Having A Personsal Relationship With Jesus Christ

[whatisthetruth]

Hi all,

As a Catholic for the first thirty years of my life, I **never heard **any priest exclaim the need to accept Jesus Christ into my heart as my personal Lord and Saviour nor did I hear anyone in my church used the phrase “I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour of my life.”

I remember when I was in my early 20’s, I would be approached by strangers outside my church and asking me,
"do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?"

I also rememeber feeling insulted and wondering if these people have nothing else better to do than to ask me questions about my personal life and religious beliefs.

I am embarassed to say, the words they used in the question were English but the reason of thier question was foreign to me.

In this thread, I would appreciate any feedback you can give me on the questions I posted. I appreciate your time in answering.

Please understand my intent on asking the questions is to understand through the eyes, mind, heart of a Catholic what I did not understand when I was Catholic.

I encourage anyone to read my signature letter if there is any doubt as my intent on being here.

Here are the questions

1. Has anyone ever approached you and asked you questions liked the ones which was asked of me as a Catholic.
   Some more questions I was asked are below
2. If so, what do you feel was thier reason for approaching you?
3. How did you usually respond?
4. What do you believe a person means when you hear someone say that,
   they have accepted Jesus into thier heart as thier personal Lord and Saviour of thier life?

I remember respectfully replying, “I am Catholic, of course I do” or something similiar to that and not ask them “why do you ask?”, only because I felt thier was something else behind thier question and I did not want to take the time with them to understand the reason they approached me.

I would then say something like a respectful “have a good day” and walk away.

As a catholic, I was so into my self back in those days, it scares me to think about how I ever got by.

I also remember people asking me following,
I included my answer which I remember thinking of or actually saying to them.

Q. “Have you been born again?”
A. “What are you talking about?” or “How can someone be born twice?”

Q. “Are you saved?”
A. “Saved from what?”

Thank you all and

God bless you,

truth

 

[Scottgun]

While it is certainly possible to talk about a personal relationship with Christ as our current pope has done on occassion , we have to watch out when someone gives us the, “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus” because it is not biblical language, but rather language out of modern therapeutic consumer/psychology.

Read catholicapologetics.org/ap100000.htm

 

[justinthemartyr]

Yes, the almost selfish and above-you way of approaching a person about their relationship with God has been quite popular for some time. It seems that it has become more of a talk the talk Christianity in some realms rather than walk the walk and- talk if necessary. In some circles it is almost like they have a quota, trying to brag about how many people stepped forward to “receive Jesus Christ”, as if they had anything to do with it.

I was invited into a prayer to admit my sins and ask Jesus to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour, and then went to over 18 different churches looking for the next sensationalistic experience with God making me feel good.

I then went on a search of early Christian writings because what I was getting in these churches was not enough, it left me wanting something deeper, far deeper and more solid.

After three years of deep study I had to become what I told God I would NEVER become, and that is Catholic. I am now at home.

I am still asked by anti catholics and non catholics if I am saved and born again. I tell them yes, I have been baptized with water and the Holy Spirit in the name of the Triune God! Allelujah!

I do partake of Jesus Christ Body Blood Soul and Divinity every week at the Mass.

 

[Memaw]

Hi all,

As a Catholic for the first thirty years of my life, I **never heard **any priest exclaim the need to accept Jesus Christ into my heart as my personal Lord and Saviour nor did I hear anyone in my church used the phrase “I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour of my life.”

I remember when I was in my early 20’s, I would be approached by strangers outside my church and asking me,
"do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?"

I also rememeber feeling insulted and wondering if these people have nothing else better to do than to ask me questions about my personal life and religious beliefs.

I am embarassed to say, the words they used in the question were English but the reason of thier question was foreign to me.

In this thread, I would appreciate any feedback you can give me on the questions I posted. I appreciate your time in answering.

Please understand my intent on asking the questions is to understand through the eyes, mind, heart of a Catholic what I did not understand when I was Catholic.

I encourage anyone to read my signature letter if there is any doubt as my intent on being here.

Here are the questions

1. Has anyone ever approached you and asked you questions liked the ones which was asked of me as a Catholic.
   Some more questions I was asked are below
2. If so, what do you feel was thier reason for approaching you?
3. How did you usually respond?
4. What do you believe a person means when you hear someone say that,
   they have accepted Jesus into thier heart as thier personal Lord and Saviour of thier life?

I remember respectfully replying, “I am Catholic, of course I do” or something similiar to that and not ask them “why do you ask?”, only because I felt thier was something else behind thier question and I did not want to take the time with them to understand the reason they approached me.

I would then say something like a respectful “have a good day” and walk away.

As a catholic, I was so into my self back in those days, it scares me to think about how I ever got by.

I also remember people asking me following,
I included my answer which I remember thinking of or actually saying to them.

Q. “Have you been born again?”
A. “What are you talking about?” or “How can someone be born twice?”

Q. “Are you saved?”
A. “Saved from what?”

Thank you all and

God bless you,

truth

The first time I was ever asked that was by a neighbor when I was a young wife and mother. At first I didn’t understand what she ment either cuz that is so different from what I had grown up with. But after I thought about it for awhile, I told her that I grew up always knowing Jesus Christ was my Lord and Savior, thats why we call HIM 'Our Lord", that he died for my sins and now I must do my part to be ready to join Him in Heaven some day. My faith is NOT based on just feelings tho they can be important to me at times. The idea of being “Saved” was new to me and then I realized to them it was a security blanket. Some how they have to make up for not having the True Church to quide them and bring them to the Sacraments.
NO ONE is truly “saved” until they are safe in Heaven with Our Lord.
We are “born again” in Baptism where we receive Sanctifying Grace for the first time, and then renewed every time we go to the Sacrament of Confession.
Many years have passed since I was a young wife and mother and over the years, I have met many non-Catholics and have discussed our different beliefs. I have come to believe they are doing the best they can with what they were taught. They simply do not have the fullness of the TRUE Faith. The Catholic Church has the fullness of the True Faith but sad to say many Catholics do not even know their Faith well enough to defend it against many of these ideas. If only all Catholics would learn their faith, we have soooo many things to help us these days. Here at Catholic Answers, they can answer any questions. EWTN Catholic Cable Network is a great place to learn. I love the Journey Home program on Mon. nights, Fr. John Corapi’s programs are super. To know the faith is to love it all the more and believe me it is a lifetime process. I am 70 years old, have taught CCD for 20 years and still feel I have just begun. It is wonderful and awesome at the same time. God Bless.

 

[AquinasT]

If one really wants to have a personal relationship with Jesus, how does one go about doing so? How do we find Jesus here on earth so that we can know Him and love Him and have a true relationship with Him?

The Christians who typically ask this “personal relationship” question usually mean that we should simply pray the “sinners prayer” or other such words and then start reading the Bible. And that’s it. The Jesus they get to know and have a relationship with is the Jesus they learn through self-interpretation of the Bible and looking inside themselves. That seems more like a text-book relationship with one’s own version of Jesus rather than an honest quest for the True Jesus. Now I don’t doubt that Jesus touches their lives in many ways, but there is certainly more to be had.

For Catholics we see the True Jesus in His Body (the Church). We are saved by incorporating ourselves into His Body. Jesus does indeed want us to have a personal relationship with Him, which is why He left us His Body to become a part of. Reading the Bible is great (don’t get me wrong), and so is praying for Jesus to enter your heart, but how about entering Jesus’ own Body, and learning what the Body says about Scripture? When we become a part of that Body, which is “the pillar and foundation of Truth,” we find the Truth that is Jesus, and we enter into a relationship with Him. We are “born again” when we are born at baptism into Jesus’ Body.

And in the Church we also find Jesus’ Body under the appearance of Bread and Wine. When we enter into the Body (the Church) we in turn receive Jesus’ Body (the Eucharist) into our own bodies. We are in Him, He is in us, and we all share in one Body in Christ. As Saint Augustine said to those receiving Communion: “Receive what you are and become what your receive.”

The other Sacraments, the Liturgy, etc. all draw us in to a deeper
relationship with Jesus in His Body.

Such a “personal relationship” is found in no Protestant/non-Catholic denomination. For them the “church” does not contain the physical presence of Christ on earth, at least not with the depth of meaning that Catholics believe, not in a mystical way for the Church itself nor the Real Presence in the Eucharist. In fact Evangelical Christians will tell you to attend whatever church makes you comfortable. The Church is not a physical institution - a True Body. This makes union with Christ difficult, to say the least. Where does one turn except inside oneself?

I see nothing wrong with saying that Catholics have a “personal relationship” with Jesus. In fact, if anyone asks a Catholic if he or she has a personal relationship with Jesus, we should say, yes, most definitely! And then invite that person to deepen their own relationship by stepping into Christ’s Body on earth.

Thomas

 

[puzzleannie]

Hi all,

As a Catholic for the first thirty years of my life, I **never heard **any priest exclaim the need to accept Jesus Christ into my heart as my personal Lord and Saviour nor did I hear anyone in my church used the phrase “I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour of my life.”

if this is true, you never had any reliable teaching on the mission and life of the Redeemer, the nature of the Church He established and His relationship with her, and most of all, on the nature of the Eucharist and our participation in the mystery of His suffering, death and resurrection. I suggest since you identify as a Catholic that you speedily remedy this lack in your faith education, beginning with appropriate CA homepage articles and links here.

 

[blossom02]

As a Catholic for the first thirty years of my life, I **never heard **any priest exclaim the need to accept Jesus Christ into my heart as my personal Lord and Saviour nor did I hear anyone in my church used the phrase “I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour of my life.”

I think you forget that when we say Amen we are saying we believe.

When we receive Our Lord in the Mass we say “Amen”. You were invited to make a real altar call every week and every day if you so chose. All the hype and freindly welcome from the people are nothing compared to this.

God Bless and hope to see you home again soon.

 

[Prayer_Warrior]

Yes, I have been asked those questions. I’m sorry you were not catechized properly because these are pretty basic questions. Be assured that not all Catholics are poorly catechized, though I think that there are many who stop learning the faith when they are Confirmed, when that is just when they should be learning more. Anyhow, here are the answers I would give.

Have you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?

Yes, of course, I’m a practicing Catholic. I not only accept Him as my Lord and Savior but the Savior sent for the whole world. He knows my name, He knows everything about me, and He has assured me that I can enter into His throne room for my needs. No one can be saved but through Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Non-Catholic Christians cannot attain the closest possible relationship with Christ. To do so, one must participate in the Sacraments that non-Catholics do not have. (I realize that non-Catholics do have two Sacraments; they need them all). Nothing is more intimate, more personal, more full of faith and love than receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord.

Have you been born again?

Yes, of course, at my baptism. I was born of water and Spirit and became clothed in Christ at that moment. (Depending on who I was talking to, I would certainly discuss infant baptism if necessary).

Are you saved?

I’m saved (Eph 2:5–8), being saved (1Cor 1:8), and hope I’ll be saved (1Cor 3:12–15). I’m working out my salvation in fear (Phil 2:12), with hopeful confidence in Christ (Rom 5:2). (This succinct statement is found on Awalt’s signature, I’m borrowing it because it is just about perfect)

I think the first question has pretty much the same meaning for me as it does most Christians. I can’t say this is the case for the second two questions. Most evangelicals think of being reborn as the moment they accept Jesus into their hearts. But this is absolutely not how Jesus used the term. He said you must be born of water and spirit. This is baptism. However, since most people who have accepted Jesus as Lord are baptized, it is probably a moot point-- they are reborn. We just disagree on the timing.

“Are you saved” gets into deep theological differences. Catholics believe we are truly sanctified by God’s grace throughout our whole lives. Salvation is a process, that finishes upon our death. If we die in God’s grace then we are saved. Since many people who ask “are you saved” are OSAS believers, there is much disagreement on salvation. Of course, many of them are shocked when there are scriptural supports for Catholic teaching.

But I can tell you one thing, I did not learn all this in RCIA. It has taken years of study. I am not a cradle Catholic, but I can only imagine how ignorant those Catholics are if they stop learning about the faith after CCD is over. Thankfully, I have seen a big difference on the emphasis of learning the faith. Many more Catholic Bible studies are popping up in parishes, lots of apologetics books and websites are appearing, and more and more people are getting to know the faith. To God be the Glory!

 

[Memaw]

Hi all,

As a Catholic for the first thirty years of my life, I **never heard **any priest exclaim the need to accept Jesus Christ into my heart as my personal Lord and Saviour nor did I hear anyone in my church used the phrase “I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour of my life.”

I remember when I was in my early 20’s, I would be approached by strangers outside my church and asking me,
"do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?"

I also rememeber feeling insulted and wondering if these people have nothing else better to do than to ask me questions about my personal life and religious beliefs.

I am embarassed to say, the words they used in the question were English but the reason of thier question was foreign to me.

In this thread, I would appreciate any feedback you can give me on the questions I posted. I appreciate your time in answering.

Please understand my intent on asking the questions is to understand through the eyes, mind, heart of a Catholic what I did not understand when I was Catholic.

I encourage anyone to read my signature letter if there is any doubt as my intent on being here.

Here are the questions

1. Has anyone ever approached you and asked you questions liked the ones which was asked of me as a Catholic.
   Some more questions I was asked are below
2. If so, what do you feel was thier reason for approaching you?
3. How did you usually respond?
4. What do you believe a person means when you hear someone say that,
   they have accepted Jesus into thier heart as thier personal Lord and Saviour of thier life?

I remember respectfully replying, “I am Catholic, of course I do” or something similiar to that and not ask them “why do you ask?”, only because I felt thier was something else behind thier question and I did not want to take the time with them to understand the reason they approached me.

I would then say something like a respectful “have a good day” and walk away.

As a catholic, I was so into my self back in those days, it scares me to think about how I ever got by.

I also remember people asking me following,
I included my answer which I remember thinking of or actually saying to them.

Q. “Have you been born again?”
A. “What are you talking about?” or “How can someone be born twice?”

Q. “Are you saved?”
A. “Saved from what?”

Thank you all and

God bless you,

truth

What you most likely heard in the first 30 years of your life was the Catholic teaching on our relationship with Jesus Christ, which is NOTHING like the protestant version. You just let the questions of non catholics throw you. Just because they ask you questions doesn’t automatically make them right and our True Faith wrong. I could ask them tons of questions and I probably have over the years but their answers depend more on what they think than what Christ taught or what the Bible really says, only how they interpret it in their own way. They do the same thing when it comes to what the Catholic Church teaches. They make up their own minds as to what we believe, never trying to find out what the Church really teaches.
But as everyone knows, protestantism is dividing and dividing and getting weaker and weaker on true Christian values, such as abortion, birth control, marriage, pre-martial sex, homosexuality. etc, The Catholic Church still has the same strong teachings on all the above, that is has had for 2,000 years. And will have till the end of time!! There is safety and security knowing you belong to the very Church Jesus Christ founded and promised to be with till the end of time. I meet my Lord and Savior every morning at Mass, how much closer can you get!!!

 

[MarcoPolo]

Hi all,

As a Catholic for the first thirty years of my life, I **never heard **any priest exclaim the need to accept Jesus Christ into my heart as my personal Lord and Saviour nor did I hear anyone in my church used the phrase “I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour of my life.”

So did you leave the Church over semantic phraseology? Because if you properly received Jesus in the Eucharist, you received Him in the most personal way possible while you are still on earth.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

At mass, the priest leads us in worship. In the homily, he is supposed to help us to apply the gospel to our lives. The presumption is that the people at mass are committed Christians or are being formed in that way, that they have already accepted Jesus as their Lord.

Unfortunately, so many of us didn’t get good formation from our parents or the catechists to whom they entrusted us and we hadn’t yet been brought to that point. So if the only time you were around a priest was at mass, it’s not surprising to me that you didn’t get that initial invitation to accept Christ from a priest.

I grew up in the 50’s. It was a time of huge Catholic schools. That was where I came to know and love Jesus. My parents, and the adults I knew were very private about their faith. Their relationship with Jesus was so personal, they could not talk about it. We didn’t talk about feelings or sex either.

I think many Catholics don’t know how to evangelize except by example or in forums like this.

 

[whatisthetruth]

Hi Marco and all.

Wow!! I want to thank you all for sharing your heart. No wonder there are mixed feelings between “Protestants” and Catholics.

I should have opened this thread when I first came here. I have learned a lot just from the few responses so far.

Did anyone look at my signature letter?

I cited one of the areas of the challenges Catholics and “protestants” are facing. I now understand why Catholics make some of the statements they do.

So did you leave the Church over semantic phraseology?

Thanks for asking, not at all

I left for the reason of uneducated ignorance on my part.

and then God surprised me and called me in a direction I least expected.

I heard someone tell me, that “my ways are not necessarily God’s ways”.

Because if you properly received Jesus in the Eucharist, you received Him in the most personal way possible while you are still on earth.

I will agree with you that in communion, we receive Jesus in one of the “most personal way possible”

I will not debate on what is the proper way to receive communion on this thread, ok?

I will tell you that I believe we both experience Jesus in communion.

Thank you ,

God bless

truth

 

[pismopal]

How much more personal a relationship can one have with Christ than to take His body, blood, soul and divinity at Mass? The question " are you saved? " and " do you have a personal relationship with the Lord? " have a different meaning now than before I entered the Church. I now hear a subliminal message " You aren’t Catholic are you because if you are you don’t have this personal relationship?" Nothing could be farther from the truth and further I don’t think a persons devotion to Christ is something resembling a toggle switch that is thrown in an emotional moment at church camp. The idea that my Church gets between me and a personal relationship with G-d is just wrong…it is just the opposite.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

ture letter if there is any doubt as my intent on being here.

Here are the questions

1. Has anyone ever approached you and asked you questions liked the ones which was asked of me as a Catholic.
   Some more questions I was asked are below
2. If so, what do you feel was thier reason for approaching you?
3. How did you usually respond?
4. What do you believe a person means when you hear someone say that,
   they have accepted Jesus into thier heart as thier personal Lord and Saviour of thier life?

whatisthetruth, your call name speaks aloud. I will try not to repeat of what others have so accurately and graciouly written about our Catholic faith.

To be born again, for Catholics is to be baptized in the blessed trinity. You see, being born again to a Catholic is to die to self and be raised in Christ. I am no longer who I was, this new birth can only be received as a gift from God, I can not earn it. Now I am a new creation in Christ, it is no longer I who live but Jesus Christ in me.

To be saved, is to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. Yes I am saved, but at times I fall short of the glory of God. So Jesus has instituted the ministry of Reconiliation in his Church.It is hear where I work out my salvation with fear and trembling, what has already been given to me. Confessing my sins, is what saves me from eternal damnation, and to be aquited of the charges against me, this is a promise from God. For where there are two or more gathered in my name there I AM.

Now the Mass (where heaven and earth meet in time) is where the mysteries of God are revealed to the believer. All the Mass is scriptural. It begins admitting ones sins before entering into the holy of holies, This is where you will find the law (Moses) and the prophets(Elijah and others) speak to us about the coming Messiah Jesus, including King David (Psalm) and a participation between the heavenly angels and the earth. Then we here of an eyewitness account( the apostles) to Jesus speaks to us of what he said and taught. And then the Word of God appears before us, and all stand in reverence to his Gospel, SINGING with the choirs of angels and all the saints in heaven SING ALLELUIAH, ALLELUIAH and the body of Christ on earth responds ALLELUIAH, ALLELUIAH, we hear his words and our hearts begin to burn inside as Jesus himself reveals the scriptures to us…

And then, Jesus breaks bread with us, that enters us into the everlasting covenant, through his body and blood, for without it no man can be saved. We are partakers of Lambs wedding feast , because it is here where, the groom Jesus reveals himself to his bride his Body on earth the Catholic Church. It is here that only the High Priest can consume the lamb sacrafice to God with his family. Jesus gives us this heavenly food and drink to suffice and strengthen us on this journey here on earth, Until we see him again in the heavenly Jerusalem.

The reason I state some of this mystery is because when a Catholic tastes the Lord, He or she knows that the Lord is good. And no one, not even death can seperate us from the love of God.

Come and see for yourself, for we have tasted that the lord is good.

 

[MarcoPolo]

I will not debate on what is the proper way to receive communion on this thread, ok?

Ok.

 

[MariaG]

Hi all,

As a Catholic for the first thirty years of my life, I **never heard **any priest exclaim the need to accept Jesus Christ into my heart as my personal Lord and Saviour nor did I hear anyone in my church used the phrase “I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour of my life.”

I am sorry that your priest never bothered to learn new phrases that non-Catholic Christians use and help you learn what that means.

Thankfully, my children are learning from a wonderful priest who frequently invites the whole congregation to come and recieve Jesus into their hearts through Holy Communion.

I do have a question for you though. Why do you think those specific words, which are nowhere in scripture, are so important even if they do wonderfully embrace the Gospel message, they are not part of scripture and therefore, why do you fault any pastor for not speaking those exact non-biblical words?

I remember when I was in my early 20’s, I would be approached by strangers outside my church and asking me,
"do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?"

Yes, I frequently hear this question. I can confidently answer yes Not surprisingly, (at least not surprising today, although it did/does cause me grief to be shut out) when they ask what church I go to, and I tell them Catholic, they seem to not to wish to talk to me anymore, or sincerely doubt the veracity of my statement.

Conversely, when I was still in the Evangelical arena, I still remember the glorious converstions I used to have that started on the same question and same answer except for which church I attended.

I also rememeber feeling insulted and wondering if these people have nothing else better to do than to ask me questions about my personal life and religious beliefs.

I am sorry you felt that way. But I wonder, since apparently you never heard that we are to preach the Good News, if the fault was with your priest or that you weren’t listening? Either way, I am truly sorry.

I am embarassed to say, the words they used in the question were English but the reason of thier question was foreign to me.

Why should you have been embarrassed? Because although I know the intent of the question is in order to spread the good news, those words are not biblical, but cultural. You should not have been embarrassed to not know the language of the Evagelical Culture.

Contrary to what you seem to think now?, not understanding those words, did not/does not mean a person does not in fact have a “personal relationship with Christ”. It just means they are not a Christian in the Evangelical culture. Those words are not directly from scripture at all.

In this thread, I would appreciate any feedback you can give me on the questions I posted. I appreciate your time in answering.

Please understand my intent on asking the questions is to understand through the eyes, mind, heart of a Catholic what I did not understand when I was Catholic.

It is wise of you to see that there may be a different outlook from other people:thumbsup:

Let me put it to you this way. How many times did it take you to understand what having a “personal relationship with Christ” meant? Did it happen the first time you heard the phrase? Or did it take time? Can you see that the fault for you not “hearing” these concepts, even if it was not the exact words (because remember, no matter how great the words embrace the message, they are not actually straight from scripture), may have been with you and not with the message, priest or church?

I encourage anyone to read my signature letter if there is any doubt as my intent on being here.

The link in your signature?

 

[MariaG]

Here are the questions

1. Has anyone ever approached you and asked you questions liked the ones which was asked of me as a Catholic.
   Some more questions I was asked are below
2. If so, what do you feel was thier reason for approaching you?

As a former Evangelical Christian, I can tell you their intent was to open the door to spreading the Good News of Christ and their concern for my soul.

1. How did you usually respond?

Yes, as a matter fact I am a bible toting, born again Christian who has a very personal relationship with Christ.

1. What do you believe a person means when you hear someone say that,
   they have accepted Jesus into thier heart as thier personal Lord and Saviour of thier life?

I believe that they believe on the Lord that they may be saved.

That they know they are going to heaven not because what they have done, or will do but solely on the sacrificial blood of Christ and the repentance of their sins.

I remember respectfully replying, “I am Catholic, of course I do” or something similiar to that and not ask them “why do you ask?”, only because I felt thier was something else behind thier question and I did not want to take the time with them to understand the reason they approached me.

And when I was an Evangelical, I would have said, you are not going to heaven because of what Church you belong to, but because of faith in Christ alone.

I do in fact understand because I WAS “them”. I pray that your posts here will prove fruitful and you will come to understand the gospel message of Christ that is spoken in the Catholic Church, and was there all along

I would then say something like a respectful “have a good day” and walk away.

As a catholic, I was so into my self back in those days, it scares me to think about how I ever got by.

Respectfully, just as you can’t know whether you are going to heaven based on what church you go to, neither Should you say that you were so into self because you were Catholic.

I also remember people asking me following,
I included my answer which I remember thinking of or actually saying to them.

Q. “Have you been born again?”
A. “What are you talking about?” or “How can someone be born twice?”

Honestly, and respectfully, did you listen to anything in any of your attendence to church or religion classes? Seek out any Catholic Bible studies? Or did you only pick up a bible and read it after leaving the Catholic Church?

Yes, I am born again. I was born again through a miracle of God, when I was baptized as an infant. I then had a born again experience in a Nazarene Church 16 years ago.

Q. “Are you saved?”
A. “Saved from what?”

As others have said, I was saved, am being saved and am hopeful of salvation, working out my salvation with fear and trembling as St. Paul would say

Thank you all and

God bless you,

And may God bless you also.

Maria

 

[fbl9]

1st. myself have never been asked these questions. 3rdquestion i say yes i do and He knows me intimatley throught the Eucharist.2nd i have really no idea what drives some of the people who would ask that question.some may be a genuine concern,some for a greater glory,ie if i bring some one into the “faith” God will reward me with riches,others it is part of the recruitment training…4th.they don’t know the full truth.5th yes i have been born again,for it is through the waters of baptism we become sons/daughters of the Most high God.6th i would most likely look them straight on and say yes i am saved,by the grace of God,from the lies your kind like to spread.it sounds harsh but whatever is not the full truth is not the truth.

 

[YADA]

I am hoping that you sincerely want answers to your questions …

If I sound skeptical …well … that is due to your repeated references to checking out your tag line … are you really just here to sell products from “walk the talk”?

the power point is very beautiful and the message is sweet …

However, it does not replace the relationship with our Lord, Jesus … and how any person feels about the way I livemy dash … it means nothing if I am not in right relationship with Jesus … if I turn away from the Gospel call and the faith to which I am called … what have I? …

And to the question “Are you saved?”

I answer that I have been redeemed and I [like St. Paul] am working out my salvation with fear and trembling … and no that does not mean that I beliee I can “work” my way to heaven … it means that I believe scripture when it says that “faith without works is dead” and while Jesus freely gave His life for me … I have to accept that gift and accept it every day … I must pick up my cross daily and unite myself with Christ …

Pax, I am glad you are here … perhaps you will learn more about your early faith and be able to more fully understand what a beautiful gift to the world the Chruch is, lovingly put in place by Jesus to be a channel of grace and a source of strength to His people

 

[Pax]

whatisthetruth,

I’ve had all the questions and enjoy answering them and asking questions of my own. Discussions on faith and salvation are always opportunities. When a non-Catholic asks me these questions, I now thank God. I assume it to be His grace at work, and that my job is to evangelize my would be evangelizer. It’s all good.