Saving your Catholic children from being "saved"! John 3:16

[StevenMerten]

Matthew 21:28 Parable of the Two Sons.
"What do you think of this case? There was a man who had two sons. He approached the elder and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' The son replied, 'I am on my way, sir' ; but he never went. Then the man came to his second son and said the same thing. This son said in reply, 'No, I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. Which of the two did what the father wanted?" They said, "The second." Jesus said to them, "I assure you that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came preaching a way of holiness, you put no faith in him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe in him. Yet even when you saw that, you did not repent and believe in him."​

Jesus tells us that people are receiving salvation through putting their faith in, and believing in, John the Baptist. How can this be?

To receive salvation, through putting your faith in Jesus, means to do what Jesus tells you to do to go to heaven. To receive salvation, by believing in Jesus, means to do what Jesus tells you to do to go to heaven. Jesus tells us to care for the poor, obey the Commandments, do not get divorced and remarried, and many other things, if we wish to go to heaven. God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, had John the Baptist also telling people what to do to go to heaven. People who put Jesus’ and John’ words, into practice, is how they put faith and belief in them, and enter into eternal life, because of their faith and belief in John and Jesus.

Deceivers tell Catholics that all they have to do to go to heaven, or in their words ‘be saved’, is to recite their little ‘I accept Jesus as my personal savior’ prayer (which they created) and they are "saved" meaning going to heaven. Then the deceivers tell your Catholic children that they do not have to obey God's Laws to go to heaven because all that is out due to Jesus death and Resurrection. Jesus tells us to obey the Commandments and care for the poor, if we wish to enter into Eternal life. Protect your Catholic children from those who dare to deceive people away from Jesus’ teachings on receiving Eternal life.

John 12:44
Jesus proclaimed aloud: "Whoever puts faith in me believes not so much in me as in him who sent me; and whoever looks on me is seeing him who sent me. I have come to the world as its light, to keep anyone who believes in me from remaining in the dark. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken it is that which will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own; no, the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to speak. Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me."​

John 3:15-16
...that all who believe may have eternal life in him. Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die but may have eternal life.

Matthew 7:21
"None of those who cry out, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. When that day comes, many will plead with me, 'Lord, Lord,' have we not prophesied in your name? have we not exorcized demons by its power? Did we not do many miracles in your name as well? Then I will declare to them solemnly, I never knew you. Out of my sight, you evildoers!"
"Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock. When the rainy season set in, the torrents came and the winds blew and buffeted his house, It did not collapse; it had been solidly set on rock. Anyone who hears my words but does not put them into practice is like the foolish man who built his house on sandy ground. The rains fell, the torrents came, the winds blew and lashed against his house. It collapsed under all this and was completely ruined."

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has life eternal. Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure the wrath of God.

Wisdom 12:2
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

Luke 8:13
Those on the rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. They have no root; they believe for a while, but fall away in time of temptation.

Mark 1:15
Reform your lives and believe in the gospel!

NAB LUK 9:35
Then from the cloud came a voice which said, "This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him."

ACTS 3:22
For Moses said: The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own kinsmen: you shall listen to him in everything he says to you. Anyone who does not listen to that prophet shall be ruthlessly cut off from his people.

Luke 6:43
"A good tree does not produce decayed fruit any more than a decayed tree produces good fruit. Each tree is known by its yield. Figs are not taken from thornbushes, nor grapes picked from brambles. A good man produces goodness from the good in his heart; an evil man produces evil out of his store of evil. Each man speaks from his heart's abundance. Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and not put into practice what I teach you?"​

 

[Tallguy88]

9 for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

Romans 10:9-10 NAB

 

[StevenMerten]

9 for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
Romans 10:9-10 NAB

Hello Tallguy,

Wow! So I guess we can throw out all Jesus’ teachings to obey God's Commandments if we wish to inherit eternal life? I mean, St. Paul, according to you and the ‘Born again’ Protestants, says all we have to do is profess with our lips that Jesus is Lord, and we are ‘saved’ and going to heaven.

Matthew 19:16
The dangers of riches. Another time a man came up to him and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to possess everlasting life?" He answered, "Why do you question me about what is good? There is One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." "Which ones?" he asked. Jesus replied "You shall not kill"; 'You shall not commit adultery'; 'You shall not steal'; 'You shall not bear false witness'; 'Honor your father and mother'; and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Revelation 2:22
"I mean to cast her down on a bed of pain; her companions in sin I will plunge into intense suffering unless they repent of their sins with her, and her children I will put to death. Thus shall all the churches come to know that I am the searcher of hearts and minds, and that I will give each of you what your conduct deserves."

Luke 10:25
On one occasion a lawyer stood up to pose him this problem: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?" Jesus answered him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He replied:
"You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind;
and your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus said, "You have answered correctly. Do this and you shall live."

1 John 5:3
For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,

John 14:15
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Revelation 22:12
"Remember, I am coming soon! I bring with me the reward that will be given to each man as his conduct deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End! Happy are they who wash their robes so as to have free access to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates Outside are the dogs and sorcerers, the fornicators and murderers, the idol-worshipers and all who love falsehood."

Romans 2:4 (St. Paul is speaking)
Do you not know that God's kindness is an invitation to you to repent? In spite of this, your hard and impenitent heart is storing up retribution for that day of wrath when the just judgment of God will be revealed, when he will repay every man for what he has done: eternal life to those who strive for glory, honor, and immortality by patiently doing right; wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness.

John 5:27
"The Father has given over to him power to pass judgment because he is Son of Man; no need for you to be surprised at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned."

Matthew 16:27
The Son of Man will come with his angels. When He does, he will repay each man according to his conduct.

John 15:10
"You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and live in his love."

Matthew 25:31
"And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'...

...Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'...

...'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Matthew 7:13
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Matthew 13:36
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned (up) with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Matthew 13:47
The reign of God is also like a dragnet thrown into the lake, which collected all sorts of things. When it was full they hauled it ashore and sat down to put what was worthwhile into containers. What was useless they threw away. That is how it will be at the end of the world. Angels will go out and separate the wicked from the just and hurl the wicked into the fiery furnace, where they will wail and grind their teeth.


John 12:47
"If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken - it is that which will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own; no, the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to speak. Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me."​

 

[Tallguy88]

Hello Tallguy,

Wow! So I guess we can throw out all Jesus’ teachings to obey God's Commandments if we wish to inherit eternal life? I mean, St. Paul, according to you and the ‘Born again’ Protestants, says all we have to do is profess with our lips that Jesus is Lord, and we are ‘saved’ and going to heaven.

Matthew 19:16
The dangers of riches. Another time a man came up to him and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to possess everlasting life?" He answered, "Why do you question me about what is good? There is One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." "Which ones?" he asked. Jesus replied "You shall not kill"; 'You shall not commit adultery'; 'You shall not steal'; 'You shall not bear false witness'; 'Honor your father and mother'; and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"​

​

This is Sanctification, it comes after Justification. Without being saved, good works are worth nothing.

Revelation 2:22

"I mean to cast her down on a bed of pain; her companions in sin I will plunge into intense suffering unless they repent of their sins with her, and her children I will put to death. Thus shall all the churches come to know that I am the searcher of hearts and minds, and that I will give each of you what your conduct deserves."

​

Jezabel is probably in hell since she was evil. What's your point?

Luke 10:25

On one occasion a lawyer stood up to pose him this problem: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?" Jesus answered him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He replied:
"You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind;
and your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus said, "You have answered correctly. Do this and you shall live."

​

This lines up perfectly with what Paul said.

1 John 5:3

For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments.

And his commandments are not burdensome,

John 14:15
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

​

Exactly. True faith produces good works. Faith without works is dead.

Revelation 22:12

"Remember, I am coming soon! I bring with me the reward that will be given to each man as his conduct deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End! Happy are they who wash their robes so as to have free access to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates Outside are the dogs and sorcerers, the fornicators and murderers, the idol-worshipers and all who love falsehood."

Romans 2:4 (St. Paul is speaking)
Do you not know that God's kindness is an invitation to you to repent? In spite of this, your hard and impenitent heart is storing up retribution for that day of wrath when the just judgment of God will be revealed, when he will repay every man for what he has done: eternal life to those who strive for glory, honor, and immortality by patiently doing right; wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness.

John 5:27
"The Father has given over to him power to pass judgment because he is Son of Man; no need for you to be surprised at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned."

Matthew 16:27
The Son of Man will come with his angels. When He does, he will repay each man according to his conduct.

John 15:10
"You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and live in his love."

Matthew 25:31
"And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'...

...Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'...

...'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Matthew 7:13
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Matthew 13:36
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned (up) with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Matthew 13:47
The reign of God is also like a dragnet thrown into the lake, which collected all sorts of things. When it was full they hauled it ashore and sat down to put what was worthwhile into containers. What was useless they threw away. That is how it will be at the end of the world. Angels will go out and separate the wicked from the just and hurl the wicked into the fiery furnace, where they will wail and grind their teeth.


John 12:47
"If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken - it is that which will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own; no, the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to speak. Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me."

Ok I got tired of addressing them one by one. There is no discrepancy between what Jesus teaches and what Paul teaches. Salvation is by faith in God. Without saving faith, good works are worthless. Those with true faith will do good works.

 

[Gnarwhal]

9 for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

Romans 10:9-10 NAB

I'm confused... are you defending the protestant concept of salvation by posting this scripture? I ask because that's generally the first—if not only—bullet they have chambered for justifying their soteriological beliefs.

 

[StevenMerten]

There is no discrepancy between what Jesus teaches and what Paul teaches. Salvation is by faith in God. Without saving faith, good works are worthless. Those with true faith will do good works.

Hello Tallguy,

Do we agree that Jesus' definition of, Faith in Jesus, is defined by Jesus, as doing what Jesus commands you to do? Jesus tells us that many will come to Him on Judgement day, wondering, Lord, Lord, we had 'faith' in you great enough to exorcise demons; we prophesied by the power of Your Name; we had faith in You great enough to move mountains; Why are you damning us to hell? Jesus answer, you did not put faith in me by doing what I commanded you to do. 'Out of my site you evil doers!"

Matthew 7:21
"None of those who cry out, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. When that day comes, many will plead with me, 'Lord, Lord,' have we not prophesied in your name? have we not exorcized demons by its power? Did we not do many miracles in your name as well? Then I will declare to them solemnly, I never knew you. Out of my sight, you evildoers!"
"Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock. When the rainy season set in, the torrents came and the winds blew and buffeted his house, It did not collapse; it had been solidly set on rock. Anyone who hears my words but does not put them into practice is like the foolish man who built his house on sandy ground. The rains fell, the torrents came, the winds blew and lashed against his house. It collapsed under all this and was completely ruined."

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has life eternal. Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure the wrath of God.

John 12:44
Jesus proclaimed aloud: "Whoever puts faith in me believes not so much in me as in him who sent me; and whoever looks on me is seeing him who sent me. I have come to the world as its light, to keep anyone who believes in me from remaining in the dark. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken it is that which will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own; no, the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to speak. Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me."
​

 

[Tallguy88]

I'm confused... are you defending the protestant concept of salvation by posting this scripture? I ask because that's generally the first—if not only—bullet they have chambered for justifying their soteriological beliefs.

I’m just posting scripture. Salvation is by faith and true faith is evidenced by works. I’m pretty sure this is entirely in line with Catholic teaching.

 

[Tallguy88]

Hello Tallguy,

Do we agree that Jesus' definition of, Faith in Jesus, is defined by Jesus, as doing what Jesus commands you to do? Jesus tells us that many will come to Him on Judgement day, wondering, Lord, Lord, we had 'faith' in you great enough to exorcise demons; we prophesied by the power of Your Name; we had faith in You great enough to move mountains; Why are you damning us to hell? Jesus answer, you did not put faith in me by doing what I commanded you to do. 'Out of my site you evil doers!"

Matthew 7:21
"None of those who cry out, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. When that day comes, many will plead with me, 'Lord, Lord,' have we not prophesied in your name? have we not exorcized demons by its power? Did we not do many miracles in your name as well? Then I will declare to them solemnly, I never knew you. Out of my sight, you evildoers!"
"Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock. When the rainy season set in, the torrents came and the winds blew and buffeted his house, It did not collapse; it had been solidly set on rock. Anyone who hears my words but does not put them into practice is like the foolish man who built his house on sandy ground. The rains fell, the torrents came, the winds blew and lashed against his house. It collapsed under all this and was completely ruined."

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has life eternal. Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure the wrath of God.

John 12:44
Jesus proclaimed aloud: "Whoever puts faith in me believes not so much in me as in him who sent me; and whoever looks on me is seeing him who sent me. I have come to the world as its light, to keep anyone who believes in me from remaining in the dark. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken it is that which will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own; no, the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to speak. Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me."
​

Faith will produce works, I agree

 

[StevenMerten]

Faith will produce works, I agree

Hello Tallguy,

Jesus tells us that people were entering into heaven by "believing in" John the Baptist and "putting their faith in" John the Baptist. Jesus telling us that to believe in John the Baptist, and put faith in John the Baptist, in order to receive salvation, means that people were repenting to obey God when they heard John the Baptist's preaching. To believe in Jesus and put faith in Jesus, in order to receive salvation, means the same thing as it did to put faith in and believe in John the Baptist for salvation.

Is this what you mean when you say faith will produce works?

Matthew 21:28 Parable of the Two Sons.
"What do you think of this case? There was a man who had two sons. He approached the elder and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' The son replied, 'I am on my way, sir' ; but he never went. Then the man came to his second son and said the same thing. This son said in reply, 'No, I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. Which of the two did what the father wanted?" They said, "The second." Jesus said to them, "I assure you that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came preaching a way of holiness, you put no faith in him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe in him. Yet even when you saw that, you did not repent and believe in him."​

 

[Tallguy88]

I'm not sure what you're arguing. Salvation is because of Jesus' death on the cross as a substitutionary atonement for our sins. Salvation isn't by John the Baptist any more than it was by Elijah, his OT counterpart. John prepared the way for Jesus, but John was not the Christ.

 

[StevenMerten]

I'm not sure what you're arguing. Salvation is because of Jesus' death on the cross as a substitutionary atonement for our sins. Salvation isn't by John the Baptist any more than it was by Elijah, his OT counterpart. John prepared the way for Jesus, but John was not the Christ.

Hello Tallguy,

I have studied what it means to "believe in God" throughout the bible. To "believe" in God means to repent to obey what God tells you to do. I see you, and the 'born agains', trying to push an idea that 'to put faith in God' or 'to believe in God' are something different. I see you as trying to say that you chose faith in God then God will somehow infuse obedience into you, because of your faith. In reality, to have faith in God, or believe in God, both mean to freely choose to obey God, which to obey God is love for God.

 

[StevenMerten]

A ‘born again’ Pentecostal minister wanted to talk to me about Jesus, I said sure! The minister starts talking about Nicodemus and how Jesus tells us we must be born again. I asked, ‘Do you mean like Jesus being Eternally Begotten of God?’ ‘Well, I suppose, yes’, said the minister. He tells me how he accepted Jesus as his personal Savior, and he became ‘born again’. ‘Can someone eternally begotten of God go to hell’?, I asked. ‘Good heavens no!’, was his response. I said, ‘I run into a lot of people who have abandon God in sin, yet they tell me of their ‘born again’ days’. ‘Well those people were never really ‘saved’ or ‘born again’, in the first place, he responded.

One of the ‘born again’ Pentecostal minister’s congregation had stole from me. That’s how we met. The thief was still highly glorified in their Pentecostal as being ‘born again’ and having ‘saved’ many souls. I asked if the minister was going to discuss this with the thief who was still being glorified as a ‘born again’. The minister asked if he had stolen from a ‘saved’ person or an ‘unsaved’ person. Does it matter?, I asked. Well if a ‘saved’ person steals from an ‘unsaved’ person, then the money will be given to the church and used to glorify God. ‘He stole from me, a life long Catholic, who goes to Mass every Sunday and seeks to love and obey God with all my heart’, I responded. Then he starts going through this, it does not matter how many good deeds you have done, if you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, your not ‘saved’ routine.

My dear sweet, 90 year old, aunt has been a Catholic nun since she graduated from high school. She has humbly served our Lord, with all her heart, all her life. A young woman who had lived a life in the flesh, but now claims to be ‘born again’, stated, ‘Sister is so nice, it’s too bad she is not going to heaven.’ I know where this kid gets this evil attitude from.

 

[Tutorman]

So are you trying to say one must work their way into Heaven? If that is the case than the good thief Saint Dismas may not be in Heaven and many other martyrs who became believers before being martyred can not be in Heaven because they could not do works. Salvation is by Grace through faith but not alone and per Scripture is it not of works lest any man should boasts. Now we should obey God and do His works but this does not give Salvation to one, only God gives Salvation to one.

We have been saved, are being saved, and by God's grace will be saved.

James Akin does a good job explaining things:

SALVATION PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
James Akin
I. "HAVE YOU BEEN SAVED?"
This is a question Protestants often pose when they are doing evangelism, but it is a question which takes many people by surprise, including many Catholics. Some people are surprised because they never think about salvation, but Catholics tend to be surprised by it for a different reason. Catholics tend to focus on salvation as a future event, something that has yet to happen. As a result, the Protestant question, "Have you been saved?" can sound presumptuous. But the question sounds very natural to Protestant ears because Evangelicals tend to conceive of salvation as a past event, something that happens to the believer at the very beginning of his life as a Christian.

Both of these conceptions of salvation—as a past and as a future event—are found in the Bible. As a result, both the common Protestant and Catholic views of salvation reflect parts of the Biblical idea of salvation. For example, the idea of salvation as a past event is present in passages such as Ephesians 2:5, which states that "even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)" (all Scripture quotations NKJV)

Since this passage speaks of salvation in the past tense, something that has been done to us, it is conceiving of salvation as a past reality.

But this is only one aspect of salvation. There is an ongoing aspect to salvation as well, as is indicated in 1st Peter 1:8-9, which states, " ... Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving ... the salvation of your souls."

The same idea of salvation as something that is taking place presently is found in the writings of the St. Paul as well, for example, in Philippians 2:12 he states,

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling"

Salvation in the Bible is therefore also a process which is still being worked out in the life of the believer's life. And it is a process which will not be finally completed until the Last Day, as is indicated by St. Paul in the following passages:

"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (Romans 5:9-10)

"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed." (Romans 13:11)

"If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:15)

" ... deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." (1 Corinthians 5:5)

These verses all speak of salvation in the future tense, as something that will happen to us in the future. Therefore, salvation has past, present, and future aspects or dimensions.

If we were to offer a general definition of salvation, including its past, present, and future dimensions, we would say something like, "Salvation is a process which begins when a person first becomes a Christian, which continues through the rest of his life, and which concludes on the Last Day." This definition allows the faithful Christian to do justice to all of the Biblical data by saying, "I have been saved; I am being saved; and I will be saved." It embraces all three of the aspects of salvation which are present in the biblical literature.

James Akin
​

 

[StevenMerten]

So are you trying to say one must work their way into Heaven? If that is the case than the good thief Saint Dismas may not be in Heaven and many other martyrs who became believers before being martyred can not be in Heaven because they could not do works. Salvation is by Grace through faith but not alone and per Scripture is it not of works lest any man should boasts. Now we should obey God and do His works but this does not give Salvation to one, only God gives Salvation to one.

We have been saved, are being saved, and by God's grace will be saved.

Hello Tutorman,

When someone asks you, 'What good must I do to possess everlasting life? Do you agree that the perfect answer, Christ's answer, is to obey God's Commandments? Do you agree Jesus will judge mankind into heaven or hell based on their conduct, as He says He will? Do you agree that Jesus will judge between the sheep and the goats, and those who have cared for the poor He will bring into eternal life, and those who did not care for the poor, He will burn in hell?

Or do you think that Jesus taught heresy?

Do you think that Jesus forgot that the only way to heaven is through His blood?

Love trumps all. To obey God is to love God. Jesus prioritized as to just what you must do to go to heaven. You are to Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. The way that you love God with all your heart is to obey God with all your strength. Those who love God with all their heart, Jesus says He will judge into eternal life, through the mercy of His blood.

Matthew 19:16
The dangers of riches. Another time a man came up to him and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to possess everlasting life?" He answered, "Why do you question me about what is good? There is One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." "Which ones?" he asked. Jesus replied "You shall not kill"; 'You shall not commit adultery'; 'You shall not steal'; 'You shall not bear false witness'; 'Honor your father and mother'; and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Revelation 2:22
"I mean to cast her down on a bed of pain; her companions in sin I will plunge into intense suffering unless they repent of their sins with her, and her children I will put to death. Thus shall all the churches come to know that I am the searcher of hearts and minds, and that I will give each of you what your conduct deserves."

Luke 10:25
On one occasion a lawyer stood up to pose him this problem: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?" Jesus answered him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He replied:
"You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind;
and your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus said, "You have answered correctly. Do this and you shall live."

1 John 5:3
For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,

John 15:22
"If I had not come to them and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; now, however, their sin cannot be excused. To hate me is to hate my Father. Had I not performed such works among them as no one has ever done before, they would not be guilty of sin; but as it is, they have seen, and they go on hating me and my Father."

Deuteronomy 5:9
". . . you shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishments for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation but bestowing mercy, down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments."

John 14:15
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Revelation 22:12
"Remember, I am coming soon! I bring with me the reward that will be given to each man as his conduct deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End! Happy are they who wash their robes so as to have free access to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates Outside are the dogs and sorcerers, the fornicators and murderers, the idol-worshipers and all who love falsehood."

Romans 2:4 (St. Paul is speaking)
Do you not know that God's kindness is an invitation to you to repent? In spite of this, your hard and impenitent heart is storing up retribution for that day of wrath when the just judgment of God will be revealed, when he will repay every man for what he has done: eternal life to those who strive for glory, honor, and immortality by patiently doing right; wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness.

John 5:27
"The Father has given over to him power to pass judgment because he is Son of Man; no need for you to be surprised at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned."

Matthew 16:27
The Son of Man will come with his angels. When He does, he will repay each man according to his conduct.

John 15:10
"You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and live in his love."

Matthew 25:31
"And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'...

...Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'...

...'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Matthew 7:13
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Matthew 13:36
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned (up) with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Matthew 13:47
The reign of God is also like a dragnet thrown into the lake, which collected all sorts of things. When it was full they hauled it ashore and sat down to put what was worthwhile into containers. What was useless they threw away. That is how it will be at the end of the world. Angels will go out and separate the wicked from the just and hurl the wicked into the fiery furnace, where they will wail and grind their teeth.


John 12:47
"If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken - it is that which will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own; no, the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to speak. Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me."​

 

[Tutorman]

Do you think that Jesus forgot that the only way to heaven is through His blood?

Not at all, but you might have. @Tallguy88 has it right

 

[StevenMerten]

Not at all, but you might have. @Tallguy88 has it right

The way people go to heaven is through the blood of Jesus. The reason people go to heaven is because they love God. The way we love God is through obedience to God and repentance to obey to God, with all our heart.

 

[StevenMerten]

1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-13 Excellence of the gift of love.
Now I will show you the way which surpasses all the others. If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

John 14:15
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Matthew 7:21
"None of those who cry out, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. When that day comes, many will plead with me, 'Lord, Lord,' have we not prophesied in your name? have we not exorcized demons by its power? Did we not do many miracles in your name as well? Then I will declare to them solemnly, I never knew you. Out of my sight, you evildoers!"

John 15:22
"If I had not come to them and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; now, however, their sin cannot be excused. To hate me is to hate my Father. Had I not performed such works among them as no one has ever done before, they would not be guilty of sin; but as it is, they have seen, and they go on hating me and my Father."

1 John 5:3
For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,

Deuteronomy 5:9
". . . you shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishments for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation but bestowing mercy, down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments."

 

[anna ~ grace]

I have a few friends who are Mennonites, and whose church emphasizes the new birth through a moment of faith, conversion, and repentance. Similar to the sinner's prayer. The pressure on young people to make a personal choice for Christ is immense. Some young people who make that choice later fall away, or drift from faith. Others seem to grow, and hang on. I'd agree that the idea of being permanently saved in a moment by faith alone is untrue, and possibly damaging.

 

[StevenMerten]

I have a few friends who are Mennonites, and whose church emphasizes the new birth through a moment of faith, conversion, and repentance. Similar to the sinner's prayer. The pressure on young people to make a personal choice for Christ is immense. Some young people who make that choice later fall away, or drift from faith. Others seem to grow, and hang on. I'd agree that the idea of being permanently saved in a moment by faith alone is untrue, and possibly damaging.

Thank you Gracia,
I am a cradle Catholic. From my memories in one of those walker jumper things that toddlers are put in, I have had the desire to do what my God wills me to do. I remember wondering, while I was in a toddler in a walker, whether my mother was God. Either way, I wanted to please God. As I grew, I realized that my mother was not God. In Catholic grade school, I learned who God was. I still wanted to do the will of God. As I grew older, 7 or 8, when the Church says you are able to choose sin or not, I still desired to do God's Will. I never had a point in life where I specifically decided to turn from evil to do the will of God. So should I be shunned by the Protestants as being 'unsaved'? I think not.

 

[concretecamper]

I’m just posting scripture. Salvation is by faith and true faith is evidenced by works. I’m pretty sure this is entirely in line with Catholic teaching.

Trent

Canon 9.
If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone,[114] meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his own will, let him be anathema.

Canon 24.
If anyone says that the justice received is not preserved and also not increased before God through good works,[125] but that those works are merely the fruits and signs of justification obtained, but not the cause of its increase, let him be anathema.