I would like to think that all Christians strive to do all His will. But you know very well that the flesh is weak, and so when Christians falter in their walk they are not instantly eliminated from their heavenly goal. That is why we have an advocate before the Father, in the Person of Jesus Christ, to whom we can turn to and seek forgiveness. Unfortunately for many, you are placing a large list of Dos & Don'ts that enslave people and make the "run for the prize" an obstacle course of legalism. Furthermore, it wouldn't matter if I followed every bit of your list to perfection, because if I'm not Catholic I simply cannot be saved. Might as well admit it.
You don't have to be so insulting.
Paul talks about running a race in 1 Cor. 9:24-27. Legalism is doing works of the law, which has nothing to do with good works. Scripture alone and faith alone are the worst legalisms IMO.
1 Cor. 9:24-27 – Paul says that all the runners compete, but only one wins the prize. Paul recognizes that if he doesn’t train himself properly in perseverance, he too can become “disqualified.” The word “disqualified” comes from the Greek word “adokimos” which literally means cut off from Christ, or reprobate. When “adokimos” is used in the Scriptures, it always refers to those who are to be condemned by God. It has nothing to do with going to heaven with less rewards. See, for example, Rom. 1:28; Titus 1:16; 2 Tim. 3:8; Heb. 6:8; 2 Cor. 13:5-7. This proves that Saint Paul thought he could lose his salvation. No one would reasonably argue that Paul wasn’t “saved” when he wrote the Scriptures. So if Saint Paul thought that he could lose his salvation, why do many Protestants think that they cannot lose theirs?
1 Cor. 9:24 – Paul says that only one wins the “prize” (brabeion). To further prove that the race Paul is writing about refers to our journey to heaven, “brabeion” always has a soteriological implication. See, for example, Phil. 3:14 where “prize” refers to the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (which is heaven).
If you have 100% assurance of salvation, then you already have your prize, and have no need to persevere, the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches.
It started with the thief on the cross as an exception. Now we have aborted babies and non baptized babies as exceptions. What about the woman at the well?
Water baptism is normative, but the Good Thief had the baptism of desire. The baptism of blood (martyrdom) is a third type of baptism.
The apostles weren't around to baptize her and we now that Jesus didn't baptize. If this is so crucial why didn't Jesus run after her and say wait a minute there's more to this living water thing. You need to baptized and then I have a whole list here for you. That is why the C church is so wrong it is filled with legalism , lists, and works as requirements of salvation.
Jesus is not talking about water baptism in John 4:13, and not a single Protestant commentary says otherwise.
No thanks, Jesus came to set me free. I'll choose to follow Him and do what He tells me to do which will involve obedience, but I'll do it because I love Him and want to please Him, not because He burdens me to do it.
13 Jesus said to her, “Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
You have a very comic book view of the Church.
We are no more burdened to do anything than you are.
We can see by the exceptions above, that when things don't fit in your theology, I guess you have another trump card called "Exceptions" It's like when you choose to use your famous BIG word "Anthropomorphism" Funny how you don't use your BIG word when it comes to eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus. Oh! Now I know why, it's an Exception.
This is meaningless ranting. The Thief on the Cross was saved because Jesus said so, yet he didn't meet all your cookie-cutter legalistic criteria for salvation. Baptism of Desire doesn't fit your legalistic theology. That's the point BoL was trying to make but instead you ran off with your arms flailing.
Once again you forgot a denomination in that listing, it's Catholicism.
Your problem is that you clearly do not understand what the Body of Christ is. And here's a newsflash it's NOT the Catholic Church or any other denomination. The Body of Christ is anybody on the face of this planet who bows his heart to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, (Head of the body) asking in repentance forgiveness for his sins and turning in obedience to follow him. Belief and repentance will bring the Spirit to regenerate your dead soul and baptize you into the body. So simple a child can do it. Without your legalistic list.
Again, you don't need to be so insulting (which is based on ignorance and prejudice). There is nothing in the Bible about an invisible church.
Jesus said that the unity of Christians would be objective evidence to the world that He had been sent by God (John 17:20-23). How can the world see an invisible "unity" that exists only in the hearts of believers?
If the unity of Christians was meant to convince the world that Jesus was sent by God, what does the ever-increasing fragmentation of Protestantism say to the world?
Well, no he will not make it to heaven because he is "divorced" form the C church and therefore unsaved, according to your judgment. Never mind you don't know if he is saved or not therefore you are leaving it to God, you know full well that based on your legalistic Catholic theology that he is outside the church and therefore lost. And every other person outside the C church is also lost. Why don't you just come out and say it?
The CC doesn't teach that. How would you like it if I made up lies about what your church teaches (if you have one)?
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the Catholic Church;
More insults. The Protestant mindset makes false dichotomies all over the place. To them, ONE mediator must mean there can be no subordinate mediators. This thinking is contrary to scripture.
Fr. John Hardon explains:
… the Incarnation corresponds to mediation in the order of being, and the Redemption (remission of sin and conferral of grace) is mediation morally.
This kind of mediation is incommunicable. No one but the Savior unites in himself the divinity, which demands reconciliation, and the humanity, which needs to be reconciled.
Protestants generally agree with us on this point. However, Fr. Hardon goes on to say:
Nevertheless, lesser and subordinate mediators are not excluded. The question is what purpose they serve and in what sense do they mediate. They can help the cause of mediation in the only way that human beings (or creatures) can contribute to the work of salvation, namely, by their willing response to grace; either better disposing themselves or others for divine grace, or interceding with God to give his grace, or freely cooperating with grace when conferred.
The “lesser and subordinate mediators” is where the trouble starts. And yet, the context of I Timothy 2:5 demonstrates Fr. Hardon’s point. In the first two verses, St. Paul commands “supplications, prayers and intercessions to be made for all men...” Intercession is a synonym for mediation. Hebrews 7:24-25 refers to Jesus acting as our one mediator at the right hand of the Father and refers to him as intercessor:
But [Christ] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently, he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Christ is our one mediator/intercessor, yet, St. Paul commands all Christians to be intercessors/mediators. Then notice the first word in verse five: “For there is one God and one mediator…” And then in verse seven he says, “For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle.” What is an apostle if not a mediator? The very definition of apostle, according to Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, is “a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders.” That’s an essential part of what a mediator is. In short, St. Paul says we are all called to be mediators because Christ is the one mediator and for this reason he was called to be a mediator of God’s love and grace to the world!
