Featured Catholicism is not compatible with Christianity

What does it mean to believe. I believed all the facts. As I said before: I could recite them both in Latin and in English. I believed. But what does that mean? What does it mean "to believe"?

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

I believe that if any one have hope in the name of Jesus Christ, they are saved, however, being edified in the knowledge of Him in being His disciples to be free of sin and religious works that deny Him, is the race all saved believers are to run by faith in Jesus as their Good Shepherd.

John 6: 30 As he spake these words, many believed on him. 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

 

The RCC teaches that you can only believe the Bible as the Catechism interprets it or as the priest interprets it for you. One may not have his own interpretation. Therefore whatever my belief was it was not my own. It had to be "according to the RCC." But the RCC preaches a false gospel; it is a gospel of works. How then could I possibly be saved? Facts are there. But a mere assimilation of facts does not save.
I believe that Tiberius was emperor at the time of Christ. History can verify that. But such intellectual knowledge will not save me. To believe the facts is one thing. To believe on him as Lord and Savior is quite another.

Thus I keep quoting this passage for you:
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

Well, a neighborhood girl next door was at that time of age for confirmation but she did not believe it was necessary. She was upset that there was an emphasis to do it, and so she was determined not to.

There is such a thing as cafeteria catholics. They do not believe everything that catholicism teaches them. The RCC may tell catholics to read their Bibles, but rely on them to tell them how to interpret it, but really? How many would go to the RCC about something they had just read to get their official interpretation of those passages?

Indeed, if someone was religious to compare everything they had read in the KJV with the RCC, they would find that they do not have an interpretation for everything written in the Bible, in spite of how long the RCC has been around, and so God may be waking some Catholics up to just believe in Him and depart from catholicism to show that faith in Him.

I accept that the RCC is preaching a false gospel, but so is Billy Graham. The RCC and Billy Graham may mention the Good News, but like the RCC with catholicism, Billy Graham gives an altar call that is the very opposite of the gospel message he had preached. It goes like this:

"If you are not sure you are saved, come forward and make a commitment to follow Christ." ~ Billy Graham

Really? Is that how any saved believer can get the assurance of their salvation by trying to keep their commitment to follow Christ? No, it is not.

And yet the altar call goes against what Billy Graham had preached which was "it is not by keeping the ten commandments is how you are saved. It is not by going to church every Sunday is how you are saved. It is by all those that call upon the name of the Lord that shall be saved."

So the altar call to get that assurance of salvation by keeping that commitment to follow Christ means... keeping more than the ten commandments because what Jesus taught is higher than the works of the law and going to church every Sunday.

So even Protestant can get tricked into laboring in unbelief if they think keeping that commitment to follow Christ is how they can be saved or kept saved.

Jesus has set me free from my commitment and my promises to rest in Him and His promises to me as my Good Shepherd to help me to follow Him thereby getting to know Him & the power of His resurrection as I see myself following Him because I out my trust in Him to finish His work in me which is to His glory at the Marriage Supper.

Where the Catholic is in God's eye ... the Lord knows. Let's trust Him to lead us to share that which He wants them to know to set them free to rest in Him.

 

Actually, if you mean our Lord's time on earth........No it can't.

Just as well.

 

What a mess! Clean it up perhaps? Your paragraph sounds as if one needs to believe in Nero as lord and savior. That aside, it seems you are coming closer to the truth that belief is not mere assent to facts, and that you're beginning to understand that true faith is not innate.

I'm cautiously optimistic but frankly await for you to ruin my optimism with more of your erroneous teachings and misinterpretations.

I hope the kitchen hasn't gotten too hot for you, after all, remember, this is a debate forum.

 

Mere consent to the facts will not save, not even mere consent to the right facts. I had that right in the RCC. Jesus died and was buried and rose again. True. I knew that and believed that in the RCC.

What is different now? The gospel is not preached or presented in the Catholic Church. I can hear those same facts in a literature class at some secular university and still not hear "the gospel."

When those facts are presented in such a way that they are "personalized," that is that Christ died for you, and that you are the one that is a sinner in need of a Savior, then the message becomes far more meaningful. The RCC teaches that sin is forgiven by a Catholic priest as one is directed to go to confession on a regular basis, not by believing the gospel. There is a great difference here. Thus Christ is not actually portrayed as a Savior who forgives sins. The priest forgives sins in the place of Christ.

Christ must be presented apart from the Catholic Church, for the RCC cannot save. It does not preach the gospel. Its message opposes the gospel.

 

If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and that God raised Him from the dead, if you believe in those facts, His words says you are saved. A sinner that is already condemned would never believe that, because he loves the sin rather than come to the light to be reproved of them. John 3:18-21 testifies that it is a work of God for any one to believe in Him.

John 1:12-13 shows how even believing in His name is how God can save them too. Why? Because they want to believe. They may not understand everything, but they want to believe in God to save them.

So He will have mercy on those whom He will have mercy and compassion on those whom He will have compassion.

That also means if a saved believer no loner believes in Him or become foolish enough to sow to the flesh in reaping corruption and thus incur the condemnation of a physical death, they are still His, but because of the iniquity, ( Titus 1:16 ) they will be denied attendence to the Marriage Supper ( 2 Timothy 2:11-12 & 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ) but even if they believe not any more, He still abides ( 2 Timothy 2:13 ) which is why the call is given out to even former believers to go before that throne of grace for help and discernment to depart from iniquity so they can be received as a vessel unto honor in His House to attend the Marriage Supper ( 1 Peter 4:17 & 2 Timothy 2:18-19 ) as the Lord will lose nothing of all the Father has given Him ( John 6:39 ) and that is why there will be vessels unto dishonor in His House that did not depart from iniquity, but will have to be received later on after the great tribulation ( 2 Timothy 2:20-21 & 1 Peter 4:18-19 )

1 Corinthians 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

I do not believe that there is a mature believer that knows everything; not even me. Since it is on God to cause the increase, we need His help to dial back edifying others especially when it is at their expense by citing something that can be true of any one, even yourself. And why put down others if God has not caused the increase yet? The one on the side of truth is not helping Him by pointing out someone else's inability to see the truth. It would not help you nor motivate you to listen so don't do that. You can only lean on Him to share that which He wants you to share so that the other may consider what you are sharing in Christ's love.

Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

2 Corinthians 12:19 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. 20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: 21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

If a discussion becomes a debate, then it is about winning an argument, and usually, the opponent still will not agree and thus not allowing Him to minister.

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

If we see a believer as the least of the brethren, may He remind us that we are still seeing Him.

Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 

According to His words, then you were saved back then, even though you were in the RCC that was denying the end of that promise for believing in those "facts" about Him which is what catholicism does; mislead a saved believer into coming short of that rest in Him by laboring in unbelief and even though at risk of being left behind at the pre trib rapture event when the Bridegroom comes, that believer is still His and shall be received later on after the great tribulation.

Let's say that a sinner heard only those facts that led you to believe in Him, and nothing else about Him his entire life: is he still saved? I would say yes. So then the foundation had been laid for you by Chrust Jesus, but the RCC was capitalizing on it by building works that deny that foundation having been laid for believing in those facts about Christ and so in that sense, you had heard the gospel and believed, but you had trouble in keeping to hear that gospel after all that garbage was thrown on top of it, but you had heard the gospel, and had gotten saved, even though the RCC labored to make you forget the end result of hearing that gospel that you had been saved so you can be a slave to the church.

The difference now is that you have been set free to be His disciple instead of being a saved believer in being misled into being a disciple of the RCC.

His disciples are instructed to teach saved believers in the knowledge of Him as their Good Shepherd in how He will be personal to them in helping them to be free from sin and from enslavement to a religious system in living as His disciple. That is how we get to know Him and the power of His resurrection when we live this reconciled relationship with God through Jesus Christ rather than through a system in a church.

John 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him. 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

It's kind of like talking out of both sides of their mouths. They say the gospel but emphasis is on catholicism and so you don't believe the end result of believing those facts that His words says you are saved.

Think about this. You knew the gospel, but did not believe the end result of it. Now if a person kept coming to you preaching the gospel, what would happen since you already knew about "that"? Nothing? So what did it take? Taking what you had heard about the gospel to expose catholicism as being contrary to the gospel that you had heard, but of course, Jesus had to help you see the truth in His words to discern that.

Hebrews 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Catholicism makes saved believers dull of hearing, and so if you had to preach to those in catholicism, you could not just say the gospel, but use the light of the gospel to expose the darkness of catholicism in Christ's love, relying on God to cause the increase.

Otherwise, just saying the gospel that they have heard will just go in one ear and out the other because the works of catholicism dulls their hearing. They believe... but.... and it is that "but" He has to contend with in order to set saved believers free in living as His disciples.

 

Again, simple consent to the facts or intellectual knowledge does not make one saved. The devil had that.
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
--I was just as saved as one of those demons. According to your logic they were "more saved" than I for they know more of the Bible than I knew at that time. Your logic is ridiculous.

Again, see the demons' knowledge of Christ:
Matthew 8:28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
--They knew who Jesus was, the Son of God--deity.
--They knew he was coming again.
--They knew he was coming again in judgment! "the time."

That is more than I knew. I did not know anything of the judgement of angels or demons in the RCC.
--Knowledge doesn't save.

I have some knowledge of accounting but it doesn't make me an accountant.
I have some knowledge of math but it doesn't make me a mathematician.
I have some knowledge of biology but it doesn't make me a biologist.
I have some knowledge of chemistry but it doesn't make me a chemist.
I had some knowledge of Christianity but it didn't make me a Christian.

No. Facts don't save. Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship. If you do not have a relationship with Christ you are not saved no matter how many facts you have learned about him.

But what did I believe.
The gospel saves; the RCC says that it saves.
Christ forgives sins; the RCC says the priest forgives sins.
The new birth is from the Spirit of God; the RCC says the new birth is wrought by baptism.
Salvation is all of God; the RCC says that salvation is all of the RCC and keeping its sacraments.
The authority of the Christian is the Bible; the authority for the Catholic is the Catechism.
The basis of salvation is Christ's work on the cross received through grace by faith; the basis of salvation in the RCC is works.

There is no true gospel in the RCC, but a religion that is in direct conflict with the gospel of the Bible.
There came a point in my life where I laid my Bible side by side with the Catholic teachings and asked myself what are you going to follow? The teachings of man, or the teachings of God. Thankfully I took the path of the teachings of God.

 

It is appointed unto man that once they die, then comes judgment.

The devils cannot be redeemed because they have already been judged. The lake of fire was prepared for them and the judgment cannot be rescinded, and I believe they are in such a fallen state that they care not to be redeemed or return to God to be with God and all that is good at all.

Was James addressing believers about believing in Jesus Christ to be saved? No. James was talking about how they believed in One God as if that justifies them for mistreating the poor the way they had been. They were even verbalizing their faith in God to provide for the poor in "be warm and be filled" just to get out of helping the poor from the bounty collected after church service. All of their lip service were like that which is why James was rebuking them in that manner. Their actions do not align with their words nor their faith in His Providence to the poor when they are unwilling to lead by example by applying faith that God will provide for the church tomorrow by giving to the poor in immediate need today. It was in the eyes of the poor that the church's faith in God's Providence was dead which is why the church's faith in God's Providence will not "profit" the poor nor "save" the poor when the church fails to lead by example.

So James was not saying that those believers were not saved, but rebuking them because they are saved as their words will not minister to anyone when they fail to lead by example which is why their faith in God's providence was dead in the eyes of the poor. James was rebuking them that by saying they believe in the One God is not going to excuse their actions any more than it did for the devils, but whereas the devil can never be redeemed, the saved believers can lose their first inheritance and get left behind at the pre trib rapture event for not abiding in Him.

There are vessels unto honor in His House that departed from iniquity with His help to attend the Marriage Supper just as there are vessels unto dishonor in His House by NOT departing from iniquity to be received later on after the great tribulation. ( 2 Timothy 2:19-21 )

So in that sense, just as the devils had received their condemnations, saved believers can receive a condemnation for living after the flesh by being denied their first inheritance to be received later on as a vessel unto dishonor. This is why God is wiping the tears from the eyes of those saints coming out of the great tribulation because they can never be that vessel unto honor in His House once the Bridegroom has come and gone.

But that's going into the overall picture of the reality we live in, but James was just rebuking the point that just because they "say" they believe in the One God, and then referring to the devils in how they had believed and have been judged, the saved believers will be judged by God in a severe way too, for mistreating the poor, as that will cost them their first inheritance, but those wayward saved believers will still be His.

Why? Because even though the prodigal son had given up his first inheritance for wild living, he is still son. That prodigal son can never get that first inheritance back, but he is still son; John 6:39

BTW; a believer can have faith; have that knowledge of the gospel, and still fall away. 1 Timothy 4;1-2 BUT they are still called brothers even though we are called to withdraw when they do not repent; 2 Thessalonians 3;1-7 & 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15

I am glad that you are no longer a disciple of the RCC, and although I may appear illogical, I am referring to John 1:12-13 on how those that even believe in His name are saved. It is up to His disciples to make disciples of other believers.

It is unfortunate that those that did believe in His name fell prey to the RCC in making disciples out of them.

 

That wasn't the point. The point was:
They have faith. They have knowledge. But they don't have salvation.
I believed. I had knowledge. And like the demons, I didn't have salvation.
Realize this: Salvation does not come through a religion but rather a relationship.

This is not true. The theme of James book is practical Christian living. No Christian can lose his salvation. No Christian will be left behind in the rapture. Perhaps you have been influenced too much be the RCC.

You are very confused. No believer will ever lose his inheritance. Some may lose their reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1Cor.3:11-15). But none will ever lose their inheritance.

Saved believer? Is there such a thing as an unsaved believer?

Of course a believer can have faith. Everyone has faith. But what is the object of their faith. In the RCC the object of the Catholic's faith is the Church itself, and not Christ Himself. I keep explaining that to you. One may have the facts about Christ, but if his faith is directed toward the Church and not to Christ there is no possible way that he can be saved.

You are bifurcating unnecessarily between believer and disciple.
An obedient believer will be a disciple.
It is impossible to be an obedient believer in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church does not preach the truth.

 

Actually, in spite of the knowledge that they believed even in His name, they did not continue to have that faith, because doing the works of catholicism voided that faith in Him.

Not true. The demons cannot die, but can only be sentenced to the second death, and so they are unlike you, because now is the time of salvation before you as among the living, dies, to receive judgment in the eternal.

Let's examine how a person is saved even for believing in His name and examine how a person is NOT saved for not believing in His name..

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

I read His words as saying that because the sinner loves his evil deeds rather than come to the light to believe in Him to be reproved of their evil deeds, he would not even believe in His name, because our even believing in His name is a work of God Himself.

Does not the Father draw all men unto the Son ( John 6:44 ) ? Is it not the Father that reveal His Son to sinners so they can believe even in His name? Matthew 11:25-27

So our believing in Him, even in His name is a work of God Himself as John 3:18-21 testifies that He would not even bother drawing sinners that loves their evil deeds rather than come to Him so thus He will not draw them to the Son to enable them to believe in Him, even in His name.

Not every saved believer after having been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ will continue to live that reconciled relationship with Jesus Christ, even though He still abides in them.

I agree with you on this that James was talking about practical Christian living and not about faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Some will misapply James words to be about salvation and that works is necessary to accompany faith to be saved whereas James was only talking about one kind of faith and not the saving faith in Jesus Christ. James was saying that if any believer verbalize their faith in God's Providence, then they should lead by example whereas that church James was correcting, was verbalizing faith in God's Providence to provide for the poor so they can get out of helping the poor when they had means to meet their immediate needs from the bounty collected after church service. The church was also disrespecting the poor in other ways.

I believe that no one can lose their salvation too, because of John 6:39, but not every saved believer will be found abiding in Him as His disciple to be received as a vessel unto honor in His House.

This has nothing to do with the RCC, but everything to do with scripture.

The first inheritance is to be received as a vessel unto honor in His House to attend the Marriage Supper; and so any saved believer not looking to Him for help to depart from iniquity, can run the risk of being left behind. Paul said this was a possibility and not just the loss of rewards of crowns in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 by becoming a castaway.

There is such a thing as a saved believer not found abiding in Him as His disciple, and thus becoming a castaway to be received later on as a vessel unto honor in His House after the great tribulation.

This is the cost of not trusting Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd in helping us to follow Him as His disciple.

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Luke 12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. 41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

So a saved believer can be punished for not being ready. Do note how even cut asunder, the servant is still His servant, but receiving stripes.

I am saying that even by believing in His name as that is the work of God Himself, they are saved, BUT because of the works of catholicism, they are building on that foundation, works that deny Him that the foundation has been laid even though it still was laid.

If you read 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 , you will find how God will judge every believer in that day when He will judge His House first ( 1 Peter 4:17 ) whereas even if they only built wood, stubble, and hay, works of iniquity that defiled the temple of God, ( that temple being their body 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ) they will suffer the punishment of a physical death, but they will still be saved 1 Corinthians 3:15 & Revelation 2:21-23.

A trusting believer depending on Jesus Christ as his or her personal Good Shepherd will be His disciple.

It is because the Catholic Church does not preach the truth is why saved believers are having a hard time trusting Jesus no only as their Saviour that the are saved for simply believing in Him but also as trusting Him as their Good Shepherd in helping them to follow Him personally.

As long as the Catholics believe God placed RCC on earth to serve in the place of Christ, they will always be the disciple of the RCC in following the RCC.

 

Either a person has faith in the name of Christ and is saved or he doesn't. There is no in-between position. One is saved or not. Jesus put it quite clearly:

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
If one believes he shall be saved.
If one believes not he shall be damned.

It is that simple. If I had died while still a member of the RCC I would have died and gone to Hell as an unbeliever because I did not believe, for believe is an action word. It is more than just intellectualism. The belief that Jesus speaks of is the one who actually will put his faith and trust in the person of Jesus Christ and trust Him to do a work of grace in His love; to change Him completely. That never happened in the RCC. I believed the facts and that is all.
Christianity is more than facts. It is a relationship.

 

Please reread post # 173 again as I had to edit that post due to a quoting error so you can see my reply in full better. Sorry for my poor posting.

Also, here is a link to another new thread on "Why Jesus Said, "I Never Knew You?"

http://www.baptistboard.com/threads/why-jesus-said-i-never-knew-you.98181/#post-2204789

I think you will find how a reconciled relationship on His end is still intact even though the believer going astray is not "abiding" in Him as they ought to, but they can still repent before the Bridegroom comes.

 

Hi folks. I'm Catholic. Laugh

I'm not familiar with governing bodies of Baptists, best I found was southern Baptist convention and Converge. http://www.sbc.net/resolutions/964/resolution-on-southern-baptists-and-roman-catholics

They say we are Christians. With some of the misrepresentations given on this thread........ Even I went outside and threw a tomato at myself!Roflmao

In the Bible we Catholics have a parable called The GOOD SAMARITAN, So I'm a bit shocked to expect to hear the parable of The Damned Samaritan.

As a Catholic my priority is the direct command of Jesus whom I love and believe. #1 priority is GOOD WORKS namely LOVING GOD, Love neighbor.

Now some concerned brothers and sisters may suggest that LOVING GOD won't save me, won't earn salvation. Jesus isn't even going to give me a gift certificate to burger king.

To that I say, I love you my brothers and sisters FOR ABSOLUTELY FREE. And I love Jesus for absolutely free. God could offer me salvation, all the kingdoms, the entire cosmos, No, I love my Father for ABSOLUTELY FREE. In fact I'm ready to give to God in gratitude so I may love God. I give my heart and soul even my most treasured Jesus Christ.

I am not SALVATION FIRST. Not even on my radar. I trust God, He can give me salvation because the sky is blue. My love of God comes first. I follow Christ. I'm too busy loving God to focus solely on my life, eternal or not.

Matthew 16
24Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.

 

I am so gladdened by your enthusiasm! I certainly hope that you don't commit a mortal sin and undo all the work of Calvary or it's curtains for you according to the RCC. Good luck.

 

Hi Internet Theologian,

The Catholic Church does not teach that any person is capable of "undo(ing) all the work of Calvary".

Does your understanding of theology actually believe that is possible?

Let us pray for one another and love one another.

Ray

 

Thanks for sharing your love for Christ and for others, but I hope you know that He loved you first before you loved Him. In fact, you could not love Him unless He had loved you first.

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Anyway.. may I ask you two questions?

Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Do you believe that God raised Him from the dead?

If you answer "Yes" to both of those questions, He promised you that you are saved. FYI

Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

You having His love to love Him and others ought to be proof to you that you are saved as Christ Jesus is in you as promised for believing in Him.

A lot of the rudiments of the world has crept into the RCC down through the years ( and the Protestant churches are not exempt either ) and so you need to trust Him as your Good Shepherd to discern what is not of Him by the King James Version to see the need to leave its works of catholicism behind.

John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

 

I hope you will enjoy the truth in this song.