“On the other hand, when a Protestant minister becomes Catholic, as have Scott Hahn, Marcus Grodi, Dwight Longenecker, and hundreds of others, “he never really knew Christ to begin with” (quoting one Protestant FReeper).”
Men don’t slip in and out of regeneration.
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
—1 John 2:19
“The Protestant world is evidently full of such men: ordained, leading churches, yet, in their hearts, not saved at all. This is a serious problem. How do you propose to fix it?”
We are told there would be tares among the wheat and we are warned of wolves in sheep’s clothing. Knowing that should eliminate all forms of popery. We can’t merely trust the teaching of men. We must be Bereans (Acts 17) and prove that what we are taught is so. The true church, all born again believers, must remain grounded in the Word and repent of sin in their lives and in their congregations. We must be serious about biblical worship. If we were we would repent of all the blasphemy and idolatry in Protestant/ Evangelical churches today.
Being led astray by a false teacher is an awful thing, but each individual is responsible for listening and being misled. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” (2 Timothy 4:3)
Today’s church world is little different than Israel in Jeremiah’s day: “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (Jeremiah 5:31) People being misled by false teachers love to have it so.
There wil come a day when The Lord will separate the wheat from the tares. False teachers will hear the horrible words, “I never knew you. Depart from me ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7) In the end we can rest easy because we know all who were been given by the Father to the Son (the elect) will be saved. (John 6:37)