Catholics don’t pray to Mary either. Instead, we ask her to pray for us, and to pass our needs on to her Son.
What’s the difference? You’re still praying to Mary. Why not just ask Christ Himself? He’ll answer based on His Word.
On infallibility, please check into how many dogmas have been pronounced infallible. I think you will be surprised.
I recall Pope Urban II saying that those who fought in the Crusades would have remission of their sins. I don’t recall that ever being in the Bible anywhere, yet we are to take it that the pope is infallible??
I believe Christ died on the Cross for my sins....past, present and future.
I too, like Paul, know that I am a sinner on a daily basis. In fact, even my good works on my “best” days, are as Paul said, nothing but filthy rags to be discarded. 1 John 1:8 through 1 John 2:6 provides direction on how we are to handle seeking forgiveness of sins.
According to Ephesians 1:1-14 we have the following in Christ:
1) Been blessed with every spiritual blessing
2) Adopted as His sons (see Romans on this also)
3) We have redemption through Him, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His GRACE. (again, see Eph 2:8-9)
4) we have obtained an inheritance
5) after hearing the Word and believing the Word we have
6) been SEALED in Him with the Holy Spirit of Promise
7) this is given as a pledge of our inheritance
The Greek tenses of the verbs indicates the sealing is an ongoing process....it doesn’t stop. In other words, once we place our faith and trust in Christ, we are eternally secure based on this and many other passages in the Bible.
On infallibility, please check into how many dogmas have been pronounced infallible. I think you will be surprised.
If you think works will save you I ask the following:
1) how many do you have to do?
2) how do you or your priest know you’ve done the right ones?
3) what if you don’t do enough?
4) what if you’ve done the wrong ones?
5) what about the thief on the cross....no chance for good works....is he saved?
6) do you lose your salvation? what do you have to do to get it back?? if you can?
So what happens if you’ve had a really bad day sin wise and you’re killed in a car wreck. No chance to confess to a priest and your works aren’t good that day.
Have you lost your salvation?
Do you go to Heaven or Hell?
What an utterly stupid thing to do. Jesus Himself commands you to come to Him with your burdens. Did he lie? Is he too busy to listen to you? Do you have to go through His social secretary (Mary) to get an appointment?
He has made open to us His very throne room. He has given us direct access to the Father. You insult His sacrifice by trying to go through someone else.
possibly, so behave yourself
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come . 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come , he would have watched , and would not have suffered his house to be broken up . 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh . 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing . 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods . 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming ; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken ; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of , 51 And shall cut him asunder , and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
-Matthew 24
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried , they all slumbered and slept . 6 And at midnight there was a cry made , Behold , the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose , and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out . 9 But the wise answered , saying , Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell , and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy , the bridegroom came ; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut . 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying , Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said , Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh .
-Matthew 25
Sounds to me like you'd be on the outside where there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Better to try to avoid those 'really bad days, sinwise.'
So what happens to you when you are in a wreck and die? Do you really have any idea whether God has forgiven your sins or not?
“Many are called; few are chosen>”
At least when I go to Confession, I know my sins are forgiven and I know God has forgotten them too.
If you think works will save you I ask the following:
1) how many do you have to do?
2) how do you or your priest know you’ve done the right ones?
3) what if you don’t do enough?
4) what if you’ve done the wrong ones?
5) what about the thief on the cross....no chance for good works....is he saved?
6) do you lose your salvation? what do you have to do to get it back?? if you can?
So what happens if you’ve had a really bad day sin wise and you’re killed in a car wreck. No chance to confess to a priest and your works aren’t good that day.
Have you lost your salvation?
Do you go to Heaven or Hell?
I believe the answer to your questions can be found in reflecting on your question 5): “what about the thief on the cross....no chance for good works....is he saved?”
Scripture is silent on whether the thief did good works. Scripture does tell us that the thief rebuked the other thief, that he evidently had fear of the Lord, that he said Jesus had done nothing criminal; then he asked Jesus to remember him.
Jesus then told the thief that he would on that day be with Him in paradise. If we have faith in Christ, we have confidence that the thief is saved.
As far as the works that we do are concerned, there is no scorecard kept of whether we do enough or if they are good enough or if they are done daily. It is what’s in our heart that matters. As the Lord said to Samuel, “the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
The Lord will look on my heart if I were to commit a serious sin and die before I am able to go to confession. If I am sorry for my sin and ask God’s forgiveness before I die, I would be saved. If I am not sorry for my sin, I would not be saved even if I do make it to confession and the priest absolves me. Only God can forgive my sin.
Have you ever been in spiritual need and asked a friend to pray for you? Have a sick mom - “please pray for my mom, she was just diagnosed with cancer!”... There is NO difference here!! Asking Mary to pray for you and petition the throne is just as simple as asking a friend to pray for you... However, arguably, she has a closer relationship to God and Jesus than our friends.