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[RCWarrior]

"I am redeemed by the blood of Christ, I trust in him alone for my salvation, and, as the Bible teaches, I am
'working out my salvation in fear and trembling'  (Phil 2:12), knowing that it is God's gift of grace that is working in me".

This is good when other "denominations" question you about your salvation.

[cajunrick]

I answer, "I was saved by my baptism, I am saved because I accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, and I will be saved if I continue to live as Jesus wants me to and continue to do God's will."

[Christina]

Most, though not all, Fundamentalists believe that once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it is impossible to lose your salvation. This doctrine is known as "once saved, always saved," Like many other Protestant doctrines, this teaching was unheard of before the Reformation.

The Bible says: "Beloved, you have always shown yourselves obedient; and now that I am at a distance, not less but much more than when I am present, you must work to earn salvation, in anxious fear.
 
2Cor 5:10 says: "All of us have a scrutiny to undergo before Christ's judgement seat, for each to reap what his mortal life has earned, good or ill, according to his deeds"
Rom 2:6 says: "God will award to every man what his acts have deserved"

If the only act of consequence is the Born-Again experience, what difference do the other acts make?

Mt. 24:13 tells us that we must "persevere to the end" in order to be saved. St. Paul says the same thing in 2 Tim 2:12: that we must hold out to the end if we want to reign with Christ. Hebrews 6:4-6 describes people who are sharers in the Holy Spirit (born-again Christians) but then fall away from God.

Paul wrote this to people who were already "saved", in a state of grace, a grace they could lose, becoming "unsaved." These verses demonstrate that we indeed will be judged by what we do, not just by the one act of  whether we accept Jesus as our Personal Lord & Savior. Yes, it is not to be thought that being do-gooders is sufficient. The Bible is clear that we are saved by faith.

Matthew 7:21 says: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the Kingdom of heaven." Jesus warns us that we can be deceived through a false assurance.
Romans 5:2 says: "We are confident in the hope of attaining glory as the sons of God."

If we, having been born again in the Protestant's sense, are now sure of heaven, and if we know nothing can deprive us of it, then we have no reason to hope because we know that heaven is ours. But, "our salvation is founded upon the hope of something," says Paul.

Rom 8:24 says: "Hope would not be hope at all if it's object were in view; how could man still hope for something which he sees?" We hope for heaven, however well disposed we might be spiritually, because we know we still have a chance to lose it.

The Catholic Church teaches we must die in sanctifying grace in order to be saved. Any mortal sin leads to a loss of sanctifying grace and the risk of eternal damnation if we should die in this state.

My answer would be......"I am redeemed, and like the apostle Paul, I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling, with hopeful confidence- but not with a false assurance. And I do all this as the Catholic Church has taught, unchanged, from the time of Christ."

[RCWarrior]

The word "personal" Lord and Savior is not in the Bible.  Luther had started this "personal" thing in the 1500's.

[RCWarrior]

Christina please check my post in the commonly taught doctrines about salvation.

[Christina]

Christina please check my post in the commonly taught doctrines about salvation.

how come?

[RCWarrior]

What do you mean, how come?  Because I basically wrote what you wrote.  Why don't you just read it first about what I wrote about salvation?

[cajunrick]

The word "personal" Lord and Savior is not in the Bible.  Luther had started this "personal" thing in the 1500's.

I understand, but belief that we need a personal relationship with Jesus is not against the teaching of the Church.  Note that I said that I am saved today because I accept Jesus, which includes doing God's will especially by caring for the least of God's people.  I continue to be saved by continuing to do God's will.

I am using their own language in a way that conforms it to Catholic theology.  I am not afraid to say I am saved, and I am not afraid to say I accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, with the caveat that it is not enough for salvation.  My statement rejects "once saved, always saved" and sola fide as necessities or even descriptions of salvation, but uses them as part of the description of a life-long faith journey.

[RCWarrior]

Well, I do not know one Catholic, and I know a lot who ever would say "Jesus Christ as my "personal" Lord and savior".  That is a well known Protestant statement.

If you have read Luther's Biography, which I have, you will find it in there.  That he and he alone made that statement up.  Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is what I have heard.  not the "personal" word.  There is no such statement in the Catholic religion.  Because Luther is famous for that statement.."personal".

I have studied Catholicism for the past 12 years and it's history, along with other religions.  They have the half truths while we have the whole truth.

[cajunrick]

Well, I do not know one Catholic, and I know a lot who ever would say "Jesus Christ as my "personal" Lord and savior".  That is a well known Protestant statement.

I understand.  But if you are going to discuss faith with Protestants, you have to be willing to speak their "language" as long as it is not contrary to Catholic teaching.

Faith is a personal act but not an isloated act (CCC166), so it is not incorrect to say that I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.  Jesus is Lord, but he is also my Lord.  The fact that it is not a commonly used phrase in Catholic teaching does not make it false.

Salvation is a life-long journey that begins at my conception with the creation of my immortal soul, and ends when I enter the presence of the Most High God.  Therefore I was saved by my baptism, I am saved by my acceptance of Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, and I will be saved if I continue to do God's will for me to the best of my ability.

I have studied Catholic theology for most of the past 40 years, and last year I earned a Master's level certification in Pastoral Studies; I have been engaged in RCIA and apologetics ministry for nearly 20 years.  I'm not arguing credentials, but the statement I made is consistent with Catholic teaching and theology (even though it does not use common Catholic terminology).  The original question was how would I answer the question am I saved?  Well, a Catholic would never ask me that, so to answer in Catholic terminology would be a pointless answer since the question itself would never come from a Catholic.

[davidolivetti]

This is my first time in a chat room......I would advise you to say yes and smile and show God's love to Protestants. They too are part of the Body of Christ.
Remember...Christians are God's presence on earth. See God in those people... He is there. I come from a family where we studied Church History and did prayer hours every morning before school. I have studied our Church and continue to learn from it. Study history of our Church.

The most important thing to remember is God is in you and your Protestant bros and sisters. God is love. Show that to people when questioned. 

Respectfully,
David

[RCWarrior]

Well then please read my post in common taught doctrines about salvation.  If you truly are a theologian, you will agree with what I've written.  But I am sorry, I refuse to say "personal" because I know where it came from.  I also don't have to speak a Protestants understanding of faith when I have my own, and my own is the truth.

Ever try speaking to a Protestant??  It's like banging your head against a wall.  Although I have converted a few, there are ones that are so brainwashed, believe that Constantine started the Catholic faith, and believe we "worship" Mary etc...they try and take a few Scriptural sentences they think are damaging to Catholics, only to come back with the answers I have through the Grace of God and they are flabbergasted.  To be deep in history, is to cease to be Protestant.  Three words for them.  EARLY CHURCH FATHERS.

I have nothing against these seperated brethren brothers and sisters of ours, but it certainly is the other way around for Catholics.  I've met many who dislike us to no avail and Scott Hahn use to be one of them.  Thank God Mr. Hahn is where he should be.  He came home to Rome.

[RCWarrior]

David, I am very learned in my Catholic faith thank you.  I have studied history in my faith for years.  I don't know what you are talking about.  And please, when using capital letters, sounds like you are shouting.

[cajunrick]

I don't think it's fair to generalize like that.  While many do seek to proslytize, there are many who will fairly seek truth if you can get beyond the rhetoric which divides us.  Part of that process is to learn to speak to them in language they will accept, while not compromising Catholic teaching.  After all, most Christian beliefs are accepted by all Christians.  They have been taught falsely that we believe things that they don't, so using language they find acceptable to describe Catholic teaching knocks out the false teachings they have come to believe.

I do not pretend to be a theologian, but I have been studying theology and Catholic teaching for a long time.  I never said what you said was wrong, but what I said wasn't wrong, either.  We just used different terminology.

[RCWarrior]

Understood Cajun, do you see what my name is?  It is "Warrior".  If I seem to abrupt in my faith I will apolologize to noone, unless I truly offend them.  I am a "Defender" of the faith and I tell it like it is.  In layman's terms, and of course in the truth of Jesus Christ.  People listen to me because I am on fire, I say how it is and they like that.  I do not have a soft tone, but rather a direct tone that works.  I have saved several people from New Age to Protestanism.  Pardon me if I seem to boast, as I do not mean to do so but...it is what it is.

I know that Catholicism is what Jesus started, it is so obvious to even non-Catholics, but they pretend to not listen because Catholicism is too hard for them.  Our truth and doctrines means that lives have to be changed and people do not like that.  Pardon me, but quoting from a former Evangelical minister turned Catholic, Mr. Guy Doud says a certain denomination is nothing more than "cheap grace", with "blue jeans preferred".

If they only knew what I know, they would run to a Catholic church.  It is very frustrating when you know the true faith and no one listens.
Read Jeremiah Chapter 20, his Ulterior Crisis.  That is me.  He says he is mocked whenever he speaks of God, but at the end, Jeremiah knows God is with him.  That is one of my favorite Scriptural Chapters ever.