Trying to convert her

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Jesusrocks

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My best friend wants to be a non denominational religion. I think she is very much into the fact that you only need to be ‘saved’ to get to heaven. Any scripture or advice as to what I can tell her to possibly convert her to Catholosim?
 
Philippians 2:12-13 “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”

We must remember that salvation is a process, not an instant. And it is a process that takes careful thought and prayer.

I would suggest she attends a Roman Catholic mass, and also an Orthodox Divine Liturgy. She should expose herself to different ideas about Christianity, constantly with the prayer that God: “Lead me where He wants me, helping me always to understand what I can, and accept what I cannot understand.”
 
This is a difficult task as it requires her to be willing to follow God anywhere. Most people do not think in that mindset these days, they just want a relationship with God.

So you need to stress that since Jesus died for her 2000 years ago and loves her right now, how far will she follow Him?

Will she follow him only when it is easy or anywhere?
Would she consider the Catholic Church if Jesus founded it and it really was true?
Some people wont even convert even if the Church is true as they have so much bias against what they think the Church is they cannot see it clearly.
So they look for a fresh new one that feeds them.

Do they remember Jesus dying on the cross for them each time they gather, do they gather everyday to remember Jesus? (do this in memory of me?)

Do they put Jesus at the center of their worship showing us that He died for us? ( A crucifix?)

Do they try to unite their prayers with the saints in heaven as we all worship as one body in Christ? (holy, holy holy Lord)

Do they pray as Jesus taught us each time we pray together?
(Our Father)

Use the common lie that many non-catholics use against Catholics to prove that Catholicism is centered on Jesus. Most are told Catholics don’t center their faith on Jesus or read the Bible. So prove that lie wrong by centering your discussion on the Bible and Jesus.
If she wants to discuss other parts of the faith such as Mary let her bring it up but always bring it back to Jesus, as He is the center of the Catholic faith.

Stress that and how Jesus started the Catholic Church and our reverence for the Bible. Spend time talking about this and share it. Too often Catholics are shy about their faith as they are used to being bashed for being Catholic.

In Christ
Scylla
 
Jesus Rocks,

I would get her a copy of Catholicism and Fundamentalism.

It is my experience that Evangelicals, while they may preach that one “only” needs to “get saved,” practice pretty much in accordance with Catholic teachings. If one “gets saved” and does not then show a changed life (“acquiring merit,” the Catholic Church calls it, but most Evangelicals would loudly disavow the term), one is considered not to have been sincere in one’s profession of faith and thus never to have been saved after all.

I have also been told by Evangelicals that “faith alone” includes an active repentance from one’s sin and submission to the lordship of Christ and obedience to all of His commandments. This version of “faith alone” is in fact indistinguishable from Catholic teachings.

So why be Catholic rather than a “non-denominational” Christian? Apart from all the other good reasons, we preach what we practice.
  • Liberian
 
I got these from my summary card which I bought at a Catholic bookstore:
HAVE YOU BEEN SAVED?
Past Event ( I have been saved)
Click to expand...
Rom 8:24 - for in hope we were saved
Eph 2: 5,8 - by grace you have been saved through faith
2 Tim 1:9 - he saved us, called us, according to his grace
Tit 3:5 - he saved us through bath of rebirth, renewal by Holy Spirit
**
Present Process ( I am being saved)**
*
Phil 2: 12 - work out your salvation with fear and trembling*
1 Pet 1:9 - as you attain the goal of your faith, salvation
Click to expand...
Future Event (I will be saved)
Mt 10:22 - he who endures to the end will be saved
Mt 24:13 - he who perseveres to the end will be saved
Mk 8:35 - whoever loses his life for my sake will save it
Acts 15: 11 - we shall be saved through the grace of Jesus
Rom 5:9-10: - since we are justified, we shall be saved
Rom 13: 11 - salvation is nearer now than first believed
1 Cor 3:15: - he will be saved, but only as through fire
Heb 9:28: - Jesus will appear second time, to bring salvation
Click to expand...
that’s all. it summarize about being saved.
 
Thank you very much! I think I have the very card you are talking about! :] I didn’t know if I should use that or not…! She is very Bible centered, and is open to the Catholic faith, but I wonder how far she will commit to Him, because I don’t know how supportive her parents will be, and I am the only devout Catholic she knows,so she might use that against the Church.
 
Oh, and she’s not exactly the kind to read…she rarely does and often dispises it. I have the book (Catholosim adn Fundamentalism) though.
 
Let your friend know that it makes a big difference in which denomination and faith she chooses to believe. With over 30,000 different Christian denominations, all of them claim to have the fullness of Truth based on their interpretations of the Bible alone :hmmm: . But as you can see none of these denominations can agree on one definitive except that the bible “alone” is all you need to know the True Gospel and Teachings of Jesus. Thus as the blind leads the blind we now have 30,000 different Truths and growing! :nope:

The Bible says that the pillar and foundation of Truth is the Church (1 Tim 3:15). What Church? Any objective history book will show that only the Catholic Church has existed since the time of Christ. None of the 30,000 different Christian denominations found today existed before 1517 AD. The notion of justification by faith alone was also a new doctrine and was never a Christian belief :tsktsk: prior to the 1500’s.

Let your friend know some important facts like the written word of the New Testament was given to us by Catholics. :bible1: The New Testament books was officially determined in the fourth century (405 AD) by Catholic councils and Catholic popes. The Catholic Church determined which books belonged in the NT and which didn’t. Without accepting the authority of the Catholic Church how can you realy believe that the NT writings are truely the Inspired Word of God. The Catholic Church not only gave the Gospel in written form but prior to having the Bible they taught the Gospel through oral teachings. Who better to give an understang to the written word other then the Church who gave to us the written word?

:bible1: Before there was the NT Bible, early Christians faithfully handed down the teachings of the Apostles through word of mouth or by a letter as commanded by St. Paul (1 Cor 11:2).

Here is an early letter of the one Christian Church pertaining to the one Christian faith before the NT Bible was given to us: St. Athanasius (360 AD) “Let us note that the very tradition, teaching, and faith of the Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, was preached by the Apostles, and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was the Church founded; and if anyone departs from this, he neither is nor any longer ought to be called a Christian…” Four Letters to Serapion of Thmius 1, 28.

Hope this helps 🙂
 
Jesusrocks said:
Thank you very much! I think I have the very card you are talking about! :] I didn’t know if I should use that or not…! She is very Bible centered, and is open to the Catholic faith, but I wonder how far she will commit to Him, because I don’t know how supportive her parents will be, and I am the only devout Catholic she knows,so she might use that against the Church.
Click to expand...
Jesusrocks said:
Oh, and she’s not exactly the kind to read…she rarely does and often dispises it. I have the book (Catholosim and Fundamentalism) though.
Click to expand...
You need to download John Martignoni’s MP3 Bible studies (here) and hook her up. I’d start with Sola Scriptura since that foundational error will cause virtually the whole of n-C theology to crumble like a house of cards. Once downloaded you can then burn them onto CDs to give away, since she will listen more than read, this should help. You can volunteer to listen to it with her and you can talk about it. You’ll find that all the notes for the studies are HERE so they can be printed out and used to follow along.
Pray the Divine Mercy Novena for her. It has worked for me.
Pax tecum,
 
Jesusrocks said:
My best friend wants to be a non denominational religion. I think she is very much into the fact that you only need to be ‘saved’ to get to heaven. Any scripture or advice as to what I can tell her to possibly convert her to Catholosim?
Click to expand...
That’s where I’m coming FROM! It’s appealing because it’s entertaining but she’ll be missing out on the fullness of truth! Why would someone want to NOT JOIN a 2000 year old Church, established by Christ and join one that’s only been around since 1891 that believes in the very un-biblical doctrines of sola scriptura and sola fide?

I can list a large number of reasons… but I’d be here ALL DAY!

You do need to be “saved” to get to heaven… the difference is how we achieve that salvation. A good book to recommend to her is “The Salvation Controversy” by James Akin… It explains the faultiness in thinking that salvation is ONLY a one-time event that comes from the “sinner’s prayer”.

If you like, you can direct her to my website where she can read the reasons why someone would LEAVE non-denominationalism!

I will pray for her! May God give you the right words to reach her.
 
Also, you can go to the below site, and find his free downloads that talk about sola scriptura (Bible alone)… it’s got some great information on how to talk with people who are Bible ONLY centered…

biblechristiansociety.com/
 
Hello Jesusrocks,

Possibly a little advice from Jesus.

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

NAB MAT 19:16

“Teacher, what good must I do to possess everlasting life?” He answered, “Why do you question me about what is good? There is One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied “You shall not kill”; ‘You shall not commit adultery’; ‘You shall not steal’; ‘You shall not bear false witness’; ‘Honor your father and mother’; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”**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 JOH 12:47 **

"If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken - it is that which will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own; no, the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to speak. Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me." NAB MAT 25:31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
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.”
 
thank you very much everyone! I really like bible verses, because she seems to ‘react’ better to the Bible. 🙂
 
Hello Jesusrocks,

Here is a quote of Martin Luther quoting Jesus as his “opponant”. Most Protestants to this day oppose Jesus’ teaching on what to do to go to heaven. Especially the Evangelicals.

Martin Luther
The doctrine of our opponents is similar to that of the false apostles in Paul’s day.Our opponents teach, "If you want to live unto God, you must live after the Law, for it is written, Do this and thou shalt live."Quoted from Project Wittenberg, Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, (1535) by Martin Luther, Chapter 2 v 19iclnet.org/pub/resources/…b/gal2-17.html**NAB MAT 19:16
“Teacher, what good must I do to possess everlasting life?” He answered, “Why do you question me about what is good? There is One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” NAB DEU 30:15 The Choice before Israel.
“Here then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy.”​
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.”
 
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