Doesn't your relationship with God matter more than your denomination?

[Tommy999]

Jesus First, Last and always. Whatever denomination you choose to hang your hat on is secondary. It should be Scriptural, it should teach the fullness of the Bible, and the fellowship should help, not hinder, your Christian walk, but Jesus must be the center of your life.

John 14:6 King James Version (KJV)

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I agree with this very much, although we need to take into consideration that different denominations teach different views on important issues and doctrines like justification – so if the denomination a person attends is secondary, it is a very important “secondary” in my opinion.

 

[MT1926]

Jesus First, Last and always. Whatever denomination you choose to hang your hat on is secondary. It should be Scriptural, it should teach the fullness of the Bible, and the fellowship should help, not hinder, your Christian walk, but Jesus must be the center of your life.

John 14:6 King James Version (KJV)

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Amen. Jesus is always the first.

Yes I totally agree with your verse Jesus is the only way to the Father. However, if you read the rest of the chapter he gives us enlightenment on just how that works.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Jesus teaches us here to keep his commandments. This is shown to us just 8 chapters after giving us a life giving commandment.

John 6:53
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;

Which is written just 4 chapters after the beautiful words of our Blessed Mother:

John 2:5
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

God Bless

 

[peter26]

i am catholic but i feel more engaged by protestant worship and preaching and appreciate the close fellowship offered by some protestant communities. i feel that my relationship with God would become deeper and my discipleship would become more intentional by joining a protestant church. please enlighten as to why this is a sin if my overall relationship with the Lord is improved.

I agree that your relationship with Jesus is more important than which church you attend. But consider what the other church believes and practices. For example, many protestants do not believe in the real presence in the Eucharist and consequently see it as an after thought, and have communion maybe once a month if you are lucky.

 

[Rosebud77]

jesus first, last and always. Whatever denomination you choose to hang your hat on is secondary. It should be scriptural, it should teach the fullness of the bible, and the fellowship should help, not hinder, your christian walk, but jesus must be the center of your life.

John 14:6 king james version (kjv)

6 jesus saith unto him, i am the way, the truth, and the life: No man cometh unto the father, but by me.

amen, amen, amen

 

[PietroPaolo]

i am catholic but i feel more engaged by protestant worship and preaching and appreciate the close fellowship offered by some protestant communities. i feel that my relationship with God would become deeper and my discipleship would become more intentional by joining a protestant church. please enlighten as to why this is a sin if my overall relationship with the Lord is improved.

thank you

An analogy:

One person has 1 million dollars in the bank but only withdraws $100.

A second person has $1,000 in the bank and withdraws all $1,000.

Who has more money in his pocket?

The second person is the Protestant. He doesn’t have the Sacraments and so has less grace available to him. The first person, the Catholic, thanks to the Sacraments has more grace available.

BUT, the Protestant, being more devout and having a better relationship with God (in your example), has withdrawn and uses more of the grace available to him and thus is closer to the Lord.

HOWEVER, the devout Protestant, if he were to become Catholic, would be able to access much more grace and grow even closer to God than he is now. The Catholic, on the other hand, might leave the Church for a Protestant community, grow closer to God, and have more “money in the pocket” than he had as a Catholic. Of course, he would have even more had he stayed in the Church and grown closer to the Lord, but he is closer now than he was before.

That shows (hopefully) why you can feel closer to God as a Protestant than you do in the Catholic Church, but why being in the Church is the best way to be as close as possible to the Lord.

 

[adamhovey1988]

let me tell you a story. I had a professor that is Presbyterian now much of my mother’s family was originally Presbyterian. Now he pointed out that when he was growing up that his little Presbyterian church got angry at other Presbyterians and started their own church across the street. Now you can’t be angry at them such as the nature of protestantism. I’m Catholic not because my family is Catholic because most of them aren’t I’m Catholic because I believe in the concept of truth. I am Catholic because I believe truth is absolute and unchanging. I have heard Dynamic Catholic preachers it’s not just the Protestants that have those. And for me as a Catholic it’s more than just going to Mass on Sunday. There are some folks that like praise and worship I like praise and worship we have that in the Catholic Church there are some folks that like praise and worship we have that, some folks like Latin Mass, I like Latin Mass, we hace that too. It does matter whether or not you’re Catholic because truth matters not the latest Trend in Christianity.

 

[Wesrock]

I’d be wary of simply choosing based on feelings. That can get us into a whole lot of trouble, especially morally. If we are focusing on a relationship with Christ, I’d first and foremost be concerned about the Sacraments. These are signs that Christ gave his Church h the authority to carry out to allow the faithful to participate in a real, communal, and physical way in Christ and as members of his body. The Sacraments are the foundation of this relationship with Christ and his Body. The Catholic Church is Christ’s body. Other denominations are not in perfect union with Christ in terms of doctrine and practice.

A man may “feel more alive” or emotional around other women not his wife after so many year’s, but that doesn’t mean he should abandon his wife for other women. Love and choosing good and are not just about feelings and passions. They are movements of the will and intellect.

 

[pianistclare]

Jesus First, Last and always. Whatever denomination you choose to hang your hat on is secondary. It should be Scriptural, it should teach the fullness of the Bible, and the fellowship should help, not hinder, your Christian walk, but Jesus must be the center of your life.

John 14:6 King James Version (KJV)

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Sure, if you walk toward Christ in the Eucharist.
When people ignore him, literally ignore (or deny) His real presence, that’s no bueno.

 

[Wannano]

I agree that your relationship with Jesus is more important than which church you attend. But consider what the other church believes and practices. For example, many protestants do not believe in the real presence in the Eucharist and consequently see it as an after thought, and have communion maybe once a month if you are lucky.

To state that a symbolic Protestant practice of Communion is an “after thought” and therefore meaningless is a non-helpful generalization that if not coming from malice is a very ignorant viewpoint.

 

[Tommy999]

An analogy:

One person has 1 million dollars in the bank but only withdraws $100.

A second person has $1,000 in the bank and withdraws all $1,000.

Who has more money in his pocket?

The second person is the Protestant. He doesn’t have the Sacraments and so has less grace available to him. The first person, the Catholic, thanks to the Sacraments has more grace available.

BUT, the Protestant, being more devout and having a better relationship with God (in your example), has withdrawn and uses more of the grace available to him and thus is closer to the Lord.

HOWEVER, the devout Protestant, if he were to become Catholic, would be able to access much more grace and grow even closer to God than he is now. The Catholic, on the other hand, might leave the Church for a Protestant community, grow closer to God, and have more “money in the pocket” than he had as a Catholic. Of course, he would have even more had he stayed in the Church and grown closer to the Lord, but he is closer now than he was before.

That shows (hopefully) why you can feel closer to God as a Protestant than you do in the Catholic Church, but why being in the Church is the best way to be as close as possible to the Lord.

I like this analogy and agree with it.

I think of people like Tim Staples, Scott Hahn, Al Kresta, and many others who converted to Catholicism and seem to be striving under its influence.

For the sake of full disclosure, I have also run into some ex-Catholics who say their faith and relationship with God has grown stronger as evangelicals or other non-Catholic Christian denominations than when they were Catholic, because to them Catholicism was mainly just a set of rules and regulations without any personal relationship with their Savior and they couldn’t relate to that very well.

However, I tend to agree that an “on-fire for God” Catholic probably has the best of both worlds, but that is just my opinion.

 

[believerdoc]

In short, because of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. You will never be closer to Him on this Earth then when you are before Him at the tabernacle, and in receiving Him at communion.

I listen to some protestant speakers on things, some of whom are very good, but I will always be Catholic, the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, which Christ founded upon the rock St Peter, and carried forward through apostolic succession. In which contains His real presence, body, blood, soul and divinity, within every Catholic Church. How could I go anywhere else? no matter how good the sermon or community was.

I hope this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

I think you misunderstand Protestant worship. Jesus is fully and totally present.

Jesus promised:
19“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

 

[believerdoc]

To state that a symbolic Protestant practice of Communion is an “after thought” and therefore meaningless is a non-helpful generalization that if not coming from malice is a very ignorant viewpoint.

Here again is an example of not understanding Protestant worship. We believe Christ is fully and totally present; that he is the High Priest of The Lord’s Supper; that he offers Himself to us totally and competely in Communion. We do not believe in the real presence in the same way as the Catholic Church but it is very real, meaningful and the culmination of our worship in which we offer ourselves to Christ and receive Him in return.

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

 

[believerdoc]

I like this analogy and agree with it.

I think of people like Tim Staples, Scott Hahn, Al Kresta, and many others who converted to Catholicism and seem to be striving under its influence.

For the sake of full disclosure, I have also run into some ex-Catholics who say their faith and relationship with God has grown stronger as evangelicals or other non-Catholic Christian denominations than when they were Catholic, because to them Catholicism was mainly just a set of rules and regulations without any personal relationship with their Savior and they couldn’t relate to that very well.

However, I tend to agree that an “on-fire for God” Catholic probably has the best of both worlds, but that is just my opinion.

Ok analogy but cannot agree. There is not more grace in one church than the other. Catholics to my understanding believe that grace flows through the sacraments while a Protestant tends to believe that grace flows directly from God through Christ.

 

[TC3033]

To state that a symbolic Protestant practice of Communion is an “after thought” and therefore meaningless is a non-helpful generalization that if not coming from malice is a very ignorant viewpoint.

Here again is an example of not understanding Protestant worship. We believe Christ is fully and totally present; that he is the High Priest of The Lord’s Supper; that he offers Himself to us totally and competely in Communion. We do not believe in the real presence in the same way as the Catholic Church but it is very real, meaningful and the culmination of our worship in which we offer ourselves to Christ and receive Him in return.

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

 

[Bookcat]

i am catholic but i feel more engaged by protestant worship and preaching and appreciate the close fellowship offered by some protestant communities. i feel that my relationship with God would become deeper and my discipleship would become more intentional by joining a protestant church. please enlighten as to why this is a sin if my overall relationship with the Lord is improved.

thank you

Do we love our fellow Christians? yes. Together we proclaim Jesus is Lord.

To seek though to leave the Church that Jesus founded and whom he wills you remain in - for a Protestant community that is not in full communion with the Church - would not be an overall improvement of your relationship with the Lord.

He wants you to follow him as his disciple in full communion with his Church and to know him and love him and proclaim him to all - to received him in the Holy Eucharist and remain living in him in joy and discipleship.

It is within the Church that Jesus wants you to have true life and to share that life with others! With the fullness of what he has given us and desires of us as his disciples.

---

“I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day.”

~ Pope Francis (The Joy of the Gospel)

“Christian joy thus springs from this certainty: God is close, he is with me, he is with us, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as a friend and faithful spouse. And this joy endures, even in trials, in suffering itself. It does not remain only on the surface; it dwells in the depths of the person who entrusts himself to God and trusts in him.”

~ Pope Benedict XVI Anglus 16 December 2007

“Faith opens us to knowing and welcoming the real identity of Jesus, his newness and oneness, his word, as a source of life, in order to live a personal relationship with him. Knowledge of the faith grows, it grows with the desire to find the way and in the end it is a gift of God who does not reveal himself to us as an abstract thing without a face or a name, because faith responds to a Person who wants to enter into a relationship of deep love with us and to involve our whole life.”

~ Pope Benedict XVI (Sunday, 14 August 2011)

 

[LutheranScholar]

The Lutherans absolutely and completely believe in the Real bodily and spiritual Presence of Jesus Christ in the Bread and the Wine of Holy Communion lcms.org/faqs/doctrine#lords-supper, zachmcintosh.com/tag/sacramental-union/, gloriachristi.org/id41.html.

 

[Peter_J]

I have a hard time seeing how it would be sinful if in fact the CC truly now sees the non-Catholic Christians as brothers and sisters in Christ.

I said wrong.

But anyhow, I could equally ask how it could be wrong for a Protestant to become Catholic if you recognize Catholics as Christians.

 

[Michael68]

Pardon my ignorance but does the Catholic Church insist you would be committing a sin?

My father and my grandparents, Sicilians, told me it was a sin for me to even enter a protestant church. I know differently, but it was part of my upbringing.

 

[Bookcat]

Pardon my ignorance but does the Catholic Church insist you would be committing a sin?

Yes it objectively would be a sin. Being in full communion with the Church and then willfully seeking to leave that full communion etc. Yes that would be sinful.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

i am catholic but i feel more engaged by protestant worship and preaching and appreciate the close fellowship offered by some protestant communities. i feel that my relationship with God would become deeper and my discipleship would become more intentional by joining a protestant church. please enlighten as to why this is a sin if my overall relationship with the Lord is improved.

thank you

Church hopping is a awful practice and if you start that you may never be able to stop it. I think whether you are Catholic or Protestant you should do your part to improve your particular parish there.

There are all kinds of programs available for better fellowship and edification within the Catholic Church. And we also have charismatic parishes that sort of have a protestant feel to them, yet includes the most blessed Sacrament.

Does it matter to you what Jesus established? Read the Didache and THE FIRST APOLOGY OF JUSTIN Martyr, very closely. These are two of our earliest documents and gives you a snap shot of what the Church that Jesus established actually looked like. Then attend a Mass and your Protestant service…then prayerfully consider which one is closest to the Early Church.

Luther understood this and attempted to not throw out the baby with the bathwater and that’s why you see a resemblance between our two churches.

Best wishes