Saved or Not Saved?

[MorphRC]

Pax Christi All.

This has been bugging me for ages. I hear a lot of Protestants and Fundamentalists shouting out their saved all the time. To me no one knows if they're saved until they're dead.

This is more of a apologetic question.

How do I respond to:

(1) I am saved!!!
(2) I am saved, Im going to heaven, Are you?
(3) You are not saved!

Also this one usually catches me out:

(1) Christ died on the cross and now were free from sin.

I know Christ died on the Cross for us and all, but that doesnt mean He saved us Past, present and future does it? I thought it meant, He saved us, as in, He has opened the gates to true forgiveness thru the Sacrament of Confession.

Ok toda Bro's, Sis'

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

Have you checked this out:

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/salvation.html

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

I thinks Shelb5 has a great oneline for this.

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

/me waits for Michelle...

 

[distancerunner]

Pax Christi All.

This has been bugging me for ages. I hear a lot of Protestants and Fundamentalists shouting out their saved all the time. To me no one knows if they're saved until they're dead.

This is more of a apologetic question.

How do I respond to:

(1) I am saved!!!
(2) I am saved, Im going to heaven, Are you?
(3) You are not saved!

Also this one usually catches me out:

(1) Christ died on the cross and now were free from sin.

I know Christ died on the Cross for us and all, but that doesnt mean He saved us Past, present and future does it? I thought it meant, He saved us, as in, He has opened the gates to true forgiveness thru the Sacrament of Confession.

Ok toda Bro's, Sis'

Very interesting! I always thought that at some point in the OT God became so angered with humans that he closed the gates to heaven. When Jesus came and died, God would not keep His Son out of Heaven and thus the gates to heaven were re-opened -- this is how Jesus died for our sins. I could be way off track here so please someone jump in here if you think I am.

Oh yeah, and what does Pax Christi mean?

 

[seebs]

I think the problem is that "are you saved?" implies that it's an event which happened, in the past, not an ongoing process. It seems to me that I am currently being saved. I don't know that this means I couldn't, in theory, change my mind, although I can't imagine why I would.

 

[Benedicta00]

Bro Paul,

Those questions drive me crazy also. I especially dislike "If you die tonight will you go to heaven?"

I tell them that since I have a personal relationship with God, that is privileged information that only he and I share.

 

[MorphRC]

Have you checked this out:

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/salvation.html[/QUOTE]

Ok I read all the scripture evidence.

This one I like:

Heb. 9:12 - Christ's sacrifice secured our redemption, but redemption is not the same thing as salvation. We participate in and hope for salvation. Our hope in salvation is a guarantee if we are faithful to Christ to the end. But if we lose hope and fail to persevere, we can lose our salvation. Thus, by our own choosing (not by God's doing), salvation is not a certainty. While many Protestant churches believe in the theology of "once saved, always saved," such a novel theory is not found in Scripture and has never been taught by the Church.

I think that explains it very well. We never know that we are saved because we dont know in the future if we will rebuke Christ. Therefore saying we are saved is in a way Tempting God.

Can I still get my first thread answered in that (1) (2) format pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee?

 

[MorphRC]

Bro Paul,

Those questions drive me crazy also. I especially dislike "If you die tonight will you go to heaven?"

I tell them that since I have a personal relationship with God, that is privileged information that only he and I share.

Never thought of saying that! But then, they'll probably be thinking your not saved. You know how these people are with scripture

 

[KennySe]

A suggested response, from catholic.com, which I first saw here at CF... and I think this is what was referred to in this thread.. and I had to go find it......

http://www.catholic.com/library/Assurance_of_Salvation.asp

"Are you saved?" asks the Fundamentalist. The Catholic should reply: "As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13)."
http://www.catholic.com/library/Assurance_of_Salvation.asp
Catholic Answers, “Assurance of Salvation” (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 1979-2004). Used with permission:

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

I suggested response, from catholic.com, which I first saw here at CF... and I think this is what was referred to in this thread.. and I had to go find it......

http://www.catholic.com/library/Assurance_of_Salvation.asp

Thats what I was thinking of in a shorter form

 

[pmarquette]

Bro Paul,

Those questions drive me crazy also. I especially dislike "If you die tonight will you go to heaven?"

I tell them that since I have a personal relationship with God, that is privileged information that only he and I share.

..........................
Jesus admonished us to go and share our faith with others ; John said in Revelation that the miracle within us - Jesus on the inside , fixing up our outside is one of the greatest weapons of our faith .

What is being asked of you , by your protestant brothers , is :
are you baptized in water , and confirmed with the Holy Spirit ;
is there evidence in your life of your faith ?

Will you stand in the face of the storm , knowing He who quieted the
storm is within you . Will you declare your faith to anyone who asks ,
at any and every opportunity ? For we have been given the greatest
of all gifts " reinstated with God to where Adam was , by the sacrifice of Jesus ; that we , by the power of the Holy Spirit , might suceed where
Adam failed ...

 

[ej]

Pax Christi All.

This has been bugging me for ages. I hear a lot of Protestants and Fundamentalists shouting out their saved all the time. To me no one knows if they're saved until they're dead.

I know the feeling. And it doesn't annoy or anger me either, but it's a 'bugging'

How do I respond to:

(1) I am saved!!!

How can you be sure?

(2) I am saved, Im going to heaven, Are you?

I hope to be saved and to go to heaven...

(3) You are not saved!

Really? Oh... ...hang on a wee minute - God will judge me and decide that...

Also this one usually catches me out:

(1) Christ died on the cross and now were free from sin.

I'd offer the thought that we aim to be Christ-like but we fail... it is by God's grace that we are forgiven...

 

[Benedicta00]

Never thought of saying that! But then, they'll probably be thinking your not saved. You know how these people are with scripture

These types are not happy no matter what a Catholic tells them. Next time I promise, I will say what Wolseley's friend said, "No, but I have great news... I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO."

If you tell them your Catholic these types aren’t going to think you’re saved anyway. No matter what you say. I tell them that I am a Catholic and I believe in Catholicism so, basically leave me alone.

I had one Mormon person tell me that when missionaries come to teach me the gospel of Christ that he hopes I will be more open to listening to them and another woman tells me in a grocery store parking lot that Jesus did not discriminate, he talked to people of all religions. So I don’t even bother anymore with these types.

I tell them that my relationship with God is personal and my salvation is between Him and I, not them Him and I.

 

[Benedicta00]

..........................
Jesus admonished us to go and share our faith with others ; John said in Revelation that the miracle within us - Jesus on the inside , fixing up our outside is one of the greatest weapons of our faith .

What is being asked of you , by your protestant brothers , is :
are you baptized in water , and confirmed with the Holy Spirit ;
is there evidence in your life of your faith ?

Will you stand in the face of the storm , knowing He who quieted the
storm is within you . Will you declare your faith to anyone who asks ,
at any and every opportunity ? For we have been given the greatest
of all gifts " reinstated with God to where Adam was , by the sacrifice of Jesus ; that we , by the power of the Holy Spirit , might suceed where
Adam failed ...

No… by certain types what is being ask is a set up question so they can lure those who do not know their faith- away. I am not about to get sucked into that trap, playing their game.

 

[MorphRC]

"Are you saved?" asks the Fundamentalist. The Catholic should reply: "As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13)."

I like that response! Doesnt make you self-righteous, or snobby. But tells the truth and even makes you humble yourself by saying:

with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ