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20 Answers- Salvation
What Must I Do To Be Saved?
How should we understand the key concepts connected with salvation?
Why did Jesus die on the cross?
What are “works of the law”?
Is there salvation outside the Church?
In this booklet you’ll find smart, solid answers to these questions and many more. 20 Answers: Salvation will help you understand the Catholic view on Salvation, Justification, Penance, and much, much more.
The 20 Answers series from Catholic Answers offers hard facts, powerful arguments, and clear explanations of the most important topics facing the Church and the world—all in a compact, easy-to-read package. Check out dozens of other topics in the 20 Answers Series of booklets published by Catholic Answers Press .
How should we understand the key concepts connected with salvation?
Why did Jesus die on the cross?
What are “works of the law”?
Is there salvation outside the Church?
In this booklet you’ll find smart, solid answers to these questions and many more. 20 Answers: Salvation will help you understand the Catholic view on Salvation, Justification, Penance, and much, much more.
The 20 Answers series from Catholic Answers offers hard facts, powerful arguments, and clear explanations of the most important topics facing the Church and the world—all in a compact, easy-to-read package. Check out dozens of other topics in the 20 Answers Series of booklets published by Catholic Answers Press .
66 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 20, 2016
About the author
Jimmy Akin
49 books179 followersJimmy Akin (b. 1965) was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant pastor or seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith. Eventually, he was compelled in conscience to enter the Catholic Church, which he did in 1992. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is a Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to This Rock magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 26, 2017
Salvation was written by a former Protestant, Jimmy Akin. The booklet says it will share “the beautiful story of how God calls us out of sin, justifies us, makes us holy, and leads us to everlasting life with him.”
Akin does a great job addressing questions on a complex topic in a very accessible way. He starts by discussing the basics in a way Protestants and Catholics alike can appreciate. He then gets into more Catholic beliefs but uses his knowledge of Protestantism to clarify the differences. He does so in a very ecumenical way. I felt the tone of the book was conversational while also providing valuable information. I enjoyed how Akin developed the topic of the book and feel this is a great resource when discussing the basics of salvation. Like the other Catholic Answers books I’ve read to date, I happily recommend this book to Catholics, but I also feel it would be a great resource to our Protestant brothers and sisters.
Akin does a great job addressing questions on a complex topic in a very accessible way. He starts by discussing the basics in a way Protestants and Catholics alike can appreciate. He then gets into more Catholic beliefs but uses his knowledge of Protestantism to clarify the differences. He does so in a very ecumenical way. I felt the tone of the book was conversational while also providing valuable information. I enjoyed how Akin developed the topic of the book and feel this is a great resource when discussing the basics of salvation. Like the other Catholic Answers books I’ve read to date, I happily recommend this book to Catholics, but I also feel it would be a great resource to our Protestant brothers and sisters.
September 24, 2023
Many people have questions and confusion surrounding the authentic Catholic understanding of the afterlife and what gets us there. Misconceptions abound, including the place of sin, the means by which it is forgiven or eliminated from our lives, works, faith, and other such topics, and it is important to use the same terms and be on the same page when discussing these topics, especially with those who share the name of Christian, but who do not profess Catholicism.
I was surprised by the thoroughness in which these topics were covered, despite the short length of the book, and I also found the arguments set forth to be complete, though not exhaustive. This could be a great jumping off point, but should not be the only resource one uses in their apologetic or faith life. Ultimately the book fulfills the purpose it was given, and there’s nothing more I could reasonably desire out of it.
I was surprised by the thoroughness in which these topics were covered, despite the short length of the book, and I also found the arguments set forth to be complete, though not exhaustive. This could be a great jumping off point, but should not be the only resource one uses in their apologetic or faith life. Ultimately the book fulfills the purpose it was given, and there’s nothing more I could reasonably desire out of it.
March 24, 2017
Lent is now half over and I have read 7 of the 20 books in the 20 Answers series from Catholic Answers. And I realise I am setting myself up for a hard stretch towards the end. To date I have been avoiding all the ones that deal with other religions. I have no hesitation about reading them but am concerned about how to approach them for writing reviews. But I made the commitment to do the 20 Answers Challenge from Catholic Answers Series. During lent you can get all 20 books for 50% off, what an amazing deal! So I need to refocus my reading, and tackle some of those books I have not yet. I am part way through Jimmy Akin's A Daily Defense: Apologetics Lessons for Every Day, and love his writing style, so I was not surprised that I loved his volume on Salvation in this amazing series.
The twenty questions that Jimmy tackles regarding salvation are:
1. Why do I need to be saved?
2. What is original sin?
3. What is personal sin?
4. What is grace?
5. How can I be saved?
6. How should we understand the key concepts connected with salvation?
7. How should we answer the question, "Have you been saved?"
8. Why did Jesus die on the cross?
9. What is a sacrament?
10. What is baptism?
11. What is confession?
12. If Jesus died for our sins, why should we do penance?
13. What is justification?
14. Are we justified "by faith alone"?
15. What are "works of the law"?
16. What is merit?
17. What is heaven?
18. What is purgatory?
19. What is hell?
20. Is there salvation outside the Church?
From the introduction Jimmy is clear and concise in his teachings on Salvation, he states: "When Scripture says that God gave his only Son, it refers to Jesus Christ and the key events of his life-particularly his death on the cross. God didn't just give his Son to be born among men-he gave him to die on a cross for our salvation. That's how much God loves us!" This book is a synthesis of centuries of teaching about salvation, what it is, what it is not, how it is achieved are but a few of the lessons that will be learned in this book. Jimmy draws extensively from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and from Scriptures. There are a few other quotes from other church documents. But for the most part his arguments come from Scripture and the Catechism.
I particularly loved the chapter: 'If Jesus died for our sins, why should we do penance?' for it is excellent for sharing with fallen away Catholics, or protestants who question the 'whole penance' thing. This line here is pure gold "So even when we've become children of God and been forgiven, God still disciplines us. He allows us to experience some consequences for our sins so that we may grow in holiness." And when you combine it with what follows it in the text: "That's why we do penance. It's a way of embracing discipline, of learning to do it, to internalize it, and it builds strength and self-control for the future. If we learn how to say no to ourselves as part of penance, we'll be better able to say no to temptations in the future." You have a blueprint for spiritual growth into maturity. Or as Saint Paul wrote, in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 "Brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable to take it. Indeed, you are still not able, even now, for you are still of the flesh. While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving in an ordinary human way?" Penance will help bring about maturity, and to be honest so will reading this book or the whole 20 Answers series.
This was another excellent read in the 20 Answers series and I highly recommend the book and the series.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books in the 20 Answers Series.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
The twenty questions that Jimmy tackles regarding salvation are:
1. Why do I need to be saved?
2. What is original sin?
3. What is personal sin?
4. What is grace?
5. How can I be saved?
6. How should we understand the key concepts connected with salvation?
7. How should we answer the question, "Have you been saved?"
8. Why did Jesus die on the cross?
9. What is a sacrament?
10. What is baptism?
11. What is confession?
12. If Jesus died for our sins, why should we do penance?
13. What is justification?
14. Are we justified "by faith alone"?
15. What are "works of the law"?
16. What is merit?
17. What is heaven?
18. What is purgatory?
19. What is hell?
20. Is there salvation outside the Church?
From the introduction Jimmy is clear and concise in his teachings on Salvation, he states: "When Scripture says that God gave his only Son, it refers to Jesus Christ and the key events of his life-particularly his death on the cross. God didn't just give his Son to be born among men-he gave him to die on a cross for our salvation. That's how much God loves us!" This book is a synthesis of centuries of teaching about salvation, what it is, what it is not, how it is achieved are but a few of the lessons that will be learned in this book. Jimmy draws extensively from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and from Scriptures. There are a few other quotes from other church documents. But for the most part his arguments come from Scripture and the Catechism.
I particularly loved the chapter: 'If Jesus died for our sins, why should we do penance?' for it is excellent for sharing with fallen away Catholics, or protestants who question the 'whole penance' thing. This line here is pure gold "So even when we've become children of God and been forgiven, God still disciplines us. He allows us to experience some consequences for our sins so that we may grow in holiness." And when you combine it with what follows it in the text: "That's why we do penance. It's a way of embracing discipline, of learning to do it, to internalize it, and it builds strength and self-control for the future. If we learn how to say no to ourselves as part of penance, we'll be better able to say no to temptations in the future." You have a blueprint for spiritual growth into maturity. Or as Saint Paul wrote, in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 "Brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable to take it. Indeed, you are still not able, even now, for you are still of the flesh. While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving in an ordinary human way?" Penance will help bring about maturity, and to be honest so will reading this book or the whole 20 Answers series.
This was another excellent read in the 20 Answers series and I highly recommend the book and the series.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books in the 20 Answers Series.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews