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mgpm
Guest
I’m a convert to the Catholic faith, I’ve been Catholic for 13 years now. I spent my youth and young adult years in all kinds of churches, Non Denominational/Fundamentalist (most of my childhood), Pentacostal, Baptist, Assemblies of God, Methodist…
I must admit I was puzzled when I heard Catholic people say they “hoped” for heaven…that it was a sin of presumption to say “I’m saved. I’m going to heaven.” At first, I couldn’t see how it was a presumptous thought. From my earliest days I’d been taught that you believe in Jesus as the Son of God, that He died and rose again for our sins—and that was all you needed. Passport to heaven assured.
As I have grown in my faith, however, I realize that sin is much more insidious than I’d thought. It is like an invasive weed that needs to be pulled out and it keeps growing back again and again, tendrils of that viney weed always wanting to sneak in. We can never get to the very root of that weed to kill it, because we have original sin, and this world is steeped in it. It would be like saying, “Swim in the ocean but don’t get wet.” It permeates this world and we can never be totally free of it here. We have to be vigilant, we have to WORK to stay close to God, to be on guard from sin and the effects of sin. It is a constant task to try to sin as little as possible. It is not a one and done proposition. We cannot simply ask to be saved and that’s the end of it. We are to take up the cross DAILY, to follow Him.
We need to be saved. We do need to know that Jesus is Lord, that He died for our sins, that He rose again and conquered death. Atonement is necessary, however. It’s not optional. God gives us the great MERCY of Purgatory. We are forgiven. We have to be purified so we can meet God, because we cannot come before Him as we are.
I don’t believe Protestants are guilty of the sin of presumption. They don’t presume anything on their own…they truely believe that they ask to be forgiven, and that is all that required.
I am not scared of dying. I place myself at God’s mercy. I pray and try not to sin. I fail many times, but I know God is there for me, He has provided a way for me to be with Him eternally. I try to follow this way as closely as I can and I know that even if I am not perfect He will make me perfect someday as long as I love Him and try my best. “Love covers a multitude of sins.”
If I only had 30 minutes before death, I think I 'd thank God profusely for the 30 minutes and spend that time in prayer, begging for pardon and appealing to God’s great mercy. What a GIFT a heads up of 30 minutes would be!!!
I must admit I was puzzled when I heard Catholic people say they “hoped” for heaven…that it was a sin of presumption to say “I’m saved. I’m going to heaven.” At first, I couldn’t see how it was a presumptous thought. From my earliest days I’d been taught that you believe in Jesus as the Son of God, that He died and rose again for our sins—and that was all you needed. Passport to heaven assured.
As I have grown in my faith, however, I realize that sin is much more insidious than I’d thought. It is like an invasive weed that needs to be pulled out and it keeps growing back again and again, tendrils of that viney weed always wanting to sneak in. We can never get to the very root of that weed to kill it, because we have original sin, and this world is steeped in it. It would be like saying, “Swim in the ocean but don’t get wet.” It permeates this world and we can never be totally free of it here. We have to be vigilant, we have to WORK to stay close to God, to be on guard from sin and the effects of sin. It is a constant task to try to sin as little as possible. It is not a one and done proposition. We cannot simply ask to be saved and that’s the end of it. We are to take up the cross DAILY, to follow Him.
We need to be saved. We do need to know that Jesus is Lord, that He died for our sins, that He rose again and conquered death. Atonement is necessary, however. It’s not optional. God gives us the great MERCY of Purgatory. We are forgiven. We have to be purified so we can meet God, because we cannot come before Him as we are.
I don’t believe Protestants are guilty of the sin of presumption. They don’t presume anything on their own…they truely believe that they ask to be forgiven, and that is all that required.
I am not scared of dying. I place myself at God’s mercy. I pray and try not to sin. I fail many times, but I know God is there for me, He has provided a way for me to be with Him eternally. I try to follow this way as closely as I can and I know that even if I am not perfect He will make me perfect someday as long as I love Him and try my best. “Love covers a multitude of sins.”
If I only had 30 minutes before death, I think I 'd thank God profusely for the 30 minutes and spend that time in prayer, begging for pardon and appealing to God’s great mercy. What a GIFT a heads up of 30 minutes would be!!!
I don’t think many people understand the way you do to what extent Purgatory is a testament of God’s great mercy, as you put it yourself. I think I can learn a thing or two from you. I think you have a great way of explaining things in a deep yet simple way. Have you considered becoming a catechumen?