John 3:16 yes or no

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IneedGod

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I have never believed in OSAS and do believe you must continue on after John 3:16 accepting the Lord.
However I am intereseted in the Catholic view of the sinners prayer, coming to God to begin with.
I still see it as the proper starting place but you never here it mentioned.

Please teach me, Ty
 
IneedGod said:
I have never believed in OSAS and do believe you must continue on after John 3:16 accepting the Lord.
However I am intereseted in the Catholic view of the sinners prayer, coming to God to begin with.
I still see it as the proper starting place but you never here it mentioned.

Please teach me, Ty
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If all we needed was John 3:16, why did God inspire all the other scriptures to go along with it?
 
IneedGod said:
I have never believed in OSAS and do believe you must continue on after John 3:16 accepting the Lord.
However I am intereseted in the Catholic view of the sinners prayer, coming to God to begin with.
I still see it as the proper starting place but you never here it mentioned.

Please teach me, Ty
Click to expand...
John 3 is Jesus’ teaching on the meaning of Sacramental Baptism.

Sins committed after Baptism are forgiven in the Confessional. The prayer we say in Confession is our “sinner’s prayer” (O My God I am sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because they offend thee … etc.)
 
The bible is clear about John 3:16. But Catholics are clear that tradition tells us otherwise.
 
IneedGod said:
I have never believed in OSAS and do believe you must continue on after John 3:16 accepting the Lord.
However I am intereseted in the Catholic view of the sinners prayer, coming to God to begin with.
I still see it as the proper starting place but you never here it mentioned.

Please teach me, Ty
Click to expand...
It can be a starting place for adult converts to Christianity from no faith or a different religion. Baptism is the starting point in the Church. Those who are born into the Church are just as important, we do not discriminate by age. Conversion is supposed to be a life-long process. Just because someone is not capable of intellectually grasping John 3:16, or Romans 10:9, does not mean they are not candidates for eternal salvation.
 
You don’t really hear Catholics talking about the Sinner’s Prayer because all that goes along with it contradicts our dogmas. The people using it usually believe that it’s all that is necessary for being spiritually reborn. In other words, it’s tied up with the belief in salvation by faith alone. The repentance and acceptance that it represents are good, but incomplete — as Baptism is what causes spiritual rebirth, not intellectual assent. Then there’s Confirmation to think of as well.
 
IronMIke said:
The bible is clear about John 3:16. But Catholics are clear that tradition tells us otherwise.
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To clarify – Catholics believe what Sacred Scripture says there.

We though recognize that ordinarily more is involved than the initial belief…(which many other Christians too recognize)
 
When one is born into the Church, the reality and Presence of Jesus are a regular part of life. By the time one is able to speak, long before one can reason, they are already speaking about the life of Jesus. Children have a saving belief in the Trinity and do not even know of life separated from God. Jesus already lives in our heart. There is no remembrance of when we “didn’t believe.” That’s why asking a Catholic kid if they are “saved” or “have accepted Jesus into their heart as their Lord and Savior” or “confessed with their mouth Jesus as Lord” is just a bit goofy sounding, because #1 it is baptism that now saves you #2 They were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit when they were babies, thus have always believed Jesus to be in their heart, and #3 they have confessed Jesus as Lord as long as they have been able to talk. The process of “Salvation” has already begun.
 
“We have come to believe in God’s love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. Saint John’s Gospel describes that event in these words: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should … have eternal life” (3:16).”

Pope Benedict XVI Spe Salvi (1)

“May every Christian and every community feel the joy of sharing with others the Good News that “God so loved the world that he gave his Only Son… that the world might be saved through him” (Jn 3: 16-17). This is the authentic meaning of Christmas, which we must rediscover and live intensely.”

Pope Benedict XVI Fourth Sunday of Advent, 23 December 2007
 
The verse John 3:16 is very true…but such is not intended to be taken in isolation with the rest of the Word of God…the rest of the Faith.

Acts for example notes Peters first preaching after Pentcost…repent and be baptized…and told them they would receive the Holy Spirit.

Repent…believe in Christ and be baptized…(etc)
 
graceandglory said:
It can be a starting place for adult converts to Christianity from no faith or a different religion. Baptism is the starting point in the Church. Those who are born into the Church are just as important, we do not discriminate by age. Conversion is supposed to be a life-long process. Just because someone is not capable of intellectually grasping John 3:16, or Romans 10:9, does not mean they are not candidates for eternal salvation.
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That is what I meant, a starting place for converts to Christianity. Of course it must be followed by babtism and faith without works is dead. Again I do not believe in OSAS it just seems that for a non Christian coming to God it would be the place to start.
 
IneedGod said:
I have never believed in OSAS and do believe you must continue on after John 3:16 accepting the Lord.
However I am intereseted in the Catholic view of the sinners prayer, coming to God to begin with.
I still see it as the proper starting place but you never here it mentioned.

Please teach me, Ty
Click to expand...
Catholics and Evangelical Protestants have different views of salvation.
 
Bookcat said:
“We have come to believe in God’s love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. Saint John’s Gospel describes that event in these words: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should … have eternal life” (3:16).”

Pope Benedict XVI Spe Salvi (1)

“May every Christian and every community feel the joy of sharing with others the Good News that “God so loved the world that he gave his Only Son… that the world might be saved through him” (Jn 3: 16-17). This is the authentic meaning of Christmas, which we must rediscover and live intensely.”

Pope Benedict XVI Fourth Sunday of Advent, 23 December 2007
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Note too that the event described in John does not need to be take as say a Baptist may take it…but rather John can intend the various aspects of becoming Christian in that verse…sort of like short hand for the whole. Lots of various short hand things in Scripture implying various aspects.
 
IneedGod said:
I have never believed in OSAS and do believe you must continue on after John 3:16 accepting the Lord.
However I am interested in the Catholic view of the sinners prayer, coming to God to begin with.
I still see it as the proper starting place but you never here it mentioned.

Please teach me, Ty
Click to expand...
Not clear what you are asking here…
John 3:16 yea or no…Well…Yes…

As to the Catholic view of the “sinner’s prayer”…The only one that I know is commonly called the “Act of Contrition” - so I’m in favor of that too.

We come to God through repentance and belief that leads to faith - not earned by us but as a free Gift from God.

Now if you are referring to the protestant idea of belief in Jesus as sufficient for salvation…then things begin to get more complicated. What is meant by belief.
We know that even the demons believe…hasn’t helped them.
So there has to be more…and that “more” is where things like daily renewal, and “work(ing) out your salvation with fear and trembling” come in.

Peace
James
 
Bookcat said:
“We have come to believe in God’s love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. Saint John’s Gospel describes that event in these words: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should … have eternal life” (3:16).”

Pope Benedict XVI Spe Salvi (1)

“May every Christian and every community feel the joy of sharing with others the Good News that “God so loved the world that he gave his Only Son… that the world might be saved through him” (Jn 3: 16-17). This is the authentic meaning of Christmas, which we must rediscover and live intensely.”

Pope Benedict XVI Fourth Sunday of Advent, 23 December 2007
Click to expand...
Note too that the event described in John does not need to be take as say a Baptist may take it…but rather John can intend the various aspects of becoming Christian in that verse…sort of like short hand for the whole. Lots of various short hand things in Sacred Scripture…
 
Bookcat said:
To clarify – Catholics believe what Sacred Scripture says there.

We though recognize that ordinarily more is involved than the initial belief…(which many other Christians too recognize)
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No Catholics believe in Tradition not John 3:16 or scripture as infallible
 
IronMIke said:
No Catholics believe in Tradition not John 3:16 or scripture as infallible
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I don’t understand what this means.

Are you saying no Catholics believe in tradition? Because that certainly wouldn’t be correct. Or are you saying that Catholics believe in Tradition but not Scripture being infallible? Because that would also be incorrect.

Some punctuation or clarification would help.
 
IronMIke said:
No Catholics believe in Tradition not John 3:16 or scripture as infallible
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Actually, Catholics believe both Scripture and Tradition, and that they coexist in such a way that one shouldn’t contradict the other. Both are infallible sources, but that doesn’t mean that everyone who uses the sources are infallible in interpreting them, this is why we need the leaders of the Church to guide and direct us.
 
IronMIke said:
No Catholics believe in Tradition not John 3:16 or scripture as infallible
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Yes we do believe in John 3:16 (that in the proper context and understanding).

We believe Scripture is the Word of God and inerrant.
 
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