What must a person do to be saved?

[LegoGE1947]

Jesus did not promise it would be easy.

Whole lots of modern preachers have said it would. And that if you were “blessed by God” you’d have lots of good stuff. (Prosperity, so called)

 

[thistle]

Whole** lots of modern preachers have said it would**. And that if you were “blessed by God” you’d have lots of good stuff. (Prosperity, so called)

These are not Catholic priests or even mainstream non-Catholic Christians. They are these money grabbing fake tv ministers.

 

[LegoGE1947]

These are not Catholic priests or even mainstream non-Catholic Christians. They are these money grabbing fake tv ministers.

Some of these money grabbing ministers are not on TV but are local pastors who subscribe to this “prosperity” gospel. I would know this because I used to attend a couple local non-Catholic assemblies like this.

 

[fallow_spirit]

Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification, I’ll try and do more research and get a better grasp on that.

Yes, it is confusing, practically I don’t see how what you said really makes any difference. They still believe complete sanctification will always occur after you have been truly justified, just that sanctification takes a bit longer, instead of being instantaneous.

 

[SPH1]

What must a person do to be saved? That’s a trick question because there is nothing a person can do to be saved. Salvation is initially an act of God’s grace, without which one can do nothing like a car without gas cannot go anywhere.

After grace, be in the Holy Catholic Church, outside of which everyone is on an indirect - and uncertain - path to God.

 

[LegoGE1947]

Yes, it is confusing, practically I don’t see how what you said really makes any difference. They still believe complete sanctification will always occur after you have been truly justified, just that sanctification takes a bit longer, instead of being instantaneous.

What about the imaginary weight gain you get after eating the imaginary cookie?

 

[Raptureme]

Romans 10:9

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

 

[FathersKnowBest]

Jesus did not promise it would be easy.

True dat.
It’s simple, but not easy.

In fact, it’s humanly impossible.

Thank God that He has provided us with divine help through the Holy Spirit and the Sacraments.

In Christ, all things are possible.

 

[Bobby_Pandaram]

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.

John 3:16
For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON that whosoever believeth in HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Dear Christseeker,

I am so glad that you seek Christ and seeking Christ is the best way to salvation. I have quoted the most quoted bible verse in the world and I must say this - it is still relevant. I could say a lot but the only condition is that you believe in CHRIST.

Now if you look the handle you go by. Remember, if you seek, you shall find. But why do you seek CHRIST because you already know who you seek - just believe when you call upon HIS name.

it starts there

May GOD bless you

 

[Bobby_Pandaram]

What must a person do to be saved? That’s a trick question because there is nothing a person can do to be saved. Salvation is initially an act of God’s grace, without which one can do nothing like a car without gas cannot go anywhere.

After grace, be in the Holy Catholic Church, outside of which everyone is on an indirect - and uncertain - path to God.

Actually give John 3:16 a try

the doing word (verb) is to believe

 

[Freekevio]

Salvation is a free Gift from our beautiful Lord Jesus.

He is our advocate against the fallen accuser.
But all we need to do is believe that Jesus is Lord, repent and be baptised (reborn) and you are guaranteed a place in Heaven.

Salvation is though a 3 stage process.

Justification by the Blood of Jesus
Sanctification by the Holy Spirit working in us with our cooperation
Glorification when we are readied by God to enter Heaven

But the first stage Justification is enough. People who die having just met our God are saved for example.
Stay Blessed People

 

[FathersKnowBest]

Romans 10:9

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Careful here. Don’t take things out of context.

I certainly affirm what St. Paul is saying here; however I can’t affirm (in fact I deny) what you seem to think about what this means.

If you think that a simple “sinner’s prayer,” even heartfelt at the time, will ensure your salvation, that is NOT what St. Paul means. This would contradict MANY other scriptural passages.

Look up, for instance:
Rom 2:5-8 - God will repay each man according to his works
2 Cor 5:10 - recompense accord to what did in body
2 Cor 11:15 - false apostles’ end will correspond to their deeds
1 Pet 1:17 - God judges impartially according to one’s works
Rev 20:12-13 - dead judged according to their deeds
Col 3:24-25 - will receive due payment for whatever you do
Mt 24:13 - those who persevere to the end will be saved
Rom 11:22 - remain in his kindness or you will be cut off
Phil 2:12 - work out your salvation in fear and trembling
1 Cor 9:27 - drive body for fear of being disqualified
1 Cor 10:11-12 - those thinking they are secure, may fall
Gal 5:4 - separated from Christ, you’ve fallen from grace
2 Tim 2:11-13 - must hold out to end to reign with Christ
Heb 6:4-6 - describes sharers in Holy Spirit who then fall away
Heb 10:26-27 - if sin after receiving truth, judgment remains

… and many, many more.

So, what are we to make of this passage?

Let me quote from Tim Staples’ article in This Rock:

But what about Romans 10:9-10? Doesn’t the Bible say if you believe in your heart and confess Jesus with your mouth you shall be saved? Yes it does, but that doesn’t mean we need only confess faith in Christ one time. The Bible uses the same Greek word for confess, homologeitai, in multiple places and emphasizes we must continue to confess Christ if we are going to be finally saved. For example, in Matthew 10:22, 32 Jesus says, “You will be hated by all because of my name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved… . . Therefore everyone who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my father who is in heaven. . . .” (NAB). The context here is one of holding fast to our confession until death (see also 2 Tm 2:12 and Heb 4:14; 10:23-26).

Finally, confessing Christ is done not only in word, but also in deed: “If any one does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tm 5:8).

Notice, the man who neglects his family for selfish pursuits denies Christ in his actions. And as we have seen, the Bible records in many places extensive lists of sins whereby we can deny Christ, such as 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Scripture never says the saved can do these things and still go to heaven.

 

[FathersKnowBest]

Actually give John 3:16 a try

the doing word (verb) is to believe

The word here for believe, pisteuo, means more than a single confession.

It implies commiting yourself to Jesus as well, putting your trust in Him, and, yes, obeying Him.

The RSV translation shows how “believe” in this context can be the opposite of “disobey”:
Joh 3:36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.

Check out Steve Ray’s essay on this passage:
Does John 3:16 Teach Eternal Security Through Faith Alone?

 

[Freekevio]

Careful here. Don’t take things out of context.

I certainly affirm what St. Paul is saying here; however I can’t affirm (in fact I deny) what you seem to think about what this means.

If you think that a simple “sinner’s prayer,” even heartfelt at the time, will ensure your salvation, that is NOT what St. Paul means. This would contradict MANY other scriptural passages.

Look up, for instance:
Rom 2:5-8 - God will repay each man according to his works
2 Cor 5:10 - recompense accord to what did in body
2 Cor 11:15 - false apostles’ end will correspond to their deeds
1 Pet 1:17 - God judges impartially according to one’s works
Rev 20:12-13 - dead judged according to their deeds
Col 3:24-25 - will receive due payment for whatever you do
Mt 24:13 - those who persevere to the end will be saved
Rom 11:22 - remain in his kindness or you will be cut off
Phil 2:12 - work out your salvation in fear and trembling
1 Cor 9:27 - drive body for fear of being disqualified
1 Cor 10:11-12 - those thinking they are secure, may fall
Gal 5:4 - separated from Christ, you’ve fallen from grace
2 Tim 2:11-13 - must hold out to end to reign with Christ
Heb 6:4-6 - describes sharers in Holy Spirit who then fall away
Heb 10:26-27 - if sin after receiving truth, judgment remains

… and many, many more.

So, what are we to make of this passage?

Let me quote from Tim Staples’ article in This Rock:

Forgive me Father, I never meant to suggest that one need only confess that Jesus is Lord once only but to continue believing this until we go home

 

[Bobby_Pandaram]

The word here for believe, pisteuo, means more than a single confession.

It implies commiting yourself to Jesus as well, putting your trust in Him, and, yes, obeying Him.

The RSV translation shows how “believe” in this context can be the opposite of “disobey”:
Joh 3:36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.

Check out Steve Ray’s essay on this passage:
Does John 3:16 Teach Eternal Security Through Faith Alone?

I can’t fault that - the only reason I drew attention to the believe is simply answering the question - what must a person do… once we believe, the GOD by HIS grace and mercy and love does the rest.

 

[FathersKnowBest]

Salvation is a free Gift from our beautiful Lord Jesus.

He is our advocate against the fallen accuser.
But all we need to do is believe that Jesus is Lord, repent and be baptised (reborn) and you are guaranteed a place in Heaven.

Yes.

PROVIDED you remain steadfast in the Faith.

Col 1:21 And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him,
23 provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

But the first stage Justification is enough. People who die having just met our God are saved for example.

Yes, just so long as they haven’t committed a mortal sin in the interim which was not repented of and, if the possibility was presented, confessed.

 

[Freekevio]

Yes.

PROVIDED you remain steadfast in the Faith.

Yes, just so long as they haven’t committed a mortal sin in the interim which was not repented of and, if the possibility was presented, confessed.

There is only 1 mortal sin and that is to Blaspheme against the Holy Spirit according to Jesus. That is the only one which cannot be repented of and is therefore by definition mortal

 

[SHJIHM]

Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification, I’ll try and do more research and get a better grasp on that.

Actually you had it correct. I have never had a discussion with a Protestant that explained OSAS, as this Protestant did. I have met Protestants who insisted that as a Catholic I am not saved and I must recite a certain prayer to be truly saved. I have met many Protestants who do not consider me a Christian at all for being Catholic. My point being is that here we have yet another interpretation of OSAS. Protestants can not agree amongst themselves, which is why there are over 30,000 different sects of Protestants.

The Catholic Church has preached the same message for over 2000 years.

 

[Judas_Thaddeus]

Well Step One is to believe in your heart and confess with
your mouth that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the Living God
(not to mention God Himself, the I AM).

Another crucial point is being part of the community/assembly of Christ,
the Church,the Roman Catholic Church,and abide to Catholic practices.
It isn’t enough to just believe, but live the belief, unless belief comes at
the last moment like with the thief on the cross next to Jesus. It’s also
handy to have the FULL and HOLY Bible, not a protestant part-bible.

See Videos:youtube.com/watch?v=MZ5tEzXxSvs (short)
youtube.com/watch?v=Q_KUe-DdhAA (long)
Other Helpful Videos on what a Catholic Christian believes in:

Bible: ** Catholic VS Protestant Bible **

 **                 [     Catholic Bible vs. Protestant Bible   ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjvXbotd9Lw)**

Mary and Saints:** Why do Catholics pray to Mary **

** Why Do Catholics Pray to Saints? **

Do Catholics Worship Mary?

Purgatory:
** Purgatory Explained **

 

[Freekevio]

Peter was the stone, Jesus was the rock in the original Greek.
All the disciples founded Churches 500 of them to begin with,

Jesus said 2 or 3 people gathered in my name are a Church.
Jesus also ended religion when he not only kicked out the money lenders but the sacrificial animals too.

He also by his blood rent the curtain in 2 - interestingly from top to bottom - in the Holy of Holies thereby opening the way to Heaven for us without any mediator for a direct personal two way relationship with God.

I hope you hear him personally too