Are Catholic’s Christian

[Goodboy]

From reading your account, it would seem to me that you got saved over a period of some amount of time. That's just my thought from reading your account.

I was totally convinced over a period of time, but I was saved when I did just what the Bible says to do which is to believe and accept the free gift. I first did my part and then God did his part which was to totally convince me. So to be clear if you want to say I was not fully saved, I can accept that, but I did all that I needed to do to get saved. I later did nothing more.

If my belief and acceptance did not get me saved then that would mean that Romans 10:9 and 10:11 are false.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

What does it take to be saved? Just belief and acceptance. Confessing with your mouth is the acceptance.

 

[Tall Timbers]

So to be clear if you want to say I was not fully saved, I can accept that, but I did all that I needed to do to get saved. I later did nothing more.

I wouldn't say that, but was just making an observation based on your written account. You know you're saved and you know when it happened.

 

[Goodboy]

I wouldn't say that, but was just making an observation based on your written account. You know you're saved and you know when it happened.

I know that you were not stating that as a fact and it was just your opinion. I think you did a good job of making that clear. I only responded to make my case as to when I believed I was saved.

All of this conversation has inspired me to write something I think I will call when does salvation begin. You see salvation is a process that is not complete until the Rapture. Even when a Christian dies they still don't have their new bodies. So really when we say that someone is saved, we are speaking of when they have done all they need to do for their salvation. No one is actually completely saved until the Rapture, which is when God has completed his process.

Thanks for all of your comments!

 

[mattfivefour]

I was totally convinced over a period of time, but I was saved when I did just what the Bible says to do which is to believe and accept the free gift. I first did my part and then God did his part which was to totally convince me. So to be clear if you want to say I was not fully saved, I can accept that, but I did all that I needed to do to get saved. I later did nothing more.

If my belief and acceptance did not get me saved then that would mean that Romans 10:9 and 10:11 are false.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

What does it take to be saved? Just belief and acceptance. Confessing with your mouth is the acceptance.

Absolutely! Thank you for clarifying. You and I are in complete agreement. As you said in an earlier post, you did all you had to do for salvation-- believe. And by the word "believe" I mean you personally trusted Him to save you. We all did, simply placing our trust in His finished work. Everything beyond that is God's work.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

We discussed this very thing the other day at ladies Christian book club and the consensus was that it wasn't so important that one could name the exact date and circumstances of salvation but rather are you saved now? That is the important thing.

I have no idea the date that God blessed me with saving faith. I know it was a Sunday morning at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, because it was in Molly's Sunday School class, and I was 3

I didn't know much, but suddenly I just knew and believed. Like my eyes were suddenly opened and I could see the truth. It was so much easier then. All I had been taught about God, the Bible, and prayer came from Sunday School, Parents, and Grandparents, especially my Maternal Grandmother. So everything was simple and there was nothing to create any doubt that everything they told me was true. If I believed that Jesus died for me, I went to Heaven, and if I didn't, I went to Hell. My Maternal Grandmother made sure I knew about the realities of Hell. When she taught me the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep prayer, she taught me what it really meant, and didn't pull any punches about Hell. That was either shortly before or after I came to saving faith, most likely before.

As early as it was, I have no excuse for anything . . . I am chiefest among sinners.

So very thankful that Jesus died for all my sins.

GOD!!!

in Jesus' Name

 

[Set Free]

First off, I try not to be condemning of individual Catholics. I don't blame them. I fault the RCC's system of the false teaching of men while they give the BIble
a secondary status.
Scripturally, a Christian is one who has believed in Christ as his Savior knows he is saved now and forever. He is a member of the only church that counts for eternity, the church of the first born (Heb 12:23). He is not trying to achieve his salvation by works, but is only saved by the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Trying to argue with Catholics about their man-made doctrines, leaders, and practices usually won't work. I think you have to give them the saving message of the gospel and let the Holy Spirit work on them.

 

[dwb]

I've known many Catholics, and with all the stuff they feel they have to do which is imposed by the "church", they were firm believers in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. I think they complied more from tradition and peer pressure than the thought of must doing those things in order to be saved.

 

[Hol]

Trying to argue with Catholics about their man-made doctrines, leaders, and practices usually won't work.

I’ve seen this too.

Often their confidence goes way back to their infant baptism (when they’re born into it). If they’ve left the RCCsome smuggly tell themselves that all of their unconfessed sins will get dealt with through purgatory.

 

[Bethlehem57]

I used to work with a woman who supervised a couple of us Paralegals who did patent work. She’s a Catholic and she “invited” us to church with her (I think it was around Lent). Anyway, out of curiosity and being “invited” we went. Boy oh boy did I get an education! Of course you can’t take communion if you’re not one of them, there were no Bibles, and the order of service had “all we needed to know.”

That was all I needed to know! I’m sure that some are saved, but those who lead them, Priests, etc., will be in big trouble one day if things for them don’t change. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone!

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

I used to work with a woman who supervised a couple of us Paralegals who did patent work. She’s a Catholic and she “invited” us to church with her (I think it was around Lent). Anyway, out of curiosity and being “invited” we went. Boy oh boy did I get an education! Of course you can’t take communion if you’re not one of them, there were no Bibles, and the order of service had “all we needed to know.”

That was all I needed to know! I’m sure that some are saved, but those who lead them, Priests, etc., will be in big trouble one day if things for them don’t change. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone!

It isn't just the RCC that's dispensing with pew Bibles (some still have them though). Many churches no longer have pew Bibles or hymnals because they use a wall screen or tablets. Some have Parishioners download the service onto their phones. Some print everything, including the Bible passages and hymns, in paper bulletins so people can take them with them (or leave them for recycling). Some print the order of service and announcements in a paper bulletin and use a screen for hymns/songs, and Parishioners follow along the Bible passages on their own hard-copy or electronic Bibles. Some do a combination or something else. Some of this is driven by $$$ as hard-copy Bibles and hymnals are expensive, they ultimately wear out, and sometimes they get stolen. Some of this is driven by a desire to use technology and integrate everything.

 

[LightOfMyLife]

I know that you were not stating that as a fact and it was just your opinion. I think you did a good job of making that clear. I only responded to make my case as to when I believed I was saved.

All of this conversation has inspired me to write something I think I will call when does salvation begin. You see salvation is a process that is not complete until the Rapture. Even when a Christian dies they still don't have their new bodies. So really when we say that someone is saved, we are speaking of when they have done all they need to do for their salvation. No one is actually completely saved until the Rapture, which is when God has completed his process.

Thanks for all of your comments!r

I agree when we believe that Jesus died for our sins it is called justification.because Jesus paid the price for our sins. Justification is the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God. Sanctification is a process which means action of making or declaring something holy.

 

[Tall Timbers]

Sanctification is a process which means declaring of making or declaring something holy.

I see sanctification as a process we live through while in our mortal bodies, and however far we might have come upon our death, or the Rapture, the rest will be instantaneous.

 

[Tall Timbers]

It isn't just the RCC that's dispensing with pew Bibles (some still have them though).

A lot of churches don't have Bibles or any other books in the pews/seats. Our church has a guy hand out Bibles to anyone who doesn't have their own with them at service and who wants one. Most church members bring their hard copy Bible or use a Bible on whatever device they've got with them.