What would you call this experience?

[MelanieDN]

My husband was raised Catholic, but he never heard and responded to the gospel. Mass was boring to him. Then he was ‘born again’ in a Protestant church. His life was totally changed from that point forward; he experienced the new creation. Now, he had been both baptized and confirmed in the Catholic church, and I understand that baptism is regenerative. But his experience of the life changing grace of God did not happen until he left the Church. Catholics object to the idea that he was ‘saved’ at that point in the Protestant church, but what would you call it? Something happened.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

What happened is that he finally met Jesus as the person that He is. Up to that point his relationship with Jesus was not personal. He thought of Him in the third person—over there. His Protestant experience introduced him to the Jesus as a person. He had truly been baptized into Christ, but he still didn’t know Him. He only knew ABOUT Him.

Salvation is a process that is only complete when we meet the Lord at the end of our life. Up to that point we are still free to turn our backs on Him. I encourage you to read “The Salvation Controversy” by Jimmy Akin, available through the Catholic Answers Shop.

And also check our tract on the subject:

• Assurance of Salvation

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.