I have been part of a number of Christian denominations. To make a long story short, through scripture study, prayer, learning Church History and applying my mind to finding the truth, I ended up back where I began; in the Catholic Church. I understand that there are many wonderful Christian people across the gamut of denominations; each of us must work at our own level of understanding and out of our own experiences to progress in our spiritual journey. I have recently seen some interesting things happening among my Protestant friends as they progress in virtue and knowledge.
The thing that prompted this blog is the scripture verse postings that I have seen lately on Facebook from my friends. The theme of personal responsibility and future judgement of believers keeps popping up. This theme never seemed to come up in sermons at the Protestant churches I attended. The focus always seemed to be how Jesus forgives everything. Nonetheless, my Christian friends are coming to the conclusion that there is more to salvation than saying a formulaic prayer.
For example, I saw this passage from Matthew 12
33 “Either declare[w] the tree good and its fruit is good, or declare the tree rotten and its fruit is rotten, for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 [x]You brood of vipers, how can you say good things when you are evil? For from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness, but an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of evil. 36 [y]I tell you, on the day of judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak. 37 By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
It is apparent that my friend realizes that the words we speak are important, that we (believers) will be judged for the things we say.
On another occasion I saw Luke 9:62 quoted.
Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”
This passage implies that we are supposed to continually progress in our spiritual lives and not go back to our old ways.
The Catholic view of salvation is that it is an ongoing process which begins with baptism and continues throughout our lives as we cooperate with the grace God offers us and progress to become more and more Christlike.
As a Protestant I was taught to view being saved as the moment where I asked Jesus to be my savior. The focus of instruction was to learn scriptures and pray, but there was seldom an exhortation to stop sinning. I even had some get angry with me for suggesting that it is possible to stop sinning altogether by God's grace.
It seems, however, that my friends are discovering in the words of Jesus an exhortation to think, say, and do the things He commands. As Luke 6 tells us;
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? 47 [o]I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. 48 That
one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the
foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that
house but could not shake it because it had been well built. 49 But
the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house
on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it
collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”
The foundation on which our faith holds is doing the things which we know are right, following Jesus by doing what He said to do. This is not a new and novel idea, but I see in my friends' growth that they are discovering by experience what was there all along.
