A lot of people think they can do all manner of evil and still end up in Heaven.
What a bunch of delusional *&^%$ that is! I can't think of a worse "belief."
Who is “a lot of people”? Be specific. Non-Catholic Christians?
If so, that’s a big fat straw man. (When I say straw man, that’s at best… at worst it’s a vicious lie, but I can’t say what’s inside your head.)
I think the problem may be that you just don’t get non-Catholic Christianity. I say that based on your own repeated false claims and the fact that you constantly start threads with a very “us against them” malicious tone, always pitting non-Catholics and Catholics against each other.
Let me clear something up for you, once and for all. Because you keep repeating the same lie over and over, and it needs to be put to rest for good.
I can’t speak for ALL Christians, but for me and the Christians I know….we don’t believe that salvation is about just saying a quick little prayer to accept Christ but then doing “all manner of evil” and never changing and still end up in Heaven.
That’s not the way it works. Not even close.
I and the Christians I know believe what the Bible says, and what Jesus clearly stated… AND our own personal experience and testimony. All of the above go directly against the straw man you presented
Here’s the reality, when it comes to salvation. Jesus was very clear,
YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.
And when you’re truly born again, you are a NEW creation. You have a new nature, a new heart, a new perspective, new priorities, new interests, everything is new! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
When you’re truly born again,
you no longer want to keep doing the same things you did in your B.C (before Christ) life.
So your dishonest, ridiculous caricature of non-Catholic Christians saying a little prayer and then “doing all manner of evil” is simply not the reality for anyone who has truly come to faith in Jesus.
Don’t get me wrong. That doesn’t mean that new believers become perfect overnight. Sanctification is a process, and it takes years to learn, grow and mature spiritually.
HOWEVER, once one has truly put their faith in Jesus and become born again, they now have the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) they now have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) so it’s inevitable that transformation will take place, in someone who is truly saved. Again, that transformation is a process. Justification (getting saved, becoming born again) happens in an instant and is a one time thing. But sanctification is a process, that takes years.
But then again, belief doesn't appear to have much to do with our Judgment, according to this and other Scriptures.
"Even the demons believe and tremble" (Book of James, 2nd chapter)
So much for what you believe. A lot of Protestants wax superior in the fake knowledge that their beliefs are better than... totally superior to, those of the Catholics..
But again, belief itself doesn't matter. What matters is what you DO.
^ Again, another straw man. Of course even the demons believe, and tremble. Did you think that non-Catholic Christians don’t understand the difference between mere mental belief and actual faith?
There’s a difference between merely believing God exists and putting one’s faith and trust in God. Obviously the demons fall into the former category, not the latter.
A saving faith starts with an understanding that we’re a sinner in need of forgiveness, and it is about believing the Gospel. Believing that JESUS is the way, that Jesus died was buried and rose again for us, to pay the penalty for our sin…and we just need to trust in Christ and Christ alone… NOT our own works, because the Bible is clear that works do not save. We are saved by God’s grace, through FAITH.
If a person’s faith is genuine, if they have repented and made the decision to surrender and follow Jesus, then that person will go through spiritual birth, being BORN from above, as a true son or daughter of the living God of the universe.
And when that happens, there is no way that there will be NOT be good fruit and good works. (Assuming the person doesn’t die immediately after getting saved, like the thief on the cross.)
No one can be saved by “being a good person” because the Bible is clear, NO ONE Is good in their natural state. (Romans 3:10-12) And God’s standard is perfection. That’s why NO ONE can be saved by their works, because no one can be perfect. That’s why Jesus said you must be born again. Once we are justified (saved) God then sees CHRIST’s righteousness in us, he no longer sees us as sinners. (
Ps. 32:2;
Rom. 3:22;
4:3,
8,
21-25;
2 Cor. 5:21)
Jesus says in this psg (I will fetch it for you)
Depart from Me, all you evil DOERS
not believers
Matthew 7:23
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And then I will confess to them, 'I have never known you, remove yourselves far from me, you workers of evil.'
You are misusing that passage. In fact, it teaches the exact opposite of what you seem to think it teaches!
The people in that passage who said “Lord, Lord” trusted in their own works, as opposed to having a real relationship with God and KNOWING God.
We can see that by their own words:
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
^ Read those words, those people are presenting their “wonderful works” as if their own works are what it takes to be saved. That shows where they put their trust, in their OWN works, as opposed to what GOD did for us!
God wants a relationship with us, and He wants you to be born again. Why do you think Jesus said, “
I never knew you: depart from me, you who practice iniquity.” (keywords: "I never knew you")
So that passage actually teaches AGAINST works-based salvation, not for it! You have it completely backwards.
