Are you saved? Answer

[Gorgias]

Am I missing something?

Yes. What’s in play here is the conflict between the Catholic concept of justification/sanctification/salvation and the Protestant concept of assurance of salvation (which some Protestants also think means “once saved, always saved”).

I thought we’re only considered “saved” (in the sense of going to Heaven) if we’re in a state of grace.

In a state of grace at the moment of our death, you mean, right? And therefore, since we don’t know now whether we’ll be in a state of grace then, we can’t presume anything. That’s one of the big differences between Protestant and Catholic soteriology.

 

[Vonsalza]

“As in, ‘right this moment’? I hope so. But I’m not the shot-caller.”

 

[meltzerboy2]

As a Jew, I would counter: “Saved from what? I didn’t know I was condemned in the first place.”

 

[jtwp5]

Priest had a good homily over this yesterday. I think I saw something on EWTN about this as well. “Faith without works is dead.” I don’t understand how people think they can just believe in God and that’s all there is to it. You’re telling me that if I believe in God, yet I go out and murder hundreds of people, I’m going to goto heaven? Once saved, always saved? That’s completely ridiculous and basically gives you permission to do whatever you want. If I’m already saved then I can go out and sin all I want to and I’ll still goto heaven. I don’t understand the logic behind this. Heresy.

Kind of misses the point too, want to work on building a relationship with Jesus and out of that good works should follow. I still get caught up too much in rules. But seeing people saying “I’m saved”, and then they go out and commit certain acts is frustrating. “What are you doing!”

 

[fhansen]

I have that hope/confidence, based on the promises of God who is always trustworthy and true, combined with my responses to those promises, with myself being the wildcard in it all. Looking at all of Scripture in context, it’s very obvious that one must work out their salvation with He who works in us, that no one, except God, knows with 100% certainty whose names are written in the Book of Life and whose are not. We must strive, persevere, and demonstrate a life oriented towards justice/righteousness, produced with the help of grace, with the help of God, ‘apart from Whom we can do nothing’, John 15:5

In the end, faith must lead to love, the virtue that truly defines man’s justice or righteousness and the right motivator for our actions. So the catechism teaches, echoing John of the Cross:
"At the evening of life we shall be judged on our love."

God’s the final judge either way, of how well we’ve done with what we’ve been given. Luke 12:48 and the Parable of the Talents go far in explaining how this all plays out.

 

[DarkLight]

Depends on the context. If I thought the person was listening, I might give an explanation. I might also just say “I trust in Christ’s death as the means of salvation” or something similar.

I’ve also had places where the correct answer was “I can’t talk about religion right now” or similar.

 

[Nelka]

No because I am still here.