Not Billy Graham, not Mother Theresa, no one knows before they die. They trust God’s word. That’s it.
Only one person was destined to Heaven, that is the Virgin Mary, she alone was full of grace and even she did not “boast” that she was going to heaven.
“And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”
Douay-Rheims Bible
Mary gave birth to her savior. Yes even Mary needed Jesus. Mary believed thus Mary was saved.
The Douay-Rheims may translate it so, but the Greek actually means "favored one", "found favor", "highly favored" or "much graced". Mary had no more grace from God than anyone else who is trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation. HIS righteousness is imputed to us instead of our own and our sins have been washed away by his blood. However, if what you claim is true that only Mary is in heaven for sure because the angel said "full of grace", then you will have to admit Steven was also destined to heaven since Scripture says he was "full of grace" (Acts 6:8). See how that works?
You can assert all you want that no one knows before they die they are going to heaven for sure, but those of us who trust God's word and believe He would never lie or deceive us, DO proclaim we ARE saved and WILL be in heaven when we die. Why else would the Holy Spirit have those passages in Scripture if He wanted us to be uncertain or worry about it?
If someone is dependent on their own righteousness to get them into heaven, they can be assured they will NOT be going to heaven. Genuine, soul saving faith is what is necessary for everlasting life and that excludes adding our own works to Christ's perfect and complete work for us. If we believe our works save us, then we nullify God's grace and without grace we will NOT be saved. Is that the kind of assurance you want?
Only one person was destined to Heaven, that is the Virgin Mary, she alone was full of grace and even she did not “boast” that she was going to heaven.
ALL believers are given the same grace as Mary.
Mary and Grace
The word grace used in this passage in Luke is used in one other place in the Bible and that is Ephesians 1 where Paul is us that with this same grace, God has blessed us (believers) in the Beloved. IOW, we all have access to that grace and it has been bestowed on us all.
http://biblehub.com/greek/5487.htm
Luke 1:28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
Ephesians 1:4-6 In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Greek word “grace”
charitoó: to make graceful, endow with grace
Original Word: χαριτόω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: charitoó
Phonetic Spelling: (khar-ee-to'-o)
Short Definition: I favor, bestow freely on
Definition: I favor, bestow freely on.
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 5487 xaritóō (from 5486 /xárisma, "grace," see there) – properly, highly-favored because receptive to God's grace. 5487 (xaritóō) is used twice in the NT (Lk 1:28 and Eph 1:6), both times of God extending Himself to freely bestow grace (favor).
Word Origin: from charis
Definition: to make graceful, endow with grace
NASB Translation: favored (1), freely bestowed (1).
“And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” Douay-Rheims Bible
oh, not this again. no where does this say that Mary is heaven bound. the word used here, κεχαριτωμένη, is translated properly as "you favored with grace". It is not, for the umpteenth time, translated as full of grace.
This is also the same root word used in Ephesians 1:6 where Paul writes describing believers and what God has done for us.
Seriously, do you caths ever read the Word on your own or do word studies??
You obviously didn't read the rest of the book...It's sad that you don't have a clue whether you will end up in hell or heaven...
We don't have your insecurity and there's nothing you can say that will take that security away from us...
Ephesians 1: 5-7 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
Epeshians 1:11-13 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory"
If God loses me he'd have to lose his spirit, because that was the non refundable earnest payment on my soul. Like David, we can say "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me". Or "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." Psalm 139:8. The carpenter went home to prepare my mansion a long time ago. I'm just waiting on my ride to take me home.
Indeed. What does God’s word say about salvation by Grace. Did you see the expanded words of Graham where he credits God’s Grace for his assurance and not his own works?
Trust in Christ to make you a new creature. Not in Purgatory to wash you clean, but the Blood of Christ. The one time, for all it is finished sacrifice.