I was converted from Catholicism to Christ at the age of 19.

  • Thread starter Thread starter vichlopet
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I’m being oblique, as was exoflare, even though he knew he’d be “dogged” because of it.
Okay, well, how about being more straightforward about what it is that you are driving at. It would make things a whole lot easier.
And I’m waiting for dmelosi to deal with my first post to him, other than to ask only if I know the future; however, demelosi seems to have cut and run.
He’s probably doing his work. (Which I should also probably be doing, too.)
 
I think of this dispensing of grace, as like unto an
hydraulic view of amazing grace.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a106/reen12/dispensed2-1.jpg

And when it’s not an hydraulic view, it’s a commerical view of grace.
As in indulgences…which one may ‘earn,’ through a
purported ‘economy of salvation.’ One can even
‘apply’ this earned indulgence to another.

Rather like a transfer of ‘assets.’ http://bestsmileys.com/nono/9.gif

Grace as ‘commodity.’

reen12
And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
 
It just occured to me that I have never regreted my conversion. … I simply believed that Jesus Christ paid for my sins with his blood and I called upon him to save me: just like in Acts 16:31. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,…”
What must I do to be saved…? Is invoking the name of Jesus the equivalent of “belief” manifest by the jailor in Acts 16? Does the phrase have deeper implications involving covenantal relationship? There is also need for endurance and abiding in Christ that must also occur to ultimately be saved. It is not a one-time event to become saved, just like a wedding doesn’t guarantee a happy marriage. The Church is the bride of Christ. We don’t rest on our laurels. We live, love, and grow in relationship with the Bridegroom (and never apart from Him). That is the “belief” Paul and Silas spoke of from the jail cell. It is the faith they manifested - faith working in Love. The bible tells us to endure:

Mt 10:21-22: …and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Mt 19:16-26 “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” … “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Mt 24:9-13 And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Lk 8:11-15 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.

**Acts 16:29-34 **…he fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?”
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.
40.png
vichlopet:
He did, and he was. To the saved believer, the thought of someone trying to administer God’s grace through some ritual is the highest form of idolatry there is. Jesus said, “it is finished”, not ‘it’s begun’.
The work of salvation was not completed at this point, because Christ had not yet Risen. What benefit would Christ’s death have merited had He not also Risen again? You read too much into this statement. We can agree that his Paschal sacrifice ended at this point, but it is this very sacrifice that is represented at every mass; with Christ as High Priest and perfect Victim. It is not idolatry to adore the Second Person of the Trinity, which is what we do at the sacrifice of the mass.

I think your understanding of “saved” is only supported by bible snippets - i.e. righteousness is just a legal exchange by which Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us (snow covering a dung hill is how Luther put it). But the the Gospel is more beautiful than your faulty version. The bible talks about God truly making us new creations, not just the same old-nature untransformed and tarnished by sin. In Christ, we are truly working and producing like the good branches of the Vine in a manner that is pleasing to God and merits salvation while we endure - IN CHRIST.
40.png
vichlopet:
I just hope that people will see that God’s grace is through faith in Christ and not in some man made rituals.
None of the sacraments of His Church are man-made. So I agree with you. Perhaps you need to ask yourself if your own personal ritual of salvation - i.e. “accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior” during an altar call (or similar event) is man-made? I see it as such, because it is purported to be one-time legalistic act that is concocted from a faulty and incomplete reading of the Scriptures - and far removed from the covenantal relationship established by Christ at His Last Supper.

I’m sorry that you have been led away from the true Church of Jesus Christ and His sacraments. My prayer is that one day you will find your way home.

Peace,
-Robert
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmelosi
So are you saying that you think you are saved now? Or do you know you are saved?
Are you trying to predict the future that you will never under any circumstances stumble? And if you do stumble, does that mean that you really weren’t saved in the first place?
You got it.

Sandusky
He said he does’nt know yet if he is saved or not.
 
And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
👍

Thank you for this. 🙂
 
🤷 Direct dmelosi to my post #22.
In your post # 22 you say
Perseverance is a necessary component of salvation:.
Mt 24:13 tells us that we must persevere to the end in order to be saved. You agree with the Catholic view with your statements, so I am not sure why you are arguing here.

You claimed that you knew you were saved. Then you answered my 4 questions with 1 answer “You got it.”

I questioned you about predicting the future and you asked where you did that. I simply pointed that out.

Yes…I have been working…so not sure why you were upset and accused me of ducking you because I didn’t answer you right away.

But it seems like you are twisting things in every post, yet you agree.

Pretty confusing.
 
What does it mean to believe? Can you believe in Jesus Christ and reject His Church?

Then why did you need to get saved at all? Why weren’t you saved 2000 years ago?
No you can’t reject his church if you believe in him. That’s why I’m a member of a local bible believing Chruch that Loves the Lord and keeps his words. I love his church and I’m thankful to be a part of it.

And I got saved because I was dead in my trespasses and sins. I heard the word of God and believed. I was born again just like Jesus said I must be. Jesus finished the work of redemption 2000 years ago making it possible for me to be redeemed today.

“Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”
-Rom 10:17
“How shall they hear except someone preach” - Rom 10:14

That’s why I wasn’t save 2000 years ago.
 
No you can’t reject his church if you believe in him. That’s why I’m a member of a local bible believing Chruch that Loves the Lord and keeps his words. I love his church and I’m thankful to be a part of it.
That little Bible church is not the one that was founded by Christ, though. Christ founded the Catholic Church - and He founded only one.

That is to say, ONE, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Not several of them.
 
I have an encounter with Jesus Christ everyday that I go to Mass. I receive his Word in the Liturgy, then** I receive his body and blood in the Eucharist**, and Jesus enters my soul. Jesus has always been present in the Catholic Mass, Catholics just have to learn more about their own faith! God bless!
:yup:
John 15: 4-6 "Abide in me*,** and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."*
:bible1:
*John 6: 56-58He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven not such as the fathers ate and died; **he who eats this bread **will **live for ever.”:bowdown: ***
 
It just occured to me that I have never regreted my conversion. When I was saved, no one told me that I have to leave the Catholic religion, I simply believed that Jesus Christ paid for my sins with his blood and I called upon him to save me: just like the Philipian jailer in Acts 16:31. He asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” He did, and he was. To the saved believer, the thought of someone trying to administer God’s grace through some ritual is the highest form of idolatry there is. Jesus said, “it is finished”, not ‘it’s begun’.

I just hope that people will see that God’s grace is through faith in Christ and not in some man made rituals. May the Lord truly bless every one who is seeking to know him in truth.
Christ is not only my personal Savior, He’s Our Savior. There’s a difference between the Protestant entity that prides itself as “Christ’s Church” and the Catholic Church.

This “church” only has the culpability of having Christ for himself/herself - as in their private, personal Savior. The Catholic Church, is a sharing Church. She teaches love, kindness and humility all through a universal approach - Christ died for OUR sins. Christ is OUR Savior.

A whole lot of difference between their choice of words - whilst i personally have nothing against such remarks, i know sometimes how misleading it can be to people. Christ loves everyone. He must not be forced to choose only one person. I would call my earthly father or mother my personal savior(s) but i know it would be selfish for me to call God MY personal Savior. I’d feel as though i’m restricting His love only for me. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, and i am one of them.

Belief can be over-rated sometimes, especially when you have a head full of coconuts (hard-headed and close-minded). Christ knew of such people which is why He said not everyone who called Him Lord, will enter heaven. Again, humility comes to play here. Just believing (by itself), will never get you to the pearly gates. We have to work hard for what we believe in and that’s where our faith in Him is put to the test. No, i’m not talking about spending endless hours in church speaking in tongues so it can make sense even to you.

Our Lord truly blesses every one who seeks the truth. For that to happen, you will need to abide the truthfulness of the sacraments the Early Fathers taught. They are the ones who know better than any modern-day pastor/‘brother’/leader on the subject of man-made rituals.
Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. (The Ante Nicene Fathers, vol. I, p. 90, chap. VIII, entitled “LET NOTHING BE DONE WITHOUT THE BISHOP”)
. . . so that ye obey the bishop and the presbytery with an undivided mind, breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, and the antidote to prevent us from dying, but [which causes] that we should live for ever in Jesus Christ. (ibid., p. 58, chap. XX) - St Ignatius
 
What must I do to be saved…? Is invoking the name of Jesus the equivalent of “belief” manifest by the jailor in Acts 16? Does the phrase have deeper implications involving covenantal relationship? There is also need for endurance and abiding in Christ that must also occur to ultimately be saved. It is not a one-time event to become saved, just like a wedding doesn’t guarantee a happy marriage.
 
What must I do to be saved…? Is invoking the name of Jesus the equivalent of “belief” manifest by the jailor in Acts 16? Does the phrase have deeper implications involving covenantal relationship? There is also need for endurance and abiding in Christ that must also occur to ultimately be saved. It is not a one-time event to become saved, just like a wedding doesn’t guarantee a happy marriage.
What about birth? Is that a one time event? Or must one have multiple spiritual rebirths? I don’t know who is a true convert and who is a Judas, but I do know that “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
John 1:12.
How is one born into a family and then cease to be a family member? …strange doctrine.
 
I was converted from Catholicism to Christ at the age of 19.
At what age did you realize that outside of the Church Christ founded the practice of religion is akin to masturbation–devoid of its life-giving quality?
 
At what age did you realize that outside of the Church Christ founded the practice of religion is akin to masturbation–devoid of its life-giving quality?
Well I never actually considered the two to being related…his church and the Catholic church.
 
What about birth? Is that a one time event? Or must one have multiple spiritual rebirths? I don’t know who is a true convert and who is a Judas, but I do know that “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
John 1:12.
How is one born into a family and then cease to be a family member? …strange doctrine.
People sometimes leave their families and change their names becaue they don’t like their families; sometimes, people are disinherited and/or asked to leave the family home because their behaviour or attitude is contrary to the values of that family.

Being born or adopted into a family gives you a strong chance of remaining a member of that family for your whole life (and remains the only way to become a member), but it isn’t an absolute guarantee.
 
Well I never actually considered the two to being related…his church and the Catholic church.
When Christ founded the Church (in Matthew 16:18-19) the first thing He did was establish a “key holder” model of leadership, with Peter as the first leader, or key holder.

When you look at the historical records, you find that only one Church can actually trace itself back to having Peter as its first leader - that is, the Catholic Church. It’s also the only one in existence that refers to its leader as “Keeper of the Keys”. 🙂
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top