Posted on 06/03/2011 7:29:16 PM PDT by Winstons Julia
I was raised Lutheran and have attended many churches. I was born-again in 2005. I was shocked to have a Catholic tell me that *we* aren't saved by grace alone ... but that we need to recharge our salvation with works.
Now ... it's not that I'm not charitable and kind. We all know the studies about Christians and charitable giving.
But *I'M* NOT saved by Grace? Are you kidding?
According to the book of James, faith without works is dead. But the works comes after salvation, not before. They are the fruit of our lives that demonstrates that we have been saved.
In Matthew 7 we see Jesus commenting on those who performed signs and wonders and did many works but yet He told them, “I never knew you, depart from Me.”
Jesus told Nicodemus that “you must be born again.” Salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it, only receive it gratefully by faith.
Once the Holy Spirit enters a person to live with him or her, there should be a change in that person’s life. Some change abruptly but with most it is a gradual change. Salvation is the gift of God, not by works, that none should boast.
Somehow I don’t believe this posting since that is not the Churches position.
The theology of the Church holds that Christ’s passion not only merited the forgiveness of sin, but also the gift of grace. Grace, wrought by the Holy Spirit, is a gift that heals the soul and sanctifies it. Sanctifying grace, the grace that communicates supernatural life into the soul, is received through the sacrament of Baptism. Baptism marks the beginning of justification by forgiving all personal and original sin as well as communicating sanctifying grace. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, a person receives supernatural disposition to live and act with God’s call.
http://www.saintaquinas.com/Justification_by_Grace.html
The fact is that Scripture teaches us that the Word is sufficiently sharp to discern spirit & soul, and the intents and thoughts.
The issue, one day, will prove to be that a great many christians are suddenly 'translated'. It won't be so much of an issue of the x-lation, but after we get over the initial shock and take stock of those amongst ourselves, our suprise will be who is sharing the experience with us.
THAT will blow all of our minds collectively where we will be.
Cut me a break,again I give you Kibbles and Bits.
You wrote:
“Ok... I am only addressing one issue here.”
And I am bring up others that point to an obvious truth - some people are morons. You seem shocked by this fact. Why are you surprised that some people are morons? Is it any less wrong to say Jesus is gay than it is for someone to say grace doesn’t save or something similar?
“I’m not talking about TEN things. I’m talking about one.”
The things I pointed out proved my point: Some people are stupid. Why are you surprised some people are stupid?
“I’m not being SENSATIONAL.... you are.”
I’m not being sensational. I am just proving a simple point: you are acting as if you are hysterical over one idiot. Why are you doing it?
My sister is a Church going Catholic.
Do not question her faith,
or bring up anything about it,
don’t appeal to her Christianity,
she’ll be grievously offended.
Filled with hatred, envy, distrust,
she has killed me.
“once one has become a Catholic—and that was done by your free choice, responding to the offer of God’s grace and enlightenment, then we also need to make use of the Mass and the Sacraments.”
You are incorrect. I am a born-again Christian. When Jesus entered my heart, he did not say ... “head three miles South to the Catholic Church so you can worship Mary....”
The Catholic Catechism will explain in 2000 laws and 10x the number of each law to rule concerning interpretation.
The question boils down to:
Is the Bible the Word of God?
Is there personal responsibility concerning acceptance of the Word of God?
Can the Word of God be understood by layperson?
Does God desire the layperson to know Him?
Did God die for the layperson?
Who is God?
Jesus?
Geez, haven’t you been a fan of the worst
of San Francisco, and the Jefferson Airplane band,
with its husky voice lead vocalist,
the aforementioned Grace Slick?
(I haven’t!)
If I am a Protestant ... am I damned? I have had Catholics here on Free Republic tell me that there’s only ONE TRUE CHURCH and it’s theirs?
///
no, you are not damned for being Protestant. And 30 seconds of research, could tell you that.
Real Catholics know that. but MANY Protestants, including Ministers, teach that all Catholics will go to hell.
(i was raised Southern Baptist, and have gone to many protestant churches.)
and, the BIBLE says, REPEATEDLY, there is only “one true church”.
...however, ALL my life, i have endured anti-Catholic hatred. my child and i, went to the Papal Mass in Washington DC. it was magical. my child received “first communion there!”. a memory to be cherished forever!
...until we left. outside the stadium, were hundreds of Protestants, many with megaphones, and big signs, saying that all Catholics were damned to hell...
...and i had to explain THAT hatred, by our “brothers-in-Christ”, to my child.
even here on Free Republic, i have seen such anti-Catholic many times (and i’m relatively new!).
earlier today, i read here:
“And the last pope kissed the koran. The Vatican can no longer hide their detest for God’s own as they side with the enemies of Israel.”
...and MANY Freepers who I had respected, on that same thread, harshly condemned the Pope, for saying the SAME words that Palin and Netanyahu and President Bush have said !
this was my response:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2729527/posts?page=41#41
http://www.catholic.com/library/Infant_Baptism.asp
Although Fundamentalists are the most recent critics of infant baptism, opposition to infant baptism is not a new phenomenon. In the Middle Ages, some groups developed that rejected infant baptism, e.g., the Waldenses and Catharists. Later, the Anabaptists (”re-baptizers”) echoed them, claiming that infants are incapable of being baptized validly. But the historic Christian Church has always held that Christ’s law applies to infants as well as adults, for Jesus said that no one can enter heaven unless he has been born again of water and the Holy Spirit (John 3:5). His words can be taken to apply to anyone capable of belonging to his kingdom. He asserted such even for children: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14).
More detail is given in Luke’s account of this event, which reads: “Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God’” (Luke 18:15–16).
..............................
Doesn’t anyone read the Bible anymore?
You wrote:
“So the only legit Christian religion is Catholicism?”
How many Church’s did Christ establish? One. How many did He send? One. If you’re a Protestant, it ain’t yours.
“(I’ve actually read quite a bit .... and I’m a Protestant....)”
The one has nothing to do with the other either way. Being Protestant doesn’t mean you read much or little. Although John Henry Newman, a former Protestant and an excellent scholar in his own right, once wrote, “To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.”
To be Protestant simply means you adhere to a version of Christianity that is man-made, created in the 16th century.
Upon what do you base your assertations? Quite frankly not only are your assertaionts, but the terms mystifying.
Gosh Cat we are talking about Grace from Heaven.
Since no Catholic worships Mary why would you even suggest such an idea?
You were not talking to a Bible taught Catholic. Or this post is false. Which is it?
How do I get me some?
Sit down and say “Hello God”Fatima sent me.(((((((Hugs)))))))Fatima
Unlike other Christian bodies, the Catholic Church has an authoritative source of Scriptural interpretation - the Church's teaching authority. And the Church's teaching authority - the magisterium - has stated definitively and authoritatively that salvation comes solely by God's free gift of grace.What you said sounds like the babushka next door; I'm going to keep you in my prayers.The person you spoke to is poorly instructed and needs to read the Bible and the catechism a little more attenetively before presuming to make such statements.
What does Jno 5:24 say?
Did you "hear" God's word in that verse?
Do you "believe" what God says in His Word
Do your trust Christ as your personal Savior?
Does "has everlasting life" mean later or right now?
Does it say "shall not come into judgement" or might not?
Does it say "has passed from death" or shall pass?
I'm not certain where you'd take that now. I'd guess, IF you believe God, you'd take it to Him.
That’s a decent example: you were offended by my premise.
You shouldn’t even be posting on these sort of thread unless you can keep your ego in check.
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