“In our current society which is so afflicted with the errors of moral relativism, the temptation is all too strong to look at the weight of sin from a human perspective rather than from the divine perspective. We make excuses for our sins, explaining that the things we do are “not all that bad.” Further, the temptation exists to presume upon the mercy of God, assuming that surely a loving and merciful God will overlook our disobedience and failures even if we do not seek forgiveness because He is infinitely merciful. This line of thinking sometimes progresses to our assuming that salvation will ultimately be offered to all people simply because God is infinitely merciful, and therefore all men will be saved. This is the error of universalism. This error could lead us to ask, “What then is the point of conversion of heart to Jesus Christ? Why bother following Christ at all?” This is extremely dangerous, as it prevents us from seeing the need for true and authentic repentance. It is a deadly indifference that imperils our immortal souls and puts us at eternal risk of seperation from God. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Rom. 6:23). Although God does make an accommodation for our weak and fallen human nature, that accommodation is through the sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation (sacramental confession) which move us into a right relationship with Our Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom alone our salvation comes.
Sin damages our relationship with God and cuts off from sharing in His life of grace, and we cannot restore this life of grace ourselves as we are finite beings with only finite capabilities, and the One whom we have offended through sin is infinite. We are not capable of making infinite reparations. Thus, we can only reestablish a life of grace through the One who is infinite. He alone is capable of restoring life. “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.'” (Matt 19:25-26). Salvation comes from God that man receives through repentance, faith, and baptism. Once we are baptized into Christ, it is through repentances and sacramental confession that every battle with temptation and sin can be a small victory that leads us to embrace the great victory that Christ has won for us.
A key word I would like us to reflect on in this discussion is “metanoia.” This Greek word means “change in one’s way of life resulting from penitence or spiritual conversion.” This change lies at the heart of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and while it involves an initial choice to turn around and follow Christ, metanoia actually denotes a way of life that seeks constant change to follow Jesus Christ more fully and more profoundly. Many of the stories of the greatest saints involve a profound metanoia: St. Augustine, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Mary Magdalene and St. Theresa Benedicta, to name only a few. Their stories involve a dramatic turn from sin and a clear choice to be forever changed and to follow Jesus Christ. The drama of their moments of conversion are then followed by a lifetime of turning more fully to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and more completely away from sin.”
https://bishopstrickland.com/uploads/blog/4a8ec7b2be09e50aa39b0467538c983edf62e8e1.pdf
Bishop Strickland’s pastoral letter on the dangers of universalism (2)
“In our current society which is so afflicted with the errors of moral relativism, the temptation is all too strong to look at the weight of sin from a human perspective rather than from the divine perspective. We make excuses for our sins, explaining that the things we do are “not all that bad.” Further, the temptation exists to presume upon the mercy of God, assuming that surely a loving and merciful God will overlook our disobedience and failures even if we do not seek forgiveness because He is infinitely merciful. This line of thinking sometimes progresses to our assuming that salvation will ultimately be offered to all people simply because God is infinitely merciful, and therefore all men will be saved. This is the error of universalism. This error could lead us to ask, “What then is the point of conversion of heart to Jesus Christ? Why bother following Christ at all?” This is extremely dangerous, as it prevents us from seeing the need for true and authentic repentance. It is a deadly indifference that imperils our immortal souls and puts us at eternal risk of seperation from God. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Rom. 6:23). Although God does make an accommodation for our weak and fallen human nature, that accommodation is through the sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation (sacramental confession) which move us into a right relationship with Our Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom alone our salvation comes.
Sin damages our relationship with God and cuts off from sharing in His life of grace, and we cannot restore this life of grace ourselves as we are finite beings with only finite capabilities, and the One whom we have offended through sin is infinite. We are not capable of making infinite reparations. Thus, we can only reestablish a life of grace through the One who is infinite. He alone is capable of restoring life. “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.'” (Matt 19:25-26). Salvation comes from God that man receives through repentance, faith, and baptism. Once we are baptized into Christ, it is through repentances and sacramental confession that every battle with temptation and sin can be a small victory that leads us to embrace the great victory that Christ has won for us.
A key word I would like us to reflect on in this discussion is “metanoia.” This Greek word means “change in one’s way of life resulting from penitence or spiritual conversion.” This change lies at the heart of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and while it involves an initial choice to turn around and follow Christ, metanoia actually denotes a way of life that seeks constant change to follow Jesus Christ more fully and more profoundly. Many of the stories of the greatest saints involve a profound metanoia: St. Augustine, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Mary Magdalene and St. Theresa Benedicta, to name only a few. Their stories involve a dramatic turn from sin and a clear choice to be forever changed and to follow Jesus Christ. The drama of their moments of conversion are then followed by a lifetime of turning more fully to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and more completely away from sin.”
https://bishopstrickland.com/uploads/blog/4a8ec7b2be09e50aa39b0467538c983edf62e8e1.pdf