Ralphy's Questions for Catholics

[CentralFLJames]

There are lots of people in jail who know their Bible and Catechism quite well, after having so much time on their hands.

Indeed. And there are many prisoners who have come to repent of their evil ways and convert to become Christians after being ministered to by Catholic priests and religious in corporeal acts of mercy.

James

 

[CentralFLJames]

There are certainly some “priests” that I would not ask about scripture, as per their conduct, I may have to visit them in jail. Ralph

Ah Ralph, are you finally admitting to the real reason why left the Catholic Church? You could not follow a Church that was fonded on convicted men? Christ was convicted of bad conduct and Peter was himself convicted of being a filthy Christian instigator. And as well Peter’s conduct in denying Christ 3 times made him an “unsaved” didn’t it?

While I am here let me ask you one more question:

Is the use of the word “un-saved” an admission that one can lose their salvation? After all if one is “saved” then later commits a sin and becomes “un-saved” then can’t we rightly say one had to be previously saved and lost their salvation by sinning?

Or is this a new term called “not truly saved”?

Hmm, and what if they still sin after being truly-saved do they become “un-truly-saved”?

And do we keep tacking on “truly’s” for each time somone comes back from sinning to try-try again? (e.g. “truly-truly-saved” or “truly-truly-truly-saved”)

Do we ever get limited by a 3 truly-strikes and your out rule?

James

 

[Shannon9791]

Do we ever get limited by a 3 truly-strikes and your out rule?

James

Let’s hope not, because I would have been sent back to the minors a looooooong time ago.

 

[fbl9]

Let’s hope not, because I would have been sent back to the minors a looooooong time ago.

try the benches…

Ralph please,please try to listen to what is being said to you…

 

[ralphy]

Many people were Baptized without ever reading scripture, that is not the point. Think of it this way. How can a society such as ours hold so much value and recognize the importance of students spending years in college being “taught” subjects that offer libraries full of books yet we feel we can pick up the Bible, the Word of God Himself, and understand it without the very “teachers” who produced the Bible in the first place? Can a person with the equivalent to a high school diploma limited to an education in basic algebra pick up a book on astrological physics and learn it properly? not likely. The Bible was from the teachers, not to be considered a replacement for the teachers themselves. It specifically raises the question; “who can know the mind of God…”, not us, that’s for sure. But the closest we can come in understanding what God expects of us and offers us is with the teachers who presented the book, the Bible to us in the first place and who Jesus taught and sent forward and those who received their education from those to carry it on. that is Apostolic Succession and Sacred Tradition. We need to be taught just as we need to be taught how to be anything else, including brain surgery. Otherwise the process of trial and error can lead to condemnation of the soul.

You forgot about the Holy Spirit. Ralph

 

[ralphy]

Indeed. And there are many prisoners who have come to repent of their evil ways and convert to become Christians after being ministered to by Catholic priests and religious in corporeal acts of mercy.

James

I have lead some people to salvation in Christ myself through the word of God. Ralph

 

[ralphy]

Ah Ralph, are you finally admitting to the real reason why left the Catholic Church? You could not follow a Church that was fonded on convicted men? Christ was convicted of bad conduct and Peter was himself convicted of being a filthy Christian instigator. And as well Peter’s conduct in denying Christ 3 times made him an “unsaved” didn’t it?

While I am here let me ask you one more question:

Is the use of the word “un-saved” an admission that one can lose their salvation? After all if one is “saved” then later commits a sin and becomes “un-saved” then can’t we rightly say one had to be previously saved and lost their salvation by sinning?

Or is this a new term called “not truly saved”?

Hmm, and what if they still sin after being truly-saved do they become “un-truly-saved”?

And do we keep tacking on “truly’s” for each time somone comes back from sinning to try-try again? (e.g. “truly-truly-saved” or “truly-truly-truly-saved”)

Do we ever get limited by a 3 truly-strikes and your out rule?

James

People do sin after they get saved and they do confess there sin to God as told to do so in scripture. They do not lose their salvation for they are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are still in the flesh and it is a daily fight between the flesh and the spirit. Ralph

 

[benedicta00]

People do sin after they get saved and they do confess there sin to God as told to do so in scripture. They do not lose their salvation for they are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are still in the flesh and it is a daily fight between the flesh and the spirit. Ralph

so if you are ‘sealed’ (assuming you mean you can not lose grace… catholics are too ‘sealed’ with the HS) and can not lose God’s friendship-- why do you have to confess sin to Him?

 

[ralphy]

so if you are ‘sealed’ (assuming you mean you can not lose grace… catholics are too ‘sealed’ with the HS) and can not lose God’s friendship-- why do you have to confess sin to Him?

By sealed I mean that you can not lose your salvation (which is not the same as grace). We confess sin to make sure we keep short accounts with Him. Ralph

 

[jmcrae]

By sealed I mean that you can not lose your salvation (which is not the same as grace). We confess sin to make sure we keep short accounts with Him. Ralph

What would happen if you had a “long account”? If you cannot lose your salvation.

 

[benedicta00]

By sealed I mean that you can not lose your salvation (which is not the same as grace). We confess sin to make sure we keep short accounts with Him. Ralph

Why… if all sins are forgiven and not even murder could have you lose salvation?

and please explain to me the difference between salvation and grace… do you think you can lose grace (sanctifying) but not salvation?

 

[The_Catholic]

By sealed I mean that you can not lose your salvation (which is not the same as grace). We confess sin to make sure we keep short accounts with Him. Ralph

Greetings Ralphy,

Question, by this logic, how can you **know **beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are “saved?” Simply by “accepting” Christ as your Saviour? Perhaps you (or myself) are they whom hear the Gospel by the way side, and the devil will soon act to take it away, or perhaps in the time of temptation we may fall away; perhaps we’re those among thorns, and soon will be choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, bringing about no fruit. Luke 8:12-14. How can we know this is not us? We can’t, for many “good” Christians live the Faith for multiple years, then, fall away and/or turn their back on God, sadly.

Also, by claiming we are “saved” or “sealed” then we have to take into consideration 1 John 2: 3-6, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments, He that saith, I know him and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

Do we walk with him, perfectly? I don’t know one person who does. How is it then that we can call ourselves “saved,” having Godly knowledge beyond the shadow of a doubt? By simply confessing to believe in the name of His son (which is also a command)? No, by His blood on the cross are we saved.

I’m not claiming 1 John is teaching that only those which live “perfectly” are children of God, no, rather, it is teaching Faith—which means turning your entire life over to God and following after Him, walking, or at least, attempting to walk as Christ did. When we fall, we are to repent, rise back up, and continue on the path. For if we say we have no sin we decieve ourselves, and the truth is not in us, and we make God a liar.

The Catholic Church doesn’t teach that one can lose their salvation because the Catholic Church doesn’t claim that we can have salvation (listen carefully), by that I mean the common Protestant “once saved always saved” doctrine. We have the hope of eternal salvation. Faith is a journey, a walk, trust, submitting ourselves to Almighty God and the Lord Jesus. And he is merciful and just.

All these wondrous beautiful things help us along that journey: Belief (John 3:16), baptism (John 3:3-5), public confession of Jesus as the Lord (Rom 10:9), acting obediently (Phil 2:12), partaking in the Eucharist (John 6:50), confessing sins and praying for others (James 5:16) and perseverence in faith and action (James 1:12).

A Catholic can also rightly say that "I have been saved, the salvation has already begun to take effect when I accepted Jesus christ, repented of my sins, and was baptized. For as St. Paul says: " If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." (2 Corin. 5:17). Next, I am being saved, still running the race, walking the path, being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another (2 Corin. 3:18). And finally, I have the hope to be saved, perserving in my Faith until the end. I have hope and confidence that God will give us that grace, and that I will respond to it and accept His gift of salvation until the day I die, (Phil. 3: 11-13).

To put it a more simplistic way, if in our hearts we truly desire him, we WILL find Him, and be with Him.

God bless you.

 

[allhers]

…There are certainly some “priests” that I would not ask about scripture, as per their conduct, I may have to visit them in jail. Ralph

1 John 3:10-11
In this way, the children of God and the children of the devil are made plain; no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother.
For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another,

(my bold)

 

[ralphy]

Why… if all sins are forgiven and not even murder could have you lose salvation?

and please explain to me the difference between salvation and grace… do you think you can lose grace (sanctifying) but not salvation?

Salvation is the deliverance from the power and penalty of sin. Grace is unmerited favor. Ralph

 

[twb1621]

You forgot about the Holy Spirit. Ralph

Ralphy,
I already mentioned the Holy Spirit and His gifts previously.
the way you read what is offered to you and the block you put to it to learn is offensive to all the Holy Spirit offers.
You my seriously confused and self deceived brother are willfully driving fast in the dark on a back woods mountain road without your head lights on. You can only bounce off tree to tree for so long before you meet one head on and stop. You choose to drive in the dark because you don’t want to face the truths of life and sin but they’re still there for you, you just as all fall to them and you just as all will have to “pay your penny” as the rest. You need to realize the deceptive power of Satan who doesn’t want you to learn. Realize; the Holy Spirit in His greatest wisdom offers His Gifts and in those is wisdom and discernment, not self righteousness or refusal to seek the truth but the strength to seek it with open heart and eagerness to learn God. If you look at all that has been offered to you and the meager thoughtless one liner responses you have answered with, you will see your arrogance for yourself and that you are blocking out gospel, the word of God, to avoid anything other than what you find easiest to believe and live by. I pray you accept the gift of learning and abandon the pride in you that holds you back.

 

[benedicta00]

Salvation is the deliverance from the power and penalty of sin. Grace is unmerited favor. Ralph

Yes, grace is but when we are saved, isn’t that a grace? isn’t the reason becuase we are IN God’s grace? and why confess your sins if you can’t lose salvation?

 

[Shannon9791]

People do sin after they get saved and they do confess there sin to God as told to do so in scripture. They do not lose their salvation for they are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are still in the flesh and it is a daily fight between the flesh and the spirit. Ralph

What did people do before there was scripture? You’ve already said that the OT need not be applied because the NT was written. How did people get saved?

 

[ralphy]

Yes, grace is but when we are saved, isn’t that a grace? isn’t the reason becuase we are IN God’s grace? and why confess your sins if you can’t lose salvation?

When we are saved, then we are in Gods grace. Ralph

 

[allhers]

When we are saved, then we are in Gods grace. Ralph

What does “saved” mean to you?

 

[cazayoux]

When we are saved, then we are in Gods grace. Ralph

I see this a little differently.
God gives the free gift of grace to all.
To be saved, you have to accept that free gift.

We are in God’s grace, and if we do what Jesus said, then we are saved.

To be ‘in’ Christ is another topic altogether.

Rom 8:1
[1] There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Now the question is … once you are ‘in’ Christ, can you then become ‘not in’ Christ.
Read the rest of Romans 8 to find out.

michel