I have always been tought that your salvation was paid in full when Christ died. When Christ said “it is finished” he paid for all your sins, past present and future. If you are elect you can’t go to hell. (Of course if you don’t repent your not elect).
Catholic theology as I understand it seems to teach that if you die in a state of mortal sin you will go to hell. You can believe and be baptised, go to mass and prey, but if you mess up and commit a mortal sin you will not be saved if you die before you go to confession. It seems to me that this would lead a person to be in a very miserable state, walking on eggshells all the time. You could be faithfull all your life, but slip up once. Say you are working in your shop, hit yourself with a hammer and let out a string of profanity. You jump in your car to go to the church and go to confession but die in a car wreck on the way. Your faithfull life counts for nothing and your mistake counts for everything. This sense of insecurity could not lead to a state of happiness or a sense of well being.
I get so tired of rehashing this Once Saved Always Saved nonsense!
Calvin was wrong then just as Now. Read your Bible In context, you will see that Paul & Jesus etc all testify to persevering unto Death. They all talk about the ability to give-up or lose your Faith by choice.
Start with these Verses, Learn & Grow!
Matthew 7:19-23 - "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Romans 11:20-22 - “But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.”
1 Timothy 1:18-20 - “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.”
Hebrews 6:4-6 - “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”
Hebrews 10:26-31 - “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
2 Peter 2:20-22 - “If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”
2 Peter 3:17 - “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.”
