The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism explains: “For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church ALONE, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, that we believe that our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the People of God.”

(846) How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it. (Page 244)

I do understand the doctrine of Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which every true believer in Christ takes part in when they trust in Christ Jesus. The Bible clearly teaches that all who are saved are baptized into the body of Christ and this body is called the Church. The Church is “the called out assembly.” It is clear through many of the catechisms of the Catholic Church they are not teaching salvation in the body of Christ but through the institution of the Catholic Church. They clearly state that they are basing this on Scripture and Tradition. It appears to me that they are basing it on more tradition than Scripture. They are mingling the work of baptism with salvation. Clearly, the Bible teaches that salvation is a free gift, and not of righteous works. One might say that they are referring to the baptism of the Holy Spirit here. As I will show more clearly a little later, what is really being taught is water baptism, due to the fact that the Catholic Church approves of “infant baptism.” Scripture teaches clearly that water baptism is only for those who believe.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation IN ANY OTHER (than Jesus): for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

John 1:12 But as many as received him (Jesus), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall NO flesh be justified.

My friend, becoming a Catholic will not save you just as becoming a Baptist or anything else will not save you, but Jesus will save you if you will trust Him, and ask Him too.

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