Replies

You said:

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.
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 you said sounds like the babushka next door; I'm going to keep you in my prayers.

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.

Let's pretend that your condescending insults aren't a disgrace to your allegedly Christian witness and pass to the substance of your argument: your assumption is that John 5:24 describes an exclusive set of circumstances that bind God's hands.

I would point out that while someone who follows this verse's instructions is following the right path, it does not mean (a) that God is constrained from working His will in any other way and (b) that the person who hears, believes and is regenerated does so on their own merit apart from God's grace.