Christianity.... being saved

[SilverViking]

Hi there. DP and myself were born and bred Catholics, regular mass goers etc. DP had always had much more curiosity about the bible and reading it, as well as discussing religion with others.
In January DP started a "bible study" class with a work collegue/friend in a Presbyterian church about 45 mins drive from home. By mid March, DP became saved and described a beautiful feeling of Gods presence. For full disclosure i thought there was a big blip in our relationship prior and during that time, with very little communication/talk at that time, going to regular meetings and constant messaging friends from morning to night. This was also taking its toll as MIL lives with us and requires care.
Anyhow, it's all very new for DP and myself... but has settled a bit from initially wanting me to go to the Presbyterian church services and not wanting to be part of the local RC church, as well as weekly service, weekly bible study meeting, studying the bible at night and weekends.

We have talked a lot since and i understand a lot of what DP is saying ... and why DPs beliefs better fit the Presbyterian church views and the things most difficult in RC church. I've also listened to podcast ceremons from the church and went along to a religious seminar. It is of course a common view and similar language (no surprise with both being Christian churches) but used in a different way.

I have some queries to help me understand the language of being saved, but will start with....
Is being saved a common term with the same meaning across all Protestant churches? (Ie you are saved when you accept God had died to forgive your sins past and future. So by following Gods word on earth you know you will have eternal life in Heaven)

Are all attenders at Presbytetian churches saved? This is a little confusing as they use the word "Christian" to mean someone who is saved .... not just sometime who follows a Christian faith.

Are there any practicing Catholics that would consider themselves saved (as defined above)? ... there is a bit of contradiction with catholic theology on getting to heaven vs being saved and knowing you are going to heaven (although the paths following Jesus are remarkably similar ... no surprise there again, as they are both based on the bible!!)

Hi, all!

I am an evangelical, born again believer in Jesus Christ.

God loves us and wants us to experience peace and life - abundant and eternal.
The obstacle to this is our sin which has separated us from God...
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23

People have tried many ways to bridge the gap between themselves and God...
"There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way of death."
Proverbs 14:12
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."
Isaiah 59:2

However, God has provided a bridge between us and Him and that is through Jesus Christ!
"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Jesus Christ."
1 Timothy 2:5
"For Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."
1 Peter 3:18

Our response for reconciliation with God is to receive Christ.
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
"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."
Romans 10:9

Here is how you can receive Christ:

1. Admit your need

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

1. Believe that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins through His sacrificial death on the cross, and was resurrected from the grave

by the power of God. Afterwards, the natural course would be to go to the Father in prayer, thanking Him for His grace, mercy and love, and to share your heart with Him. He already knows your heart, but it is as much for you as you begin your relationship with Him...

Love to you all,
Julie

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

Don’t Catholics, in practice, believe all that too? (not Catholic so could be wrong)

Don’t Catholics, in practice, believe all that too? (not Catholic so could be wrong)

Yep, that was all compatible with Catholic teaching. I wouldn't have worded it like that, because I'd be much more inclined to focus on a Trinitarian view of God, and there is an implied model of substitutionary atonement which we wouldn't go along with, but there's nothing in the text that @aintMissbehaving posted that's out of line with Catholic doctrine.

Thanks Julie/ @aintMissbehaving

As a Catholic, I believe all you have written as quoted from the bible .... but I'm not sure if by the definition above, you see Catholics "saved/born again" along with all other Christian denominations?

The bit missing for me is that if you are "saved/born again" then you believe that Jesus "atoned" or "will stand in for" all your sins past and future, so you know that God will judge you to have eternal life ... and you get this through accepting His great gift (according to DP) . Yet God created us so we all have free will to sin and hurt God and do un-Christian things... so how can Gods judgement be guaranteed?

1 Cor 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time, wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

@fink

You have hit the nail on the head exactly!!!.... the difference is the "implied model of substitutionary atonement"

The rest of the biblical stuff is common. There is a slight difference in the "path of life" ( my words to describe our journey through life ). ...

Catholics believe you get baptised to become a Christian and should lead a life of faith and good works guided by the Holy Spirit.... and if you do sin along the way but are truely sorry then God will forgive.
You will meet God after your life of faith and good works to receive His judgement.

Whereas the "Saved / Born again" Christians believe you become a Christian when you are "Born Again" after repenting for your sins and accepting Jesus died to take on your sins past and future. Because you are Born Again with the Holy Spirit, you will want to do good works and will not commit grave sin. You will meet God after your life of faith, and you know what His judgement will be.

I think I have it a lot clearer in my head now.

SilverViking,

You asked if I see Catholics as "saved/born again" along with other Christian denominations.

Thank you for asking my opinion but I would say it doesn't matter what I think, but what God's Word says on the matter.

For one to know how to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life, along with assurance of salvation, they must look to Scripture for truth.
2 Timothy 3:16
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness..."

Remember, always look to God for confirmation of truth. His word is what stands, for He is the author and finisher of our salvation. Your, or anyone's, eternal security isn't based on human opinion, the wisdom of this world, philosophy or the traditions of men, but on the finished work of the Cross of Christ!
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

For one to understand the way to eternal life (salvation), I would encourage reading the Bible, from which some of the verses relevant to the forgiveness of sin and receiving the gift of salvation were referenced in my previous post.

Silver, you also asked how God's "judgement" (forgiveness?) can be guaranteed since we have free will to sin and to hurt God and to do un-Christian things.
The answer to that is Jesus Christ!

Our inability to live sinlessly is the very reason Christ came to this earth and willingly gave himself as a sacrifice, so that through His righteous blood our sin debt would be paid, with the result being the forgiveness of sin - past, present and future!
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord."

This gift of God is received through faith
Ephesians 2:8-9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

John 1:12
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God."

By receiving (believing on) Christ, we are born into God's family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer. This is called regeneration or "new birth."

And finally, the Bible says...
"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life."
1 John 5:12-13

Thank you for your questions to me and replying to my post!
Julie

Julie / @aintMissbehaving

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

My family are baptists and they use the term 'saved'. It means someone who has consciously accepted Christ and chosen to live as a Christian, as opposed to someone who thinks of themselves as Christian because they were christened and like churches for weddings and funerals but doesn't bother much. I don't know much about catholicism but I would have thought if you were a practicing catholic you would count as saved?

@SilverViking

Hi again!

Something I forgot to address earlier is the scripture you referenced from 1 Corinthians 4:5
"Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time, wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in the darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God."
In chapter 4 Paul is addressing the believers in Corinth because they were esteeming some servants of the gospel over others. Paul wanted them to focus on the message of Christ and not become followers of a particular "teacher" and divide into loyal factions of followers. Paul continued to make the case for his faithfulness in serving the Lord, and that his motives as an apostle of Christ were genuine. The verse above mentioning judgement is cautioning believers not to judge the motives of other people's hearts. Only the Lord can fully know a person's heart, and when He returns He will judge.

At the "Bema" judgment, Christ will judge those who had put their faith and trust in Him (Christians). These will be judged not for their sin, but for their works in this life. This is not a judgement to determine if they will enter heaven - for their sins have been forgiven and their destiny settled...Heaven! This is a judgement to receive rewards for faithful service to the Lord.

The judgement of unbelievers is known as the "Great White Throne" judgement. At this judgement those who rejected Christ, and therefore God's gift of forgiveness and everlasting life, are judged for their sin and condemned to the lake of fire.

The good news is no one needs to be uncertain about their forgiveness of sin and assurance of eternal life. For what happens after death is not determined after we die, but the choice we make during this lifetime. Either accepting God's gift of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, as Christ paid our sin debt through His sacrificial death, or alternately rejecting Christ and the redemption He provided.

There’s being “saved “ and being dangerously brain washed