"Have you got assurance of this simple Salvation?"

Hello again..

I feel we are going around in circles with our discussions. I have given you verses out of the Bible which argue my point which you seem to be choosing to ignore. When you offer verses I look into them tell you how I feel they are being misrepresented. But anyway, I feel we are missing the most important point in our differences, and that is Gods Salvation. (I will respond to your email regarding Mary, and prayer to the saints in the next few days - Thanks for the reply)

I believe that Jesus Christ is God's Son. I believe that we are all sinners and deserve eternal hell. I believe that God sent his Son to die and suffer as the punishment for our sins. I believe that Salvation is through faith in what Jesus has done for us. I believe that Jesus died and suffered for EVERY sin I HAVE committed, AM committing and WILL commit. I believe that God will not judge me for the sins I HAVE, AM and WILL commit because there are already paid for by Christ, and therefore I am saved.

I do not believe that I can lose this great salvation on account of my merits, because it wasn't my merits that got in the first place, it was Gods love that decided that he would save me. When the jailer asked Paul and Silas " Sirs, what must I do to be saved?", (Acts 16 v 30) I believe the response was inspired my God. The response was "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." I believe what Paul and Silas said that day is enough for Salvation. The ONLY thing you need to do to be saved is to BELIEVE, or have faith in what Christ has done. It is not through ourselves that we are saved, so it is not us that can lose it. If it were up to us to keep our Salvation, I believe there would not be one person going to heaven.

Isa:64:6: "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." If were are depending on our "filthy rags" to keep our salvation then we are lost.

That is what makes Gods Salvation so perfect and wonderful, that is does not depend on us, at ANY time. There are numerous verses in the Bible which repeat this simple truth, and nowhere does it say that one can lose their Salvation. John:10:28: "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

I ask you now, Are you saved? Are you depending on Christ and Christ alone to save your soul? Anything less is not enough. Please, please consider these things and pray on them, for this is too important to be not sure about.

I think it makes logical sense. Christ has died for my sins, all my sins, no matter what I do, and if the sinless Christ has paid the price for them, then I do not need to. Payment God will not twice demand. The Bible does not say that Christ has died for and paid the price for all the sins we HAVE committed up until we accept him as our Saviour. He died for ALL sins. I know this goes against our human nature to accept these simple truths, we feel we need to do at least something to receive so much, but thankfully God's nature is not like ours.

Does this give me a licence to do what I want now after I am saved? This is a question that I hear a lot. No, I have no licence to do what I want. I cannot lose my salvation, but that does not mean it is OK to sin at will. Christ gives instruction to those who are saved and we are expected to live by them. We cannot enjoy our Salvation or even have assurance of it if we neglect God's word upon being saved, but that does not mean we have lost it. There is a coming day of judgement when everyone will be judged according to their works,(Rev.:20:12-13), both the saved and the unsaved. Everyone that goes to hell does not have the same punishment, and likewise everyone that goes to heaven will not have the same elation. The capacity of a saved one for enjoyment and reward in eternity, will depend on their faithfulness to Christ while in this life and how we live for him.

I do not believe a person can be saved while believing that the Salvation is dependant on them in some way after accepting Christ. When Christ died on the cross he lifted up his head and said "It is finished" (John:19:30), everything was FULLY done, and nothing can be added to it. It is a perfect Salvation not dependant on imperfect men, or if they can hold on to it by how they live and their righteousness.

Titus:3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

If we are saved through His mercy and NOT our righteousness, as the verse above states, then how can we keep it through our righteousness? We have to recognise that we are not deserving of Salvation and cannot contribute to it in any way. Have you got assurance of this simple Salvation? Please think these things over carefully, for Salvation is the only thing that matters in our short lives.

Your Sincerely

Arron Hamilton

*********

Dear Arron,

I agree with you that God's Salvation is the crucial issue, ultimately the only issue which matters. And I think I can pretty well agree with what you write, especially when you include the qualification: "We cannot enjoy our Salvation or even have assurance of it if we neglect God's word upon being saved..."

Catholic Answers has a tract Assurance of Salvation? with a number of key scriptural quotes. I would appreciate your comments.

Also I plan on presenting this question in a homily. Again I would appreciate your comments on the following text:

"This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mk 1:15)

I don’t know about you, but I need to hear that call on a daily basis. I try to make an examination of conscience each evening – to thank God for the blessings of the day and to ask pardon for my often lukewarm response.

While the Gospel does give us a “blessed assurance” of salvation, it allows no room for presumption.* Presumption means to take things for granted, to assume all is fine when it really is not.

A local Christian congregation gave an extreme example of this attitude. The pastor’s wife was murdered and everyone felt great sympathy for the man. However, when the police investigated, all the evidence pointed toward her husband. They arrested the pastor who was tried, convicted and sentenced to prison. A reporter interviewed members of the congregation. Of course, they were devastated, but some of them said, “As far as his salvation, it does not matter. That was assured the day he accepted Christ.”

One hopes the trial and imprisonment would bring remorse and repentance, but suppose the man got away with it. After an appropriate time of mourning, he marries the other woman, continues his pastorate and eventually retires, basking in the admiration of his congregation and the community. With no sincere repentance, is that man’s salvation assured?

Shakespeare got it right. Repentance requires more than words. In the Hamlet King Claudius had killed his brother in order to marry his sister-in-law and become King of Denmark. At one point he attempts to pray, but realizes he must first ask for forgiveness. However, words are not enough:

My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer
Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'?
That cannot be; since I am still possess'd
Of those effects for which I did the murder,
My crown, mine own ambition and my queen. 

No one can repent and still cling to ill-gotten gains. Like many people today, King Claudius remained paralyzed, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.”

Jesus began his ministry with a serious wake-up call. “The time is fulfilled.” It’s not enough to have repented yesterday or to plan on doing so tomorrow. When we say the Hail Mary, we mention the only moments that matter: now and the hour of our death. And those two moments are always closer than we think.

My own challenge to you, Arron, would be to ask if your salvation hinges on carefully investigating the claims of the Catholic Church. After all, if Jesus founded a Church and intends to take her as his bride forever in heaven (Rev. 19:7 et al) does not your salvation depend on being part of that Church?

Sincerely,

Fr. Phil Bloom

*When asked if she were in the state of Grace, St. Joan of Arc gave an answer which showed assurance, but avoided presumption: "If I be not in a state of Grace, I pray God place me in it; if I be in it, I pray God keep me so."

Other Questions

See also: Cloud of Witnesses: A Biblical Primer on the Communion of Saints

Catholic Home Study Resources

Peter Kreeft

Catholic Answers

Immaculate Conception

Mary's Vow of Virginity

Follow-up question from Arron: "If you were brought up away from all churches, chapels, popes and bishops, and you only had the Bible as your ONE and ONLY source of information. Would you honestly believe Mary was a sinner or not?"

Karl Keating: Dialogue with Fundamentalist on Assurance of Salvation

Home