Here is a great email from a true Christian to his Catholic friend. You can substitute Catholic for Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, and whatever brand of Christianity you may worship in. The point is, have you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior? Where do you stand with God? Do you read or even know what Scripture says? If you died right now, where would you go? What is your future?Back in November I got into a similar discussion (actually an argument) with a lifelong Catholic friend on this very subject. (I was raised a Catholic also) Below is an email I did in response. (Feel free to correct my theology.) I gave this person a Daily Walk Bible in late Dec, and he is reading the entire bible this year (probably so he can argue with me some more.)
You mentioned at the Myerson that it was ridiculous to think a person could sin all his life, then accept Jesus at the end and expect to go on to heaven. It was a little noisy at the dinner, but now I have some time to weigh in… You might first look at the thief on the cross:
Luke 23:39-43:
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
The gift of salvation was given to the thief after a sinful life, and only because he believed in Jesus. It was given by Jesus who will judge each of us, presumably using the same standards as used on the thief. (God is unchanging.) You might also see that the two thieves represent all mankind… people who accept Jesus as savior, and people who reject Jesus and are condemned. (No-one comes to the Father but through me…)
You are correct that a shallow/uncommitted affirmation of faith might not get you saved. Jesus says as much in the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) To get saved, you have to navigate the distance from your head to your heart…
Romans 10: 9-11:
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Jesus himself laid out the path to salvation very simply:
John 5:24:
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 3:16:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Regarding the path to Salvation, forget about “getting your ticket punched” (your words) … you cannot achieve salvation by your own works, it is a free gift of God:
Ephesians 2:8-10:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Galatians 3:1-5:
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? … Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
Romans 3:27-28:
Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
Instead of works, follow the “Romans Road” to salvation:
Romans 3:23 —
for all have sinned;Romans 6:23 —
for the payoff of sin is death;Romans 5:8 —
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us;Romans 10:13 —
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; andRomans 10:9-10 —
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
And once you have received the gift of salvation, can it be taken away? No…
Romans 8:30:
… those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. … Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? … Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Col 1:19-23:
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
The Christian life is (i) receipt of the God’s free gift of assured salvation thru faith in Christ, and (ii) upright living and good works as a “right response” to the gift. The Catholic life appears to be the opposite order… works and law keeping in the hope of reaching salvation at the end. I would say that this is not what is laid out in your bible.
These things are not easy to understand by man’s values, but this is God’s plan, not man’s. As stated in Proverbs and 1 Corinthians:
Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
1Cor 1:18:
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.
All of this should give you plenty of reasons to call the Gospel “The Good News.”
With much regard,
XXX
..
