The question: "Are you saved?"

[Roman_Catholic_1]

What do you guys say when this question comes up? It seems that you can never have a conversation with any non-Catholic christian and this not come up.

“If you were to die today and met God and He asked you why he should save you what would you say?”

This question really bothers me, like my salvation will come down to a single question that if I get wrong I go to hell or if I get right I go to heaven. If this is the case I hope it is a multiple choice question and possibly the opportunity for a retake… kidding of course.

 

[Reepicheep]

God will not ask such a question.
God will tell me my reward.
Either “Come, you blessed of my Father…”
or [shudder] “Depart from Me, you cursed…”
In any case, the questions posed by Protestants in such a context, seem to me to be loaded. They put into God’s mouth their own assumptions.

 

[HailMary]

What do you guys say when this question comes up? It seems that you can never have a conversation with any non-Catholic christian and this not come up.

“If you were to die today and met God and He asked you why he should save you what would you say?”

This question really bothers me, like my salvation will come down to a single question that if I get wrong I go to hell or if I get right I go to heaven. If this is the case I hope it is a multiple choice question and possibly the opportunity for a retake… kidding of course.

I wrote an article on this:
members.cox.net/humurabi/AreYouSaved.pdf

 

[Prayer_Warrior]

I saw this on Awalt’s signature and it’s never left me… I believe it to be the perfect response:

I am saved (Eph 2:5–8), being saved (1Cor 1:8), and hope I’ll be saved (1Cor 3:12–15). I’m working out my salvation in fear (Phil 2:12), with hopeful confidence in Christ (Rom 5:2).

Karl Keating’s book, Catholicism and Fundamentalism has a section that deals with how to respond to this question. It is really a good read.

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

What do you guys say when this question comes up? It seems that you can never have a conversation with any non-Catholic christian and this not come up.

“If you were to die today and met God and He asked you why he should save you what would you say?”

This question really bothers me, like my salvation will come down to a single question that if I get wrong I go to hell or if I get right I go to heaven. If this is the case I hope it is a multiple choice question and possibly the opportunity for a retake… kidding of course.

We pray with hope and confidence for salvation but do not presume that we have it, except in a few rare cases of people given supernatural favours.

Evangelical Christians who say they are “saved” are probably correct, in that they have made some gestures towards following Jesus and God probably has enough to work on to assure their ultimate destiny. However the idea of “being saved” often slips over into having achieved a state of near sanctity. Then when you get a fall, you have real problems.

 

[heisenburg]

Personally, I like to point out how that is the wrong question to ask. Of course they ask why is that… I jsut say, if I am focusing on Christ solely so that I cna get saved, I am veiwing christ in the wrong manner. I would be looking at christ as a “What can he do for me?” mentality. I come back and say … “Shouldnt the real question be 'what can I do to glorify god?”

If we focus on christ so that we can get saved, are we realy learning anything (and ultimatly, will God even save us because the intent isnt realy even on him)

If we focus on what we can do to Glorify God, it makes his salvation all the more meaningful,

Put it another way…

If you do X because you will get Y, Y loses value because it is expected as payment.

If you do X simply for the sake of Doing it for the owner of Y, and then the owner then GIVES you Y , Y becomes a precious gift

In Christ

 

[McKevin]

What do you guys say when this question comes up? It seems that you can never have a conversation with any non-Catholic christian and this not come up.

“If you were to die today and met God and He asked you why he should save you what would you say?”

This question really bothers me, like my salvation will come down to a single question that if I get wrong I go to hell or if I get right I go to heaven. If this is the case I hope it is a multiple choice question and possibly the opportunity for a retake… kidding of course.

I don’t think God is going to ask us to help Him out with this decission…but a simple response (to a protestant, not to God) would be to memorize one of these verses and quote it right back at the person asking the question. Then turn the topic to John Chapter 6 and start talking about the Blessed Eucharist and Christ’s real and abiding presence in the Mass!

John Chapter 3:16 -17
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

1st Corinthians Chapter 1:18
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Philippians Chapter 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1st Timothy Chapter 1:15
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost.

 

[Steven_Merten]

Hello Roman Catholic,

I turn around and ask them, “What must I do to share in everlasting life?” After they give me thier answer. I say, “No, what is the perfect answer to this question? What was Jesus’ answer?”

Please visit: Jesus, What Must I Do To Share In Everlasting Life?

NAB MAR 10:17

"Good Teacher, what must I do to share in everlasting life?" Jesus answered, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments:
’You shall not kill;
You shall not commit adultery;
You shall not steal;
You shall not bear false witness;
You shall not defraud;
Honor your father and your mother.’"
NAB LUK 10:25

"Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?" Jesus answered him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He replied:
**"You shall love the Lord your God **
**with all your heart, **
**with all your soul, **
**with all your strength, **
**and with all your mind; **
and your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus said, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you shall live.”
NAB LUK 18:18

"Good teacher, what must I do to share in everlasting life? "Jesus said to him, “Why call me ‘good’? None is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not kill.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear dishonest witness.
Honor your father and your mother.’”
NAB JOH 12:50

"Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, . . . . "
NAB JOH 5:27
“The Father has given over to him power to pass judgment because he is Son of Man; no need for you to be surprised at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned.”

NAB REV 22:12

“Remember, I am coming soon! I bring with me the reward that will be given to each man as his conduct deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End! Happy are they who wash their robes so as to have free access to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates Outside are the dogs and sorcerers, the fornicators and murderers, the idol-worshipers and all who love falsehood.”