S
Semper_Fi_1
Guest
Chris W:
This is because the only alternative is the Catholic Church.
- Status
J
JSmitty2005
Guest
Semper Fi:
Bingo!This is because the only alternative is the Catholic Church.
R
rbrooks
Guest
Could you please then enlighten us all?? Where is Sola Scriptura found in the bible??? Sounds to me that, the doctrine itself is contrary to what you just said.
Peace,
Rich
J
JSmitty2005
Guest
Chris W:
“To be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant.”
Can you see why?
If you can’t yet, I suggest reading the writings of the Church Fathers and comparing them to the teachings of the Catholic Church as well as the teachings of Protestantism to find out which one the Early Church was more like.
Here’s a good place to start:
catholic.com/library/fathers_know_best.asp
God bless.
Sorry I’ve written sooo much. I know it will probably take you a year or so until you get to this point (LOL), but I hope to hear from you when you do.
In Christ,
Jon
jpete79, do you see what Chris is getting at? It doesn’t make sense for God to have come to the earth in the person of Jesus Christ and for the Holy Spirit to have inspired the writers of the New Testament only to all of a sudden withdraw this guidance and this gift of infallibility. According to Protestants, the Church went apostate pretty early on with Constantine’s legalization of Christianity in 325 being the “death blow.” Miraculously, the Holy Spirit returned and guided the Catholic canonists while they determined the books of Sacred Scripture. After that, the Church remained apostatized until the Holy Spirit returned once again 1200 years later to re-establish “biblical Christianity” with Martin Luther’s 95 Thesis and the Protestant Revolt. Does this sound logical at all? Christ promised that He would be with His Church until the end of time and that the gates of hell would NEVER prevail. To suggest otherwise would be to call Him a liar. This is why I’m a Catholic, because I trust Jesus. John Henry Newman, the author of the Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine that I referred to earlier, says in the essay:
“To be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant.”
Can you see why?
If you can’t yet, I suggest reading the writings of the Church Fathers and comparing them to the teachings of the Catholic Church as well as the teachings of Protestantism to find out which one the Early Church was more like.
Here’s a good place to start:
catholic.com/library/fathers_know_best.asp
God bless.
Sorry I’ve written sooo much. I know it will probably take you a year or so until you get to this point (LOL), but I hope to hear from you when you do.
In Christ,
Jon
J
JSmitty2005
Guest
J
jpete79
Guest
Jon:
A couple things that I wish to say
First, Islam does say the Koran is the direct inspiration of God but it says that it was a prophet who decided to change the Bible because it’s wording has been altered through the years. So it has done exactly what one should not do and that is change Scripture.
Judaism says that the Torah is the divine word of God and yet the Torah leaves out the New Testament and the story of a Messiah.
Mormonism believes in John Smith writing a whole new book again adding to Scripture.
Paul says
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8
What was preached in early times has been recorded in Scripture. The KJV and others get tried and tested for authenticity by 1000’s of Biblical Scholars before going out. Checking for authenticity of authorship and for compatibility as what is said in one book is usually reinforced in another because of the fact that they needed unity (translation may differ but in original form we believe that the Bible is the true and trusted Word of God). There needed to be 1000’s because of this because divine authority no longer exists.
Now of course Paul is going to use the word preach here as there was very little written communication between the people.
Now someone asked me about the divinity of the writers and why that divinity can’t continue today…
Love lasts forever. There are such things as prophecies, but they will disappear. There are such things as inspired languages, but they will stop. There is such a thing as knowledge from God, but it will disappear. We only know portions of things from God. We prophesy in PART, but when that which is COMPLETE comes, the PARTS will disappear (13:8-10).
Now this will probably open a whole new can of worms…but what does complete mean? Well, again Paul is talking about the so-called charismatic gifts. The completion means until the Canon of the Bible is complete. These gifts were to show God’s plan on the world. This was shown through Adam, Abraham, Moses, Job, David, Daniel, Elijah, Ezekiel, Jesus Christ, Paul, and John (among others). God’s plan in the world has been revealed and it is simple. God LOVES us. We are a fallen race that needs redemption and He provides that redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The reason that there are various denominations is that people don’t agree on everything because we are no longer divinely inspired like the authors of the book and therefore things change.
A couple things that I wish to say
First, Islam does say the Koran is the direct inspiration of God but it says that it was a prophet who decided to change the Bible because it’s wording has been altered through the years. So it has done exactly what one should not do and that is change Scripture.
Judaism says that the Torah is the divine word of God and yet the Torah leaves out the New Testament and the story of a Messiah.
Mormonism believes in John Smith writing a whole new book again adding to Scripture.
Paul says
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8
What was preached in early times has been recorded in Scripture. The KJV and others get tried and tested for authenticity by 1000’s of Biblical Scholars before going out. Checking for authenticity of authorship and for compatibility as what is said in one book is usually reinforced in another because of the fact that they needed unity (translation may differ but in original form we believe that the Bible is the true and trusted Word of God). There needed to be 1000’s because of this because divine authority no longer exists.
Now of course Paul is going to use the word preach here as there was very little written communication between the people.
Now someone asked me about the divinity of the writers and why that divinity can’t continue today…
Love lasts forever. There are such things as prophecies, but they will disappear. There are such things as inspired languages, but they will stop. There is such a thing as knowledge from God, but it will disappear. We only know portions of things from God. We prophesy in PART, but when that which is COMPLETE comes, the PARTS will disappear (13:8-10).
Now this will probably open a whole new can of worms…but what does complete mean? Well, again Paul is talking about the so-called charismatic gifts. The completion means until the Canon of the Bible is complete. These gifts were to show God’s plan on the world. This was shown through Adam, Abraham, Moses, Job, David, Daniel, Elijah, Ezekiel, Jesus Christ, Paul, and John (among others). God’s plan in the world has been revealed and it is simple. God LOVES us. We are a fallen race that needs redemption and He provides that redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The reason that there are various denominations is that people don’t agree on everything because we are no longer divinely inspired like the authors of the book and therefore things change.
J
jpete79
Guest
Now whether you believe it or not, the Catechism says that in order to inherit eternal life a person MUST be Catholic. So you exclude me (or your religion does)
816
"The sole Church of Christ [is that] which our Savior, after his Resurrection, entrusted to Peter’s pastoral care, commissioning him and the other apostles to extend and rule it. . . . This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in (subsistit in) the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him."267
The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism explains: "For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, that we believe that our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the People of God."268
and again
“Outside the Church there is no salvation”
846
How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:
Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.336
Meanwhile, the very Bible that you put together says Salvation is simple and through Christ alone. Not through Christ as long as your Catholic (and I remind you as you always tell me the Church in the Catechism means the Catholic Church and not a body of believers).
I preach a Gospel of love saying that many Catholics I’ve communicated with are God loving and will be in Heaven. I don’t know any of my Protestant friends who would disagree. Your Church fathers say I will NOT be in Heaven.
Christ says that we will be family in Heaven and Paul tells Timothy that the Church is the household of God. Paul also knew of denominational differences, which is why he said to keep simple in our beliefs
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3
The simplicity that is Christ, Salvation is that simple and it doesn’t say that Christ can only be found through the Catholic Church.
Now you say the Magisterium and tradition confirm Scripture and reinforce it. You also say that you can change the wording of Scripture (this is assumed as you say Revelations final warning applies only to that Book).
Have you ever played a game of telephone with friends in elementary school? 30 people sit in a circle, someone turns to the right and says something one time only and it goes around and comes back to the originator completely distorted. Imagine that going on for 2000 years. That’s what oral tradition will do. You say that your Church has permission to make these changes because of authority passed down…but Paul says we should not preach anything outside of the Gospel. You may say you have had those traditions for years but yet some are not explicitly in the Bible and therefore your Church alone set them up.
Your Church tells me I can’t acheive eternity, yet I know Christ. I pray to Him every night, I read His Words every day, I learned about His life, I meditate on Him, I try to imitate His life, I am going to Africa to spread His name and bring others to Him through the simple means of Salvation which is in Him alone. Are you to tell me that I will not be beside you in Heaven? Well, that’s what your Church fathers tell me in the Catechism. Please don’t say that I changed any of the wording or took it out of context either.
Search your heart (not what is written) and tell me which seems right to you; to follow all these teachings and need them to know Christ or to just simply know Christ.
816
"The sole Church of Christ [is that] which our Savior, after his Resurrection, entrusted to Peter’s pastoral care, commissioning him and the other apostles to extend and rule it. . . . This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in (subsistit in) the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him."267
The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism explains: "For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, that we believe that our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the People of God."268
and again
“Outside the Church there is no salvation”
846
How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:
Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.336
Meanwhile, the very Bible that you put together says Salvation is simple and through Christ alone. Not through Christ as long as your Catholic (and I remind you as you always tell me the Church in the Catechism means the Catholic Church and not a body of believers).
I preach a Gospel of love saying that many Catholics I’ve communicated with are God loving and will be in Heaven. I don’t know any of my Protestant friends who would disagree. Your Church fathers say I will NOT be in Heaven.
Christ says that we will be family in Heaven and Paul tells Timothy that the Church is the household of God. Paul also knew of denominational differences, which is why he said to keep simple in our beliefs
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3
The simplicity that is Christ, Salvation is that simple and it doesn’t say that Christ can only be found through the Catholic Church.
Now you say the Magisterium and tradition confirm Scripture and reinforce it. You also say that you can change the wording of Scripture (this is assumed as you say Revelations final warning applies only to that Book).
Have you ever played a game of telephone with friends in elementary school? 30 people sit in a circle, someone turns to the right and says something one time only and it goes around and comes back to the originator completely distorted. Imagine that going on for 2000 years. That’s what oral tradition will do. You say that your Church has permission to make these changes because of authority passed down…but Paul says we should not preach anything outside of the Gospel. You may say you have had those traditions for years but yet some are not explicitly in the Bible and therefore your Church alone set them up.
Your Church tells me I can’t acheive eternity, yet I know Christ. I pray to Him every night, I read His Words every day, I learned about His life, I meditate on Him, I try to imitate His life, I am going to Africa to spread His name and bring others to Him through the simple means of Salvation which is in Him alone. Are you to tell me that I will not be beside you in Heaven? Well, that’s what your Church fathers tell me in the Catechism. Please don’t say that I changed any of the wording or took it out of context either.
Search your heart (not what is written) and tell me which seems right to you; to follow all these teachings and need them to know Christ or to just simply know Christ.
J
JSmitty2005
Guest
You obviously haven’t read my response to your objection regarding No Salvation Outside the Church. I don’t see what’s so hard about this. If Christ established a Church, wouldn’t you want to be a part of it? Please go here:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=1012829&postcount=1
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=1012844&postcount=2
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=1012850&postcount=3
In Christ,
Jon
PS - I will try to make a more thorough response this evening after classes are over.
A
Axion
Guest
It will do that IF that tradition is not protected by the Holy Spirit, and by Jesus Himself, as He promised.
You, however, deny these promises
- That Jesus would be with the Church continually until the end of the Age, when he returns
- That hell will never prevail against the Church
- That the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth.
- That the holy spirit will always keep the Church in truth.
Who is preaching another doctrine? The Church that preached the SAME gospel for 2000 years, or the people who claimed to have “discovered” the truth 1500 years later - hich nobody had preached or discovered until then?
If you willfully choose a prideful path, and reject the teachers apostles, missionaries, christians and martyrs and the eternal; Faith for 2,000 years, in order to rail against it because only your enormous and infallible wisdom is correct, then there may be consequences.
The catechism warns you of them. It can do no other. You cannot rail at the Chjrist’s body, the Church, claim in your opinion that it teaches falsehood, and then expect to read that this makes you a perfecti
J
jpete79
Guest
I read your article and yes; there should be a founational Church…but please don’t use Timothy to say “the pillar of fire” is the Catholic Church…it says God’s household…a household as I’ve said is a family and that family are the sons and daughters of God. How does one become a son or daughter? Through acceptance of Christ.You obviously haven’t read my response to your objection regarding No Salvation Outside the Church. I don’t see what’s so hard about this. If Christ established a Church, wouldn’t you want to be a part of it? Please go here:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=1012829&postcount=1
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=1012844&postcount=2
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=1012850&postcount=3
In Christ,
Jon
PS - I will try to make a more thorough response this evening after classes are over.
You said yourself that Christ built the Church upon all the Apostles, correct? Well, in I Corinthians (Chapters 1 and 3), the people are arguing because of who they were baptized by. The Church in that day was mobile and not set in buildings but outside of temples and in houses. People are arguing because they feel that only their community based on the baptism of certain Apostles is the true community. Paul tells them that the community is under the headship of Christ. He is the only thing we need to believe.
In response to the authority being directly from apostles…just because the apostles had special priviledges to establish the Church (as did the prophets) doesn’t mean that priviledge is carried over to their “descendents”. The disciples and apostles had direct relations with Christ. They were with Him and spoke to Him. He was physically there and is not today. Which means that a conclusion that can be made is when He sent them it was divine when a man sends another it is not.
“One such example is in Luke 10:16 when he addresses the seventy-two, who are considered apostles (although not part of “the twelve”) because they were “sent.” It states, “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” From this we can conclude that whoever rejects the apostles (the church) rejects Christ and since salvation is only possible through Christ then they can’t be saved.”
Please take the Bible in context. Christ was sending the 72 DIRECTLY out into the cities. Christ directly was talking to these people at a certain timeframe saying for them to enter areas before Him. If you are going to say that all of these 72 were part of the first Church do you not think that even they disagreed and were wrong about things. They disagreed CONSTANTLY. They were wrong often. Most times it was only the 12 that are talked about being rebutted by Christ…imagine what 72 would be like.
Also, Christ gave them SPECIFIC instructions. He told them to do only a handful of things. Don’t take anything, give them warnings about what is to come, rest in the town, heal the sick, don’t go from house to house. He gave them simple instructions to lead the way for Him to arrive. This is not a passage stating Church commands but specific commands given to specific people.
Also, I’m SURE none of the apostles say to believe in them but say to look towards Christ. The Kingdom of God is near. They accept the apostles words which point towards Christ as Salvation. Again I don’t think you prove a valid point in this.
Also in the other post you state that if someone doesn’t know the Gospel through no fault of their own they are exempt from the rule of having to be Catholic. The Gospel is simple and explicit that to know God one must know Christ. End of story. There is NO WAY TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH THE SON…
You say not to oversimplify Christianity I say it is simple. Love God through Christ. When you do that the Spirit comes to you and guides you in your ways.
God Bless.
J
jpete79
Guest
I denied NO SUCH TRUTHS.
If I see it from the Protestant point of view where the Church is God’s family who know Him through Christ. All those promises hold true.
There were many people before the Reformation that believed in Sola Scriptura. Most early Church fathers did (including many from Catholicism as Sola Scriptura was believed until the Council of Trent in 1600).
Also, I never said that many of those apostles, missionaries, etc; were not devout believers in Christ…they most certainly will have a place in Heaven. I never said that my wisdom is correct but I look to a document that is God-Spirited for my wisdom. I put my Faith in Jesus Christ; whose words are immortalized in doctrine and in my heart.
I also never said I was perfect in any sense…I am a sinner who was short of God’s glory and now I accepted Christ as personal Savior and the Holy Spirit guides me. I am not perfect…I am human AS WERE ALL YOUR CHURCH FATHERS WHO WROTE VARIOUS DOCTRINE. All man falls short of the glory of God (Romans)…
Paul admits that he still has wickedness in his flesh. He never once called himself perfect…in fact he was humble and said to look to Christ not to himself (he was glad that he didn’t baptize more people that they can look to him as a source because he knew that Christ alone was the source).
Again your final argument relies on a man-made theory/document (the catechism)…my final argument relies on the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
A
Axion
Guest
I’ve heard an attempt at this argument before, and it is generally based on taking a paragraph written by an early Church Father completely out of the context of the rest of his writings. I’ve heard it claimed that people like Augustine and Chrystotom were “sola Scriptura”, because they say things positive about scripture! But in the rest of their writings the early fathers show that they also subscribe to the authority of Church tradition. Tradition plus scripture is not Sola Scriptura. It is what the Catholic Church teaches.
Similarly, since the New testament scriptures were not even organised, finalised and canonised by the Church until 382 AD, it is impossible for anyone to have been Sola Scriptura until that date.
There is nothing wrong with looking to Jesus and scripture. the problem is when you come up with opinions based on YOUR (or some other person’s) interpretation of them, and then say that the Christian Church for 2000 years is wrong and you (and your leaders) are right.
SO. If you are not perfect. Why is your interpretation of scripture better than that of the visible Church for 2000 years? Why is it that God allows YOU to see what He apparently hid from the Church, Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, Easter, Syriac, Armenian, Oriental for 1500 years. Perhaps, maybe, God didn’t hide the truth from the Church and humanity for 1500 years, despite what He promised. Perhaps it’s the new “reformed” interpretation that is the error?
C
ComradeAndrei
Guest
The teachings of the Catholic Church are the teachings of Jesus Christ and not just some of them or an imperfect representation but exactly what Christ wants us to follow. Outside the Catholic Church there is no knowledge of Jesus-only imperfect knowledge muddied by false interpretation.
You say this, so do the myriad other protestant sects. All of these sects don’t even agree on what is true doctrine. Who is right? How do you know that the Spirit guides you and not the Methodists, or the Pentacostals, or the JWs or 7th Day Adventists? They all say that the Spirit guides them, it seems pretty vain for you to step in with a Bible and your interpretation and say everyone else is wrong.
J
jpete79
Guest
Because if you read, Paul wrote there is to be no private interpretation of Scripture without the Spirit…well, if when someone comes to Christ; they gain the Spirit…therefore I have the power to interpret it (as does anyone else who is truly Christian)…when he says hold fast to tradition…he means hold fast to the teachings…he never says what teachings…he never says make up more that aren’t seen…he says hold fast to what you are being told. The Gospel of love is about God…its about a family…every person accepting Christ is part of that family and is united in His Church.
As far as hiding the truth…Christ says plain and simple that HE IS THE TRUTH. There is nothing left to be hidden in there…He tells us the keys to Salvation…all I need to know is simple…I want to grow closer to God and I have accepted that I can do that through Jesus Christ. That is the only truth that is needed. The Bible itself can guide me through its words (and the Spirit can guide me towards Sanctification)…
I never said my interpretation of Scripture was correct, however; my interpretation of how to be saved is…and it is written CLEARLY in the Bible. Know Christ…how do I acheive eternal life a man asked Christ…love the God with all your mind, heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Nobody can know the Father except through the Son. Jesus said I am the truth, the way and the light.
I by accepting Christ am made a son of light (which puts me in God’s Household)…
I say put your faith in Christ and in God not the Church…by accepting Christ you are made part of the Church…
L
LSK
Guest
If this were really true then there would not be over 30 thousand different Protestant denominations, nor would there be so much discussion among Protestants as to the correct and true interpretation of Holy Scripture. If everyone who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that salvation is attained only through acceptance of Him and His teachings is granted the Spirit then their interpretations would all gel, would all be the same and you would not have the problems of interpretation that Protestants all have.
The reality is that there is only one Christian Church that has stood fast through the ages - The Church, the ONE Church, the Church that Jesus founded Himself. While we all gain grace through Baptism it is the height of arrogance to assume that we all gain the wisdom to perfectly understand and interpret Holy Scripture simply by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord. That is the sin of pride.
J
jpete79
Guest
Then I guess by your view you won’t be seeing me in Heaven…because the Catechism tells you so.
But are you being any different then me in your views?
No, you have been just as proud and just as arrogant. You have not been humble to accept anything except what the Catholic Church tells you in its Catechism. I have heard various verses (many taken OUT of context or having words added to them saying it was implied). The Bible says to use it for repute and correction, yet I hear the Catechism is what I should be looking to…
Christ gave fair warnings of deception against following man’s traditions when talking to the Pharisees. Paul says hold fast to tradition but he is saying to what you have learned from Christ (as there was very little written word mainly oral teaching was applicable though many disciples/apostles did have letters going back and forth).
I follow Christ. Do I screw up? HECK YA BUT THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE STILL HUMAN. Just because the Spirit is inside of me doesn’t mean I’m not infallible. It means I need Sanctification and it is working through me to acheive that Sanctifiaction.
Early Church fathers screwed up as well. Paul admitted this, Timothy needed instruction…Christ had to reinstate Peter because of Peter’s own denial of Him. You say your Church fathers are infallible when obviously John, Peter, Paul, Titus, Stephen, Timothy and everyone else continued to make mistakes and have to be corrected.
The Bible is a book of redemption and restoration. Redeeming His children and restoring our relationship with Him which in turn puts us in His household and His Church. I have been redeemed and my relationship restored and I know I have a place with the Lord in Heaven, even if you disagree.
Christ said one must accept him to be a member of his body (the Church) NOT one must be a member of his body (the Catholic Church) to accept him.
M
mattrue
Guest
go to catholic answers home (on the very top) and do a quick search (which is on the home page) and put in “assurance of salvation,” click enter. then its about the 4th one down click on “assurance of salvation?” read it. I love my prodestant and baptist and all my brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I love you, and if I love you, I wish heaven for you, I wish and pray for you to be Catholic. I am here as your friend. jpete79, for you are a brother as God is our Father. As Fr. Corapi states that all faiths are good, “loving God is a good thing,” he states. We believe that Christ founded one church, the Catholic Church. I’m so glad I am a Catholic, without out the faith and its instruction I may have not been against the evils abortion or contraception as much as I have been along with so much more eventually coming down to my whole life in the Trinity and Church. I give all honor and glory to God, much thanks to him for the blessings I have recieved. The love for God, Family and the people are what is most important. Remember, put yourself last and you shall be first. In Christ, Matt
J
jpete79
Guest
Assurance of salvation…
I say that I have a personal relationship with Christ accepting Him as Savior. I say that I love him with mind, heart and soul, however; I agree that these are words. Anyone can say that…I agree that our place is decided in death not in life.
James talks about how faith without deeds is dead as deeds without faith are the same.
I am assured Salvation because I am a follower of Christ. Christ says that we too will carry our crosses and I am doing that. As of now I am in preparation to go overseas to Africa to spread the Gospel to an unreached people group there. I will be there 2 years learning language and living in the community. I will be there 2 years not only to live among that group but to LOVE them as well. I will advance community relations, helping in english and teaching sports but also learning about their community as far as music, sports and again language.
I have already been appointed to leave for that trip in a matter of months but as of now I am heavily involved in the Church I attend. I help lead worship with my bass guitar, I occassionally read Scripture. I help out in our Youth Group trying to help kids come to a relationship with God (and make sure they don’t make the same mistakes that I did with drinking and drugs). I also attend various Bible Studies where we constantly pray for each other and fellowship together.
I know where my Salvation lies because God is using me to do His Work in the world. I humbly admit that without Him I am nothing but I am honored in the fact that He uses me and that I am meaningful because of my relationship with Him.
I am willing to walk away from my family at home, my possessions, my job, my pets and my safety to walk into an unknown to preach the word of Jesus Christ and show people through actions that there is a hope in God. I know there is a hope in God because without Him I would not be where I am. God is continuing to work through me and I am honored to be a vessel for Him.
Yet, your catechism says because I am not Catholic I will not be in Heaven. I believe in Christ just the same as you do…just the same as your Church fathers do…I am willing to sacrifice my life for God and for the people that I will be witnessing to.
Let me ask you again…
Your catechism says I am not going to be in Heaven, what does your HEART tell you?
R
RiverRock
Guest
Great job all. But again, like so many others who come here searching, their minds are already made up. Don’t confuse them with any facts. You’ve all been charitable and provided answers that I can’t even provide. I also thank you for the education that you are giving me. Hopefully you’ve all planted a seed. The fact that Pete is even here demonstrates that’s he’s confused by all the “winds of protestant doctrines”, although he will never admit it. If only there is a way to get through to all of the mental roadblocks he has. I guess the Holy Spirit has His work cut out for Him.
M
Mickey
Guest
May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ bless and protect you during your missionary work.
It does not say that.
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