Comparison of the Catholic notion of Christ’s sacrifice and its effects, with Calvinism’s penal substitution and its effects.

The following is a Comparison of the Catholic notion of Christ’s sacrifice and its effects, with Calvinism’s penal substitution and its effects.

Catholic- Christ was God
Reformed - Christ was God

Catholic- Christ was sent to save sinners
Reformed - Christ was sent to save sinners

Catholic- Christ instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice in the upper room as a fulfillment of the todah sacrifice, Passover remembrance sacrifice and the unbloody mosaic sacrifices. http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0124.html
Reformed - An unbloody sacrifice is not instituted and no fulfillment of the Mosaic unbloody sacrifices is made, nor the todah sacrifices

Catholic- Christ is offered at the time of the Jewish Passover to institute a new Passover sacrifice whereby men are to eat his flesh as the new lamb.
Reformed - Christ’s offering at the time of the Jewish Passover and no new Passover sacrifice is instituted whereby men are to eat his flesh as the new lamb.

Catholic- Christ is without sin.
Reformed - Christ is without sin.

Catholic- Christ does not have the sins of men imputed to him by the Father
Reformed - Christ does have the sins of men imputed to him by the Father

Catholic- Christ does not suffer under the wrath of the Father who does not make Christ suffer in the place of men.
Reformed - Christ suffers under the wrath of the Father who makes Christ suffer in the place of men.

Catholic- Christ suffers under the Romans and Jews for the accusation of blasphemy
Reformed - Christ suffers under the Romans and Jews for the accusation of blasphemy

Catholic- Christ dies and enters into the realm of the dead to preach to the dead
Reformed - Christ enters into hell to suffer the punishment of the damned

Catholic- Christ rises from the dead
Reformed - Christ rises from the dead

Catholic- Christ ascends into heaven to sit at the right hand of the father to act as priest, prophet and king.
Reformed - Christ ascends into heaven to sit at the right hand of the father to be glorified due to his completed work.

Catholic- Christ stands as a lamb slain to have his once for all sacrifice constantly presented to the Father. This action is a representation of the cross made present.
Reformed - Not necessary and not explained

Catholic- Christ rises from the dead and merits for himself a priesthood due to his new immortal life. He uses this priesthood in the order of Melchizedeck to continually offer the unbloody todah sacrifice in the heavenly sanctuary as an act of propitiation to take away men’s sins
Reformed - Christ rises from the dead and is a High priest, but there is no need to him to be offering a sacrifice.

Catholic- Christ continually presents his once for all sacrifice to appease the Father.
Reformed - The Father sees Christ’s act as a substitute for all men as a one time act.

Catholic- Christ has his divine life infused into men and then the Father declares them to be righteous because they are his adopted children
Reformed - Christ has his righteousness imputed to the sinner and the Father declares the sinner to be righteous, whilst remaining a sinner.

Catholic- Grace is a participation in the divine life infused into the soul, the intellect and will, whereby men freely make acts of faith, hope and love
Reformed - Grace is a favor, which is vaguely defined.

Catholic- Grace is formally a supernatural thing acting inside a man to make the man act supernaturally towards a supernatural good.
Reformed - Grace is not formally supernatural and man is not elevated to the supernatural life

Catholic- Faith is a theological virtue
Reformed - Faith is vaguely defined as a gift and instrumental cause of justification

Catholic- Men can easily keep the commandments with grace
Reformed - Men cannot keep the commandments with grace

Catholic- Once raised into the supernatural family of God Men are to work out their salvation with the grace given and can lose salvation through mortal sin.
Reformed - Once justified by a favor, men cannot lose salvation, because the imputation is a divine work, which men cannot stop by sin.

Catholic- Justification is a familial act within a covenant, new Israel, new Exodus, new Davidic Kingdom, new law of Christ, new priesthood and new tabernacle, new ark of the covenant and new temple.
Reformed – Justification is a legal imputation within a court room setting.

Catholic- Sanctification is another word for justifying grace making the man intrinsically holy before God.
Reformed – Sanctification is not separate, but a distinct act after justification, whereby the justified man attempts to keep the commandments and gain more rewards in heaven.