Sin and salvation Soteriology is the branch of doctrinal theology that deals with
salvation through
Christ. Eternal life,
divine life, cannot be
merited but is a free gift of God. The crucifixion of Jesus is explained as an
atoning sacrifice, which, in the words of the
Gospel of John, "takes away the sins of the world". One's reception of salvation is related to
justification.
Fall of Man According to church teaching, in an event known as the "fall of the angels", a number of angels chose to rebel against God and his reign. The leader of this rebellion has been given many names including "
Lucifer" (meaning "light bearer" in Latin), "
Satan", and the
devil. The
sin of pride, considered one of
seven deadly sins, is attributed to Satan for desiring to be God's equal. According to
Genesis, a
fallen angel tempted the first humans,
Adam and Eve, who then sinned, bringing suffering and death into the world. The
Catechism states:
Sin Christians classify certain behaviors and acts to be "sinful," which means that these certain acts are a violation of conscience or divine law. Catholics make a distinction between two types of sin.
Mortal sin is a "grave violation of God's law" that "turns man away from God", and if it is not redeemed by repentance it can cause exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell. In contrast,
venial sin (meaning "forgivable" sin) "does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of God" and, although still "constituting a moral disorder", does not deprive the sinner of friendship with God, and consequently the eternal happiness of heaven. The church believes that this savior was Jesus whom
John the Baptist called "the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". The Nicene Creed refers to Jesus as "the only begotten son of God, ... begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father. Through him all things were made." In a supernatural event called the
Incarnation, Catholics believe God came down from heaven for our salvation, became man through the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of a virgin Jewish girl named
Mary. They believe Jesus' mission on earth included giving people his word and example to follow, as recorded in the four
Gospels. The church teaches that following the example of Jesus helps believers to grow more like him, and therefore to true love, freedom, and the fullness of life. The focus of a Christian's life is a firm belief in
Jesus as the
Son of God and the "
Messiah" or "
Christ". The title "Messiah" comes from the
Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ (
māšiáħ) meaning
anointed one. The Greek translation (
Christos) is the source of the English word "
Christ". Christians believe that, as the Messiah, Jesus was
anointed by God as ruler and savior of humanity, and hold that Jesus' coming was the fulfillment of
messianic prophecies of the
Old Testament. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from
the contemporary Jewish concept. The core Christian belief is that, through
the death and resurrection of Jesus,
sinful humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of
eternal life in heaven. Catholics believe in the resurrection of Jesus. According to the
New Testament,
Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, was
crucified, died, buried within a tomb, and resurrected three days later. The New Testament mentions several
resurrection appearances of Jesus on different occasions to his
twelve apostles and disciples, including "more than five hundred brethren at once", before Jesus'
Ascension. Jesus's death and resurrection are the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, and are commemorated by Christians during
Good Friday and
Easter, as well as on each Sunday and in each celebration of the Eucharist, the
Paschal feast. Arguments over death and resurrection claims occur at many religious
debates and
interfaith dialogues. As
Paul the Apostle, an early Christian convert, wrote, "If Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless". The death and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events in
Christian Theology, as they form the point in scripture where Jesus gives his ultimate demonstration that he has power over life and death and thus the ability to give people
eternal life. Generally, Christian churches accept and teach the New Testament account of the resurrection of Jesus. Some modern scholars use the belief of Jesus' followers in the resurrection as a point of departure for establishing the continuity of the historical Jesus and the proclamation of the early church. Some
liberal Christians do not accept a literal bodily resurrection, but hold to a convincing interior experience of Jesus' Spirit in members of the early church. The church teaches that as signified by the
passion of Jesus and his
crucifixion, all people have an opportunity for forgiveness and freedom from sin, and so can be reconciled to God. Sinning according to the Greek word in scripture,
amartia, "falling short of the mark", succumbing to our imperfection: we always remain on the road to perfection in this life.
Penance and conversion Grace and free will The operation and effects of grace are understood differently by different traditions. Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy teach the necessity of the
free will to cooperate with grace. This does not mean a Christian coming to God on their own and then cooperate with grace, as
Semipelagianism, considered by the Catholic Church as an early Christian
heresy, postulates. Churches teach that
human nature is not evil, since God creates no evil thing, but humanity continues in or is inclined to sin (
concupiscence). Grace from God is needed to be able to "repent and believe in the gospel".
Reformed theology, by contrast, teaches that people are completely
incapable of self-redemption to the point human nature itself is evil, but the grace of God overcomes
even the unwilling heart.
Arminianism takes a
synergistic approach while
Lutheran doctrine teaches justification by grace alone through faith alone, though "a common understanding of the doctrine of justification" has been reached with some Lutheran theologians.
Forgiveness of sins According to Catholicism, forgiveness of sins and purification can occur during life – for example, in the sacraments of
Baptism and
Reconciliation. However, if this purification is not achieved in life, venial sins can still be purified after death. The sacrament of
Anointing of the Sick is performed only by a priest, since it involves elements of forgiveness of sin. The priest anoints with oil the head and hands of the ill person while saying the prayers of the church.
Baptism and second conversion '' by
Benozzo Gozzoli People can be cleansed from all personal sins through
Baptism. This sacramental act of cleansing admits one as a full member of the church and is only conferred once in a person's lifetime. At the
Council of Trent, on 15 November 1551, the necessity of a
second conversion after
baptism was delineated: David MacDonald, a Catholic
apologist, has written in regard to paragraph 1428, that "this endeavor of conversion is not just a human work. It is the movement of a "contrite heart," drawn and moved by
grace to respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first."
Penance and Reconciliation Since Baptism can only be received once, the sacrament of
Penance or Reconciliation is the principal means by which Catholics obtain forgiveness for subsequent sin and receive God's grace and assistance not to sin again. This is based on Jesus' words to his disciples in the
Gospel of John 20:21–23. A penitent confesses his sins to a priest who may then offer advice or impose a particular penance to be performed. The penitent then prays an
act of contrition and the priest administers
absolution, formally forgiving the person's sins. A priest is forbidden under penalty of
excommunication to reveal any matter heard under the
seal of the confessional. Penance helps prepare Catholics before they can validly receive the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of
Confirmation (Chrismation) and the
Eucharist.
Afterlife Eschaton The Nicene Creed ends with, "We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come." Accordingly, the church teaches each person will appear before the judgment seat of Christ immediately after death and receive a
particular judgment based on the deeds of their earthly life. Chapter 25:35–46 of the
Gospel of Matthew underpins the Catholic belief that a day will also come when Jesus will sit in a universal judgment of all humankind. The
final judgment will bring an end to human history. It will also mark the beginning of a new heaven and earth in which righteousness dwells and God will reign forever. There are three states of afterlife in Catholic belief.
Heaven is a time of glorious union with God and a life of unspeakable joy that lasts forever. At the
second coming of Christ at the
end of time, all who have died will be
resurrected bodily from the dead for the
Last Judgment, whereupon Jesus will fully establish the
Kingdom of God in fulfillment of
scriptural prophecies.
Prayer for the dead and indulgences s, from
Martin Luther's 1521
Passional Christi und Antichristi, by
Lucas Cranach the Elder The Catholic Church teaches that the fate of those in purgatory can be affected by the actions of the living. In the same context there is mention of the practice of
indulgences. An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. Indulgences may be obtained for oneself, or on behalf of Christians who have died. Prayers for the dead and indulgences have been envisioned as decreasing the "duration" of time the dead would spend in purgatory. Traditionally, most indulgences were measured in term of days, "quarantines" (i.e. 40-day periods as for Lent), or years, meaning that they were equivalent to that length of canonical penance on the part of a living Christian. When the imposition of such canonical penances of a determinate duration fell into desuetude these expressions were sometimes popularly misinterpreted as reduction of that much time of a person's stay in purgatory. Historically, the practice of granting indulgences and the widespread associated abuses, which led to their being seen as increasingly bound up with money, with criticisms being directed against the "sale" of indulgences, were a source of controversy that was the immediate occasion of the
Protestant Reformation in Germany and Switzerland.
Salvation outside the Catholic Church The Catholic Church teaches that it is the
one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church founded by Jesus. Concerning non-Catholics, the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, drawing on the document
Lumen gentium from
Vatican II, explains the statement "Outside the Church there is no salvation": == Ecclesiology ==