Help with explaining mortal sin to a non-denominational Christian

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Hello to all! I have been using/will conitnue using this site for answers to my myriad of questions, and I just wanna say it’s been a great help in aplogetics!

Now, my issue. We’re having a friendly discussion about different Catholic beliefs on issues (Mary, crucifixes, etc…), and the one I seem to be having the most trouble with is mortal sin. I’ve given her all the appropriate Scriptures refering to mortal sins (such as sins against the Holy Spirit and denying Christ as your Savior), and she keeps saying the as long as you invite Christ into your life, then you have been saved by Him already. He died for all of our sins. We totally agree on the latter of those statements, but then I took it furth and said this:

So a person can be a Christian, believe fully in Jesus Christ, sin all they want and not repent, and still go to heaven? I don’t think that’s just, as our God is a just God.

She then replied:

“1 cor 3:13-15 ‘his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.’
So the answer to your question is yes. A christian can just go around sinning and still go to heaven. BUT ONLY AS ONE ESCAPING THROUGH THE FALMES. it’s in scripture. clear. as.
mud.” (that cleaf. as. mud. part was a joke…haha)

So, what do you think I should reply with?

Thanks for the help,

Peace.
 
cymisgreat said:
Hello to all! I have been using/will conitnue using this site for answers to my myriad of questions, and I just wanna say it’s been a great help in aplogetics!

Now, my issue. We’re having a friendly discussion about different Catholic beliefs on issues (Mary, crucifixes, etc…), and the one I seem to be having the most trouble with is mortal sin. I’ve given her all the appropriate Scriptures refering to mortal sins (such as sins against the Holy Spirit and denying Christ as your Savior), and she keeps saying the as long as you invite Christ into your life, then you have been saved by Him already. He died for all of our sins. We totally agree on the latter of those statements, but then I took it furth and said this:

So a person can be a Christian, believe fully in Jesus Christ, sin all they want and not repent, and still go to heaven? I don’t think that’s just, as our God is a just God.

She then replied:

“1 cor 3:13-15 ‘his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.’
So the answer to your question is yes. A christian can just go around sinning and still go to heaven. BUT ONLY AS ONE ESCAPING THROUGH THE FALMES. it’s in scripture. clear. as.
mud.” (that cleaf. as. mud. part was a joke…haha)

So, what do you think I should reply with?

Thanks for the help,

Peace.
Click to expand...
It is interesting that your friend would show you the verse that we interpret as purgatory. I don’t think that any Christian would believe that one should not repent of their sins. In my experience with fundamentalist Christians I find that they are “saved” and that includes a relationship with Christ which includes repentance. They are assured heaven and so mortal sin would have no meaning in their theology.

Read all of 1 John chapter 5 especially verses 16 and 17. There you see explicitly that there are two kinds of sin.

It always seems to amaze me that fundamentalists and some evangelicals will admit to one’s free will in accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior but then dismiss their free will to reject HIm. Yes you can invite Chirst into your life but you must FOLLOW Him. Jesus did not exhort how we should live in His Sermon on the Mount so that we can ignore HIm. Anyone who subscribes to this theology is not being fair to themselves or to the commands of God… teachccd
 
cymisgreat said:
Hello to all! I have been using/will conitnue using this site for answers to my myriad of questions, and I just wanna say it’s been a great help in aplogetics!

Now, my issue. We’re having a friendly discussion about different Catholic beliefs on issues (Mary, crucifixes, etc…), and the one I seem to be having the most trouble with is mortal sin. I’ve given her all the appropriate Scriptures refering to mortal sins (such as sins against the Holy Spirit and denying Christ as your Savior), and she keeps saying the as long as you invite Christ into your life, then you have been saved by Him already. He died for all of our sins. We totally agree on the latter of those statements, but then I took it furth and said this:

So a person can be a Christian, believe fully in Jesus Christ, sin all they want and not repent, and still go to heaven? I don’t think that’s just, as our God is a just God.

She then replied:

“1 cor 3:13-15 ‘his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.’
So the answer to your question is yes. A christian can just go around sinning and still go to heaven. BUT ONLY AS ONE ESCAPING THROUGH THE FALMES. it’s in scripture. clear. as.
mud.” (that cleaf. as. mud. part was a joke…haha)

So, what do you think I should reply with?

Thanks for the help,

Peace.
Click to expand...
This is an excerpt from Haydock’s Bible Commentary on that piece of Scripture – I encourage you to check out the link for the full commentary, which might help further:
Thirdly, he tells us, (ver. 14. and 15.) that some men’s works abide the fire of God’s judgments, they deserve no punishment, they are like pure gold, which receives no prejudice from the fire: but some men’s works burn, the superstructure, which they built upon the faith of Christ, besides gold, silver, precious stones, had also a mixture of wood, hay, stubble, which could not stand the trial of fire, which met with combustible matter, that deserved to be burnt. Every such man shall suffer a loss, when his works are burnt, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. Here the apostle speaks of fire in a more ample signification: of a fire which shall not only try, and examine, but also burn, and punish the builders, who notwithstanding shall also, after a time, escape from the fire, and be saved by fire, and in the day of the Lord, that is, after life (for the time of this life is the day of men). **Divers of the ancient fathers, as well as later interpreters, from these words, prove the Catholic doctrine of a purgatory, that is, that many Christians, who die guilty, not of heinous or mortal sins, but of lesser, and what are called venial sins, or to whom a temporal punishment for the sins they have committed, still remains due, before they can be admitted to a reward in heaven, (into which nothing defiled or unclean can enter) must suffer some punishments for a time, in some place, which is called Purgatory, and in such a manner, as is agreeable to the divine justice, before their reward in heaven. **
Click to expand...
Catholic Answers also has a tract on mortal sin with supporting quotes from Church Fathers, as well as a tract on how to respond to “once saved, always saved” Protestants. Here’s a counter scriptural argument I found from the second:
Regarding the issue of whether Christians have an “absolute” assurance of salvation, regardless of their actions, consider this warning Paul gave: “See then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off” (Rom. 11:22; see also Heb. 10:26–29, 2 Pet. 2:20–21).
Click to expand...
 
Simple country story that I heard from a country man. Often the person who has received the Holy Spirit is described as a vessel that is filled to the brim with water. This rancher pointed to the barrels of water set out for the cattle. Even water can get wigglers if not refreshed.
In other words, the water in the barrels can become stagnant. The wigglers need to be removed.

I have heard some non-Catholics say that all sin is the same. I always come back to the question of how they discipline their children. Does every transgression receive the same punishment? Are there not some actions that carry greater consequences than others?

Of course, as Catholics, we see salvation as a process. We need to continue growing in the faith we profess. It is true that Christ died once and for all for our sins, but not so that we remain in those sins. We were saved when Christ died on the cross for our sins. We continue to be saved each and every time the Mass is celebrated anywhere in the world until the end of time.
 
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