To the “Born Again” Mindset, (stereotypical… not specific) All that matters is that a person have one experience of being “Born Again”, one moment when they make a commitment to turn to Christ. Then they are “Saved” they are then “Predestined” to go to Heaven. No Sacraments are necessary. It does not matter what sins they subsequently commit, as Jesus has Already paid the Price and Forgiven them.
For some it is not possible to backslide… but some will think they were saved when they were not truly saved. - So if someone apostasies, then they were never truly saved to begin with.
A Misconception of Catholic Belief:
It’s all about the “Sacraments”. as long as you are baptised and Go to Mass and Confession that’s all that’s needed… or for some it’s also about Idol worship and “Mary worship” as well.
The True Catholic Position:
Salvation is
COMPLICATED. Jesus tells us in the bible that there are many prerequisites:
Have Faith in Him. That means Belief, and faithful following of his teachings. (I am the way the Truth and the Life. No-one comes to the Father Except through Me.)
Good Works: These will not save you, but if they are missing that’s a strong indicator that your faith is incomplete or broken. If you are not doing good works you are sinning by omission or by rejecting His commandment to Love one another.
Be Baptised (Born again by water and by spirit.)
Receive the Eucharist (Eat my Flesh and Drink my blood or you will have no life within you.)
Repent - Turn away from sin and receive the Gospel.
Now… Lets look at the understanding of Personal Conversion: is it required in Catholic understanding? Can you be “Saved” if you recieve the sacraments, but never truly convert to Christ and make Him your Lord (as opposed to dull religious observance)?
The answer is a resounding NO!.
Personal conversion to Christ is an essential part of Faith. an Essential part of Salvation. Religious Observance is not Faith. It is the christian equivalent of the “Works of the Law”. Without Faith they cannot save you. - even though they were given to us by Christ, for our Salvation.
They are essential, christ tells us they are needed, but we make no claim that if someone has Faith, and does not know that they should be recieving the Sacraments, or is unable to, that Jesus would not count that faith unto Him as Righteousness. On the Contrary it may reasonably be assumend that Christ’s Mercy is very likely for such a person.
If you look at the Catechism, and search for the word “Conversion” it occurs 36 times on the page dealing with Repentance and Confession: specifically the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Look
here
Without a Personal commitment to the Faith of Jesus Christ religious observance in any religion Catholic or otherwise is dead and empty. It is only by a deliberate, voluntary conversion to Christ that the Sacraments become effective.
However such a conversion: such a commitment is
NOT a one time thing like baptism is. It is a daily struggle.
The Opus Dei recommend their members to say a 1 word prayer the moment they wake. They call it the “Heroic Moment”. They say to pray “Servaim!” Latin for “I will Serve”. This is the opposite of the traditional rejection by Lucifer “Non Servaim!” (I will not serve!) which started the heavenly war, and the fall from grace.
So are the “Born Again’s” right when they ask if you have “Been Saved”? Well if they are asking if you have made a personal and meaningful commitment to Jesus, then it’s most certainly the Right question to ask. If they believe that that is a one-time thing they are sadly mistaken.
If they think the sacraments are unnecessary they are sadly mistaken.
The initial conversion, whether it comes after an early or infant baptism… or even after the reception of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation… that initial decision to fulfill your baptismal promises and live the life of Christ… is an essential decision.
It may precede the entry to the Church as an adult convert. In that situation the RCIA programme is designed to assist the convert to solidify that decision and better understand it.
but it does not end there.
We are attacked every day by the World, and by Satan, and by our own weakness.
We need to repent and return to the Gospel - again and again and again.
I am a Catholic
I put my faith in Jesus.
I struggle to avoid Sin… I fail. I have at times backslid to the point I no longer followed Him… Years Later I slowly returned. I had cut myself off from the Vine - my faith withered. If I died then I would not like to consider my fate. - By re-joining the Church, the Vine - my faith re-grew and became strong again. If I died today I would look Jesus in the eyes, and be burned in His loving refiners fire. - It would be agony but it would be Love… I am truly sorry for all I have done wrong, but it’s effects need to be burned away… like straw and grass and wood, leaving in my soul only the Gold and silver and precious metals that God made.
If I died today I hope and trust that I would accept this loving judgement of Christ and not reject that Love and cast myself or be cast into the Pit.
If I do not die today, I will strive to build with metal that God Gives me, and let Him burn away the straw and grass and wood here in this life. But I am weak and often add more into my life.
I have faith that I am Saved. - Not by my own merit, but because I put my faith in Him. I try to do what He asks.