As a Catholic I am terrified of the prospect of winding up in Hell. Mortal sin is just what it means & can be committed by the merest thought, never mind the deed.
But no prayer that I have offered up to my Savior has gone unanswered. I know that my Redeemer liveth.
John writes in John 20:31
but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Paul writes in Ephesians 1:13-14
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Paul also writes in Romans 8:15-17
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
If, as these writers have written, you believe Jesus has died for your sins, those sins are forgiven.
If you've believe in Him you've been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. There is nothing in the NT to indicate you can unseal yourself of that God will unseal those who believe in His Son.
The word pledge in Ephesians above is an accounting term meaning earnest money....the Holy Spirit is a downpayment on our future inheritance.
Paul notes we're adopted.....in his day if a child was wanted the family assumed all liabilities of the child. If we believe in Christ, we've been adopted into His family....and He has assumed all of our liabilities. Members of the family do not need to be terrified of their Father in Heaven.
My prayer for you is to find the comfort and peace and joy of being a member of the family of God.
“As a Catholic I am terrified of the prospect of winding up in Hell. Mortal sin is just what it means & can be committed by the merest thought, never mind the deed.”
Life’s hard enough without having to worry about hell. There’s a book, “Return from Tomorrow”, by George Ritchie. A good read!