Hi, Thanks for sharing.
And you blame that on the Church?
A false teaching, but it stuck with you. That is how Satan works. A little bit of truth to suck you in and then the lie.
Obey God. How difficult is that?
Sounds as though you got tired of obeying God:
Romans 2:7
King James Version (KJV)
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
You seem to understand it very well. It seems you disagree with it. You don't want to do anything to be saved.
The Church teaches faith is proved by works:
James 2:18
King James Version (KJV)
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
You believe in faith alone:
James 2:17
King James Version (KJV)
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Scripture says faith alone is dead.
You believe in testing everything. But you don't want your faith to be tested:
1 Peter 1:7
King James Version (KJV)
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
And Scripture says your faith will be tested.
Come now. You know that the Church teaches you to keep the Ten Commandments. That is how.
Then you weren't paying attention. Because the Church teaches that faith in the Saviour is the only way that one can keep the Commandments.
Really? They don't say, "Love God", "keep the Commandments", "receive the Sacraments", "be good", "avoid sin", "remain in a state of grace"?
Yes.
John 6:54
King James Version (KJV)
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Matthew 19:17
King James Version (KJV)
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Matthew 25:31-46
King James Version (KJV)
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Hebrews 13:17
King James Version (KJV)
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
Sincerely,
De Maria
VG:For the first 35 years of my life I was a faithful Roman Catholic who never questioned the teachings of "the one true Church". I didn't because I was conditioned to believe it and never told to test all things against Scripture.
In my life I've encountered Christians who witnessed to me the Gospel. I brushed them off because they were lesser compared to my sterling, history rich Roman Catholic faith. Yet, what stuck with me after these encounters with Christians was how to be saved.
As a Catholic I could not get a clear direction as to ensure that I will go to heaven.
I'm thinking to my self at the time what must I do to be saved. I went to confession more than once a year. Mass every Sunday and sometimes more during the week. But, I still felt an uncertainty within my soul. I was scared of ending up in hell and even purgatory was not much of a comfort [though I see it's more "pleasant" in it's theology now but it wasn't when I was young]. So I looked towards "Mary" for help. I started with the rosary's 15 promises. I thought "shew" I found some comfort in that..but it didn't seem right either.
Romans 2:7
King James Version (KJV)
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
I find the Roman Catholic "Gospel" to lack clarity in it's definition as to what one must do to be saved.
The Church teaches faith is proved by works:
James 2:18
King James Version (KJV)
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
You believe everyone should take your word for it.
You believe in faith alone:
James 2:17
King James Version (KJV)
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Scripture says faith alone is dead.
You believe in testing everything. But you don't want your faith to be tested:
1 Peter 1:7
King James Version (KJV)
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
And Scripture says your faith will be tested.
Catholics say to stay in friendship with God but offer nothing as to how other than be baptized and stay out of mortal sin.
That does not clarify much in a practical way. I do not see that in Scripture either as to how to be saved and mentions nothing of faith in the Savior.
When I press Catholics to define/clarify what we must do to be saved I do not get any answers...much like in my Catholic days.
So I know I was not alone in that quest back when I was Catholic. I think many Catholics have that question lodged somewhere in the depth of their souls desiring what they need to do.
Catholics: do you have a clear definition as to what you must do to be saved?
John 6:54
King James Version (KJV)
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Matthew 19:17
King James Version (KJV)
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Matthew 25:31-46
King James Version (KJV)
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Hebrews 13:17
King James Version (KJV)
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
Sincerely,
De Maria
Another story of a fallen away Catholic who didn't understand the Teachings and Doctrines of the Church because they didn't really want to understand them because what they contained is something they didn't want to hear.
ReplyDeleteEternal security and assured salvation are what many people are looking for. "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling". We all want the easy way out but do you think what Jesus Christ did was easy?
You hit the nail on the head. St. Peter says:
Delete1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: