Protestant

The issue goes to whether salvation is to Gods glory alone or whether it leads to a divided glory -James White, The God Who Justies, 104 Christs righteousness is imputed to us; it is an alien, or external righteousness.

Justication

Catholic
The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. -Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 2008 Christs righteousness is infused into us; we are made righteous intrinsically. Baptismal Regeneration Purgatory Treasury of merit Indulgences Sacrament of Confession Sacrice of the mass Sacrament of Penance Priesthood Relics Pilgrimages Intercessory prayers to saints Marian doctrines

Root

Denition

The name of Christ excludes all merit. -John Calvin

Consequences of denition

The Roman concept of being justied is hardly permanent, for it can be undone by the commission of a mortal sin. It is in the clearest sense of the term conditional justication, one that is not permanent but dependent on the continued faithfulness of the person. Protestant apologist James White, The Roman Catholic Controversy, 132

Illustrative Quote

The Catholic Church, not surprisingly, understands justication differently. It sees it as a true eradication of sin and a true sanctication and renewal. The soul becomes objectively pleasing to God and so merits heaven. It merits heaven because now it is actually good. Scripture conceives of the forgiveness of sins as a real and complete removal of them. -Catholic apologist, Karl Keating, Catholicism and Fundamentalism 167-168

Protestant
Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God's commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still ever inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is accept this gift of God with a believing heart. -Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 70

Justication

Catholic

Gospel

"No one can merit the initial grace which is at the origin of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary temporal goods," -Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 2027.

Warning

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under Gods curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under Gods curse! -Galatians 1:6-9