Was Mary sinless her entire life?
The Catholic Catechism teaches that Mary was free from original sin:
“Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, ‘full of grace’ through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: ‘The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin’ ” (para. 491).
Many think that the “immaculate conception” refers to Jesus’ conception, when in fact the Catholic Catechism teaches that it refers to the conception of Mary! The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception cannot be found anywhere in the Bible, and it did not become Catholic doctrine until 1854. The Catholic Catechism teaches that Mary never sinned:
“By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long” (para. 493).
In contrast, the Bible teaches that
“All have gone astray; all alike are worthless; there is not one who does good, [there is not] even one” (Romans 3:12).
And that
“...all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Romans 3 does not state that “all except Mary have sinned” or that “most have sinned.” Instead, it states that “all have sinned” and that “there is not one who does good, [there is not] even one.” “Not even one” means that not even Mary was without sin. We are all sinners, and we all need to be saved from our sins; therefore we all need a Savior. If someone had never sinned, that one would not need a Savior. Mary acknowledged her sin and need of a Savior when she said,
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46, 47).
If Mary had never sinned, she would have had no need for a Savior.
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