391. What does the acceptance of God’s mercy require from us?

It requires that we admit our faults and repent of our sins. God himself by his Word and his Spirit lays bare our sins and gives us the truth of conscience and the hope of forgiveness.

Veja este tema no Catecismo

Paragraph 1846

1846. The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God's mercy to sinners.¹¹³The angel announced to Joseph: "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."¹¹⁴The same is true of the Eucharist, the sacrament of redemption: "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."¹¹⁵

Paragraph 1847

1847. "God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us."¹¹⁶To receive his mercy, we must admit our faults. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."¹¹⁷

Paragraph 1848

1848. As St. Paul affirms, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more."¹¹⁸But to do its work grace must uncover sin so as to convert our hearts and bestow on us "righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ ourLord."¹¹⁹Like a physician who probes the wound before treating it, God, by his Word and by his Spirit, casts a living light on sin:

Conversion requires convincing of sin; it includes the interior judgment of conscience, and this, being a proof of the action of the Spirit of truth in man's inmost being, becomes at the same time the start of a new grant of grace and love: "Receive the Holy Spirit." Thus in this "convincing concerning sin" we discover a double gift: the gift of the truth of conscience and the gift of the certainty of redemption. the Spirit of truth is the Consoler.¹²⁰

Paragraph 1870

1870. "God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all" (Rom 11:32).

Acesse nossos estudos biblicos:

What is the message of Proverbs 6:6-11 about laziness and hard work?

God’s Holiness and the Call to Holiness: What Does the Book of Leviticus Teach Us About God’s Holiness and Our Responsibility to Be Holy? (Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2)

What is God’s promise for the restoration of Jerusalem, and what can we learn about God’s faithfulness from Jeremiah 31:31-34?

What is the message of Abdias 1:11 about Edom’s injustice and oppression of the weak?

How important is the supremacy of Christ according to Colossians 1:15-20?

What is Amos’ criticism of superficial religion, and how does he highlight the importance of a genuine heart?

What was the religious reform implemented by King Hezekiah and how did it impact the history of Judah?