What must a person do to be saved?

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Hi,

I am a new seeker of God. I have a fundamental belief (I’m pretty sure). However, I am not affiliated with any denomination – not Catholic or Protestant. I am genuinely curious to know what a Catholic Christian believes a person needs to do to be saved/go to Heaven after life on this earth?

Thank you for replies.
 
Welcome Seeking,

Its pretty simple I think. We believe what Christ told us the answer to this question through His conversation with the rich young ruler, when the ruler asked the same question you ask. Jesus said, obey the Commandments and follow me. He specifically told the ruler to sell everything first and follow Christ in His mission. We interpret that to define what it really means to make Christ ones Lord and savior. We must be willing to give up our lives in love for Christ our Lord and follow His will. And His will does include following His moral Code, the 10 commandments, as well to hearing His direction for our lives through the discernment of the Holy Spirit’s urgings. This all presupposes a faith in Christ as God and savior. But faith does NOT just mean belief in Christ as God, but rather faithfulness. The Sacraments, devotions and disciplines are all intended to give us the grace to be obedient to Gods will. We may not necessarily be sinless, but with Gods grace, we will continue to seek holiness. And lastly , we believe the Bible when it says . nothing holy will enter heaven. And “holy” does not just mean an “imputed” holiness through Christs death and resurrection, but our own actual holiness merited through Christs grace flowing through us from the sacraments, our prayers and reading of scripture. While we may not be perfectly holy while on earth, we do believe in the ancient belief in a period after death where we are cleansed of all our sins to make us truly holy for heaven. Purgatory is the place where that cleaning happens to people who will go to heaven but are not quite cleansed of all their unholy ways, so that we may become holy as the Christ commands us to be holy to enter heaven. We object to the notion that those who live a sinful life un repentant manner, even if they profess their faith and discipleship of Christ, will have eternal life.
 
Mark 16:16.
Matthew 10:22
Romans 11:16-23
Romans 8:24
1 Corinthians 9:24
1 Corinthians 13:13
2 Corinthians 5:20
James 5:16

…and others.

First and foremost to understand is that we are NOT saved until and unless we are in heaven. To assume salvation while yet on earth risks committing the sin of presumption - putting God to the test.

As well, salvation is entirely dependent upon God’s grace, but we must cooperate with that grace. Salvation is also not a solitary task, but relies upon the prayers and support of fellow Christians.

Question: Why are you so concerned with salvation? I see this constantly among fundamentalists and evangelicals. In this regard, they seem never to be at peace. There is on-going preoccupation with both justification and salvation. It’s almost like God made salvation a mystery.

1.5 billion living Christians have the Sacraments, which are vias of God’s grace. We receive them and persevere, without preoccupation.
 
In response to hearing the Gospel – and repent, believe the Gospel and be baptized …

Repentance…Faith in Jesus the Son of God who was crucified and is risen…Baptism…

From the very beginning of the Church that has been the way to enter into “true life”. Becoming members of his Church (which yes subsists in the Catholic Church) – following Jesus as his disciple…remaining living in Christ…
 
Well the simple answer to that question, Jesus told us what we have to do.

Keep the commandments, love GOD above all and love your neighbor.

The more extended one is:

Be Baptized for through Baptism we enter in the Family of GOD. (Baptism Forgives all our sins and leaves an indeleble mark in our soul which is infused with the Holy Spirit)

Receive all the other sacraments that He left us.

Cultivate the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, Humility.
Of these the most important one is Charity (Love)

When we fall due to our sinfull nature use the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) which Jesus instituted to forgive our sin AFTER Baptism (We can only be baptized once)
Partake of Holy Communion because His flesh is food indeed for our soul.
Try to be a light to our fellow men/women so that they also be drawn to the life of Christ.

Hope I did not miss anything 🙂
 
JerryZ said:
Well the simple answer to that question, Jesus told us what we have to do.

Keep the commandments, love GOD above all and love your neighbor.

The more extended one is:

Be Baptized for through Baptism we enter in the Family of GOD. (Baptism Forgives all our sins and leaves an indeleble mark in our soul which is infused with the Holy Spirit)

Receive all the other sacraments that He left us.

Cultivate the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, Humility.
Of these the most important one is Charity (Love)

When we fall due to our sinfull nature use the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) which Jesus instituted to forgive our sin AFTER Baptism (We can only be baptized once)
Partake of Holy Communion because His flesh is food indeed for our soul.
Try to be a light to our fellow men/women so that they also be drawn to the life of Christ.

Hope I did not miss anything 🙂
Click to expand...
Live the Catholic life like you MEAN it:thumbsup: Or like Pope Francis said recently “make a mess!”😃
 
Hi Christseeker,

Firstly, welcome to CAF! Feel free to post anytime with questions about the Catholic faith.

The above posters gave some good answers, but since you are not Catholic and are new to the Christian faith, there is something VERY important you need to understand: the term “saved” carries different meanings in different Christian faiths. As a disclaimer, this concept is still new to me, so I may not have it completely right, and I invite CAF users to correct where they feel appropriate:

It centers around the distinction between Justification and Sanctification. Some Protestants hold that once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are both Justified and Sanctified at the same time and you cannot lose it.

Catholicism views Justification in this way, but not Sanctification. Although we merit sanctification through our actions and the sacraments, we can also lose it from mortal sin. So for a Catholic, salvation is a work in progress until we die and are judged. We HOPE for Heaven, but do not PRESUME on it.

So when you ask “Are you saved?” to a Catholic, we hear “Are you dead and in Heaven right now?”. Of course, we desire to be saved, but we are not actually saved until we make it to Heaven. But have we accepted Jesus suffering through Baptism and received it’s effects? (Justification) Yes, we have! That’s why answering the question “how does one become saved in the Catholic faith?” carries a complicated response, because “saved” carries different meanings for different faiths.

So in short, by choosing the word, “saved” you’ve stumbled on a big theological debate! I hope that helps and doesn’t confuse you more, but feel free to post with more questions if you have them!
 
The very short and simple answer is in order to be saved a person must respond in faith (that works of course 🙂 ) to the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ, given to us by his shed blood on the cross.
 
smichhertz said:
Hi Christseeker,

Firstly, welcome to CAF! Feel free to post anytime with questions about the Catholic faith.

The above posters gave some good answers, but since you are not Catholic and are new to the Christian faith, there is something VERY important you need to understand: the term “saved” carries different meanings in different Christian faiths. As a disclaimer, this concept is still new to me, so I may not have it completely right, and I invite CAF users to correct where they feel appropriate:

It centers around the distinction between Justification and Sanctification. Some Protestants hold that once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are both Justified and Sanctified at the same time and you cannot lose it.

Catholicism views Justification in this way, but not Sanctification. Although we merit sanctification through our actions and the sacraments, we can also lose it from mortal sin. So for a Catholic, salvation is a work in progress until we die and are judged. We HOPE for Heaven, but do not PRESUME on it.

So when you ask “Are you saved?” to a Catholic, we hear “Are you dead and in Heaven right now?”. Of course, we desire to be saved, but we are not actually saved until we make it to Heaven. But have we accepted Jesus suffering through Baptism and received it’s effects? (Justification) Yes, we have! That’s why answering the question “how does one become saved in the Catholic faith?” carries a complicated response, because “saved” carries different meanings for different faiths.

So in short, by choosing the word, “saved” you’ve stumbled on a big theological debate! I hope that helps and doesn’t confuse you more, but feel free to post with more questions if you have them!
Click to expand...
IDK if by ‘Protestants’ you are referring to us Once Saved Always Saved folk (I am using ‘us’ because I still attend a church that adheres to this doctrine with my family). But if you are, then I might just correct you that OSAS do not believe that a person is completely sanctified when they are accept Christ, but if an individual places true faith in Jesus then their sanctification is sort of an effect of their justification that is bound to happen. Sanctification is still viewed as a process that spans over the life-time of the Christian but still isn’t viewed in exactly the same way as Catholics view sanctification, since an evangelical would say since a person has already been justified, then they will be sanctified so we really shouldn’t worry if they live a good life or not, if they were truly justified then they will ultimately grow in Christ and live a life pleasing to God.
 
christseeker said:
Hi,

I am a new seeker of God. I have a fundamental belief (I’m pretty sure). However, I am not affiliated with any denomination – not Catholic or Protestant. I am genuinely curious to know what a Catholic Christian believes a person needs to do to be saved/go to Heaven after life on this earth?

Thank you for replies.
Click to expand...
Be baptised, Catholic, and die in a state of grace.
 
smichhertz said:
Hi Christseeker,

Firstly, welcome to CAF! Feel free to post anytime with questions about the Catholic faith.

The above posters gave some good answers, but since you are not Catholic and are new to the Christian faith, there is something VERY important you need to understand: the term “saved” carries different meanings in different Christian faiths. As a disclaimer, this concept is still new to me, so I may not have it completely right, and I invite CAF users to correct where they feel appropriate:

It centers around the distinction between Justification and Sanctification. Some Protestants hold that once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are both Justified and Sanctified at the same time and you cannot lose it.

Catholicism views Justification in this way, but not Sanctification. Although we merit sanctification through our actions and the sacraments, we can also lose it from mortal sin. So for a Catholic, salvation is a work in progress until we die and are judged. We HOPE for Heaven, but do not PRESUME on it.

So when you ask “Are you saved?” to a Catholic, we hear “Are you dead and in Heaven right now?”. Of course, we desire to be saved, but we are not actually saved until we make it to Heaven. But have we accepted Jesus suffering through Baptism and received it’s effects? (Justification) Yes, we have! That’s why answering the question “how does one become saved in the Catholic faith?” carries a complicated response, because “saved” carries different meanings for different faiths.

So in short, by choosing the word, “saved” you’ve stumbled on a big theological debate! I hope that helps and doesn’t confuse you more, but feel free to post with more questions if you have them!
Click to expand...
I had been wanting to ask the same Question the OP asked and now you have answered it for me. I want to sincerely thank you for this. Being raised Protestant I never really fit in and I was never saved as in their terms. Me and my Husband want to join the Catholic Faith. We feel very led to and we are going to be meeting with a local Priest about RCIA classes. Again Thank You! 🙂
 
JaguarKat said:
I had been wanting to ask the same Question the OP asked and now you have answered it for me. I want to sincerely thank you for this. Being raised Protestant I never really fit in and I was never saved as in their terms. Me and my Husband want to join the Catholic Faith. We feel very led to and we are going to be meeting with a local Priest about RCIA classes. Again Thank You! 🙂
Click to expand...
God Bless you, may the Holy Spirit continue to spur you to join the Church that Jesus founded.
The water is warm and the Eucharist is waiting for you. Plus all the other Sacraments are what our souls need.
We will be waiting for you. And if youy have any questions or doubts…ASK 😃
You will find the answer.
 
christseeker said:
Hi,

I am a new seeker of God. I have a fundamental belief (I’m pretty sure). However, I am not affiliated with any denomination – not Catholic or Protestant. I am genuinely curious to know what a Catholic Christian believes a person needs to do to be saved/go to Heaven after life on this earth?

Thank you for replies.
Click to expand...
To “be saved” (past tense) means that you arrived already into the Afterlife as a member of the Catholic Church, and without any stain of sin on your soul. 👍

To get to there from where you are, it’s not actually that difficult, although I guarantee it will take you your whole life. 🙂

First, you want to invite Jesus into your life and start praying. While you’re doing this you also want to join yourself to His Church, which He set up just for you, because He loves you and wants to give you the best of everything - and how you do that varies a little bit according to where you live. The first step for that is to contact a priest and he’ll get you going.

Once you have become joined to the Church (which normally takes about a year, although it can take two years) then you participate in the life of the Church according to your state in life and your abilities - this is not as complicated as it sounds - mainly it entails showing up; there is very little skill or work required.

You simply do that every day for the rest of your life, and if you persevere until the end, then you will be saved. 👍
 
JaguarKat said:
I had been wanting to ask the same Question the OP asked and now you have answered it for me. I want to sincerely thank you for this. Being raised Protestant I never really fit in and I was never saved as in their terms. Me and my Husband want to join the Catholic Faith. We feel very led to and we are going to be meeting with a local Priest about RCIA classes. Again Thank You! 🙂
Click to expand...
So glad I was able to help! Best of luck to you and your husband!
 
fallow_spirit said:
IDK if by ‘Protestants’ you are referring to us Once Saved Always Saved folk (I am using ‘us’ because I still attend a church that adheres to this doctrine with my family). But if you are, then I might just correct you that OSAS do not believe that a person is completely sanctified when they are accept Christ, but if an individual places true faith in Jesus then their sanctification is sort of an effect of their justification that is bound to happen. Sanctification is still viewed as a process that spans over the life-time of the Christian but still isn’t viewed in exactly the same way as Catholics view sanctification, since an evangelical would say since a person has already been justified, then they will be sanctified so we really shouldn’t worry if they live a good life or not, if they were truly justified then they will ultimately grow in Christ and live a life pleasing to God.
Click to expand...
Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification, I’ll try and do more research and get a better grasp on that.
 
christseeker said:
Hi,

I am a new seeker of God. I have a fundamental belief (I’m pretty sure). However, I am not affiliated with any denomination – not Catholic or Protestant. I am genuinely curious to know what a Catholic Christian believes a person needs to do to be saved/go to Heaven after life on this earth?

Thank you for replies.
Click to expand...
Welcome to CAF. The short version of the Catholic answer is very simple: Die in a state of Grace.

The ordinary method for achieving this is to be baptized, then to remain free of mortal sin (complete rejection of God), or (more likely) upon loosing the state of grace to be returned to it (again, ordinarily) through confession. God, of course, can bring people to a state of grace in other ways if He so chooses, but these are the ways that He instituted and that we are to rely on.

To expand: Baptism puts us in the state of grace. Mortal sin is the free, knowing, conscious decision that we value our own petty desires more than the Goodness and Truth that is God as expressed by freely and consciously choosing to do something we know to be gravely wrong. At this point we have thrown away God’s gift of grace and rejected His salvation.

Since we cannot restore this state of grace ourselves (we are incapable of saving ourselves), if we lose it, only God can restore it. This is why we have the sacrament of reconciliation, whereby the priest, standing in the person of Christ, absolves us of our sin and restores us to the state of grace.

Of course, while God will honor the sacraments as He has promised, He is not bound only to act within them.
 
JaguarKat said:
I had been wanting to ask the same Question the OP asked and now you have answered it for me. I want to sincerely thank you for this. Being raised Protestant I never really fit in and I was never saved as in their terms. Me and my Husband want to join the Catholic Faith. We feel very led to and we are going to be meeting with a local Priest about RCIA classes. Again Thank You! 🙂
Click to expand...
Good for you and your husband! 👍 So happy to hear you are coming “home”.
 
Thanks everyone for your well thought out responses. You’ve given me lots to read and consider. I will come back with questions.

Thanks!
 
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