and communion with the Body of Christ in such a way as to be a true member...
- #GC105 And so outside the Church there is nothing but damnation and death? Certainly, for all those who separate themselves from the community of the faithful to form a sect on its own, have no hope of salvation so long as they are in schism.
- #GC106 What follows? I believe in "the resurrection of the flesh and the life everlasting".
- #GC107 Why is this article inserted? To show us that our happiness is not situated on the earth. This serves a two-fold end. We are to learn to pass through this world as though it were a foreign country, treating lightly all earthly thi...
- #GC108 How will this resurrection take place? Those who were formerly dead will resume their bodies, but with another quality; that is, they will no longer be subject to death or corruption, even although their substance will remain the same. Tho...
- #GC109 Will this resurrection not be common to the evil and the good? Yes indeed, but not in the same way. Some will rise to salvation and joy, others to condemnation and death (John 5:29; Mat 25:46).
- #GC110 Why then is eternal life only spoken of here, and hell not at all? Because nothing is set down in this summary that does not tend to the consolation of faithful consciences. It relates to us only the benefits which God performs for His servants. Accordingly no mentio...
- #GC111 Since we have the foundation on which faith is laid, we should be quite able to gather from it what true faith is? Yes, indeed, It is a sure and steadfast knowledge of the love of God toward us, according as He declares in His gospel that He is our Father and Saviour (through the mediation of Jesus Christ).
- #GC112 Can we have this by ourselves, or does it come from God? Scripture teaches that it is the singular gift of the Holy Spirit, and experience also demonstrates it.
- #GC113 How so? Our mind is too weak to comprehend the spiritual wisdom of God which is revealed to us by faith, and our hearts are too prone either to defiance or to a perverse confidence in ourselves or creaturely...
- #GC114 What good comes to us from this faith, when we have it? It justifies us before God, and makes us obtain eternal life.
- #GC115 How so Is not man justified by good works in a holy life and in conformity to God? If any one be found so perfect, he might well be deemed righteous, but since we are all poor sinners, we must look elsewhere for a worthiness in which to make answer before the judgment of God.
- #GC116 But are all our works so reprobate that they cannot merit grace before? God First, all that we do of ourselves, by our own nature, is vicious, and therefore cannot please God. He condemns them all.
- #GC117 You say then that before God has received us in His grace, we can nothing but sin, just as a bad tree cannot but produce bad fruit (Mat 7:17)? It is so. For even if our works appear beautiful outwardly, yet they are evil, since the heart, to which God looks, is perverted.
- #GC118 Hence you conclude, that we cannot by our merits anticipate God, and so induce Him to be kind to us, but on the contrary that we do nothing but provoke Him to be against us? Yes. And therefore I say: merely through His goodness, without any regard to our works, He is pleased to accept us freely in Jesus Christ, imputing His righteousness to us, and does not impute our sin...
- #GC119 What do you mean then by saying that a man is justified by faith? That in believing the promises of the gospel and in receiving them in true affiance of the heart, we enter into this righteousness.
- #GC120 You mean then that as God offers righteousness to us by the gospel, so it is by faith that we receive it? Yes.
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