What is necessary in order to please God and to save one’s own soul?
Catechesis is not merely the acquisition of intellectual knowledge; its purpose is to awaken and strengthen the faith of those who hear the Word of God. As the Apostle writes, “without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb 11:6; see Q077, Q390); and again, “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17; see Q007).
In order to please God and be saved, we must know the true God (Joh 17:3; see Q083, Q093) and have a living faith in him, committing ourselves and our whole life to Christ our God, so that we may be “hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3; see Q390) and “become partakers of the divine nature” (2Pe 1:4; see Q011, Q114). This knowledge of the true God is not a bare awareness that God exists, nor a mental acknowledgment of facts concerning Jesus Christ; it is an intimate knowledge that involves communion. This is why Christians are baptized and united to Christ through participation in the holy and life-creating Mysteries of the Church. In the introduction to his Catechetical Lectures, St Cyril of Jerusalem exclaims:
Great is the Baptism that lies before you: a ransom to captives; a remission of offenses; a death of sin; a new birth of the soul; a garment of light; a holy indissoluble seal; a chariot to heaven; the delight of Paradise; a welcome into the kingdom; the gift of adoption! But there is a serpent by the wayside watching those who pass by: beware, lest he bite you with unbelief. (St Cyril of Jerusalem, Procatechesis, 16)
Therefore, we must remember the Apostle’s admonition: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work, according to his good purpose” (Phi 2:12–13; see Q121, Q360). United to the life of Christ, we are called to live a life according to faith, a faith which produces good works. This cooperation of human freedom with divine grace is what the Fathers call synergy: “indeed, we are God’s co-workers” (1Co 3:9; see Q012, Q307).
