Growing up Southern Baptist (still am), I was taught that there are 3 diagnostic questions to determine where a person is spiritually. Practically every Catholic I’ve ever asked gets 2 of these 3 questions wrong. But when you explain the right answer, they think and say, yeah that makes sense.
First, “Do you believe in God”. Catholics of course say Yes.
Second, “Do you know where you will go when you die?” Catholics almost always answer, “I hope I go to heaven.” I did have one recently say “I will probably go to purgatory for a very very long time”, but she was the exception.
Third, “If God met you at the Pearly Gates and asked you why should I let you into My heaven, how would you answer?” Catholics usually answer “I hope I’ve been good enough”.
The correct answer to question 2 is “I will go to Heaven”. A person trusting in Jesus should realize the promises in scripture and be reliant on them, and so be confident in their salvation. They should be able to say as Paul said, nothing in life nor death nor principalities, etc etc can separate me from the love of God.
The correct answer to question 3 is “because Jesus paid the price for my sins on the cross.” When you tell them, Catholics will think about that for just a moment and say “Yes, that makes sense.” So they recognize the right answer, but it’s not their day to day focus. Their day to day focus tends to be works as revealed by their answer.
And a focus on works isn’t necessarily wrong but they should have an awareness that their salvation is by grace not works. Good works are good, but they don’t save. And so their answer does worry me a little bit. Is their faith in the Grace of Jesus or their own works? Their quick recognition and agreement when confronted with the right answer gives me hope that their faith is indeed in Jesus not works.
And I once saw a 80 year old woman who had been a member of a Baptist church for years, a hard worker in the church, sat through sermon after sermon after sermon on grace, stand up one day and say “I get it now”. Her faith had been in her works, not grace. So it’s not just Catholics that need to guard against putting their faith in their own works. It can happen in any Christian organization.
I’m now going to preemptively address James comments when he says works are evidence of faith, I can show you my faith by my works.
James had people in his church who said “I believe” but they weren’t showing any changes in their lives. And James says “Even the demons believe” can such a faith save? Well the problem here is that demons believe Jesus is the son of God but they aren’t trusting Jesus for salvation. So James is distinguishing between “mental assent” and a “Trusting faith”.
A trusting faith should indeed given time and preparation result in good works. Those works are usually not instant. James warning should be taken to heart. If you’re not seeing changes, have you really placed your faith in Jesus?
The thief on the cross had no good works to speak of. Though some will point to his acknowledgement of Christ as a work. But then everyone who acknowledges Jesus has such a work.
Scripture actually says somewhere, I think in John, the will of the Father is that you believe. So if you’ve placed your faith in Jesus, then you have done the will of the Father.
But that “work” of placing your faith is different than a faith in your own performing good works to earn heaven. That “work” is the act of receiving God’s grace. You will never earn your way into Heaven.
When God forgives you, you are washed clean, and there is no condemnation. That’s why I don’t see a need for Purgatory. Purgatory from what? There is no condemnation. Either Jesus washed me clean or not. He took all my sins from past present and the future to that cross with him.
Should I then sin so that grace may abound as Paul asked. No. Scripture says God chastises those whom he loves. So the author’s comment about a temporal effect of sin is not wrong. It’s just not an effect that in my opinion requires purgatory or a price to be paid beyond the cross.
Sin usually has it’s own unpleasant reward, but in addition it can open a corrective can of Holy chastisement whoop-ass on me. I don’t fear loss of salvation. I don’t believe that is possible. I fear chastisement some. But I find that I try to avoid sin not so much because I fear chastisement, but that I don’t want to disappoint God.
He has after all granted me salvation and I praise him for that.
Amen.
Don’t give up your day job to be a theologian.
The core of a very fine Sunday School Lesson. Bravo and Selah.
This Prot would answer:
Read the Book you guys have supplied us!
Revelation 21:10-13, 21-25
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Great points, I spent my whole life in northern Catholic town. Been to bible college and think I have a pretty good grasp on what the Catholic church believes and what the Bible says, yet I have never met a Catholic person who says they believe in all the garbage the Catholic church puts out. It’s like 99% don’t believe or don’t know what the church stands for. Not meant to be a condemnation, just odd to me. The Catholic still doesn’t know if they going to heaven, whether they believe in purgatory or works or whatever, it’s a shame. I have heard countless messages on Catholicism and done personal study as well, and am loaded for bear to witness to a Catholic, yet I have never met and witnessed to a Catholic who says any of the things that supposedly Catholics believe. It’s usually a fairly simple presentation of the Gospel you would give to any lost person.
Good,,,