Assurance of Salvation is Catholic Teaching

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Originally Posted by Tom Hello to all,

Hi

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Is there an official Catholic position on having assurance of the salvation of one's soul when he dies?

Yes. The official position is that one is assured of salvation when God says he is saved.

CCC 1861 Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.

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For the sake of discussion, let's assume we are talking about a good Catholic man who was baptized in the Catholic Church, is in good standing with the Church, is a regular attendee at Mass and who by all accounts loves and follows God with his whole heart.

The Catholic Teaching is that WE can't judge this man's heart. 

I'll give you an example. There was once a man who by all accounts, was considered a good person and was even a deacon in a church. It turns out that this man was a serial killer. 

Man cannot judge the heart. Only God can do so. There is the Wisdom of the Catholic Church confirmed.

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In my evangelical tradition, it is believed that if we believe in and accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, are baptized, and confess and turn away from our sins and live a God-fearing life with God's help (although we all sin and fall short on our own), that we may have assurance that when we die, we will go to heaven if we put our hope and faith in Christ. (John 3:16, I John 5:13, etc).

That agrees with the Catholic Church. We call this assurance, hope, or expectation. When we hope, we expect to receive something.

1 Thessalonians 5:8
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

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Note: I am not speaking of OSAS (Once Saved Always Saved) doctrine, which I don't ahere to. I am referring to a salvation experience that is like a person being thrown a lifesaver when Christ becomes his Savior and can exclaim "I am saved", then can say "I am being saved" as he is being pulled in to the boat, and then can say "I am saved" when he gets into the boat.

This is in agreement with the Catholic Teaching. I'm certain that a man can say, "I am saved", when his soul enters into heaven.

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To me, the lifesaver experience is what we get when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We are saved when we accept Him as Lord and Savior. We are then in the process of being saved here on earth as we live out our faith with God's help until we die, at which time we are permanently saved upon arriving to be with God in heaven. The key is to hang on to the life preserver and not willingly let go, condemn it, or swim away from it. How is that view similar to of different from the Catholic position?

You don't have the Sacraments. Let me see if I can make point by point comparison.

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the lifesaver experience is what we get when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

I think this corresponds to the prevenient grace of faith, which God pours in our hearts and if we accept it, we turn to Him and begin to seek to please Him.

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We are saved when we accept Him as Lord and Savior. We are then in the process of being saved here on earth as we live out our faith with God's help until we die, .

This is where the Sacraments come in. It is in the Sacraments that we receive the help of God's grace that we may persevere through the hard times. Please see this. The pertinent matter starts at about 53 minutes.

Dr. Scott Hahn makes things easy to understand. But the point is, it is in the Sacraments that we receive the Sanctifying Grace of Jesus Christ. It is because of the Sacraments that we can call the Saints our brothers.

Hebrews 12:18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

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Thanks in advance, Tom

I hope that helps,

Sincerely,

De Maria