~Philippians 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

~Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The Bible says in Philippians 4:3 that our names can be in the Book of Life right now – while we are living.  The women that labored with Paul, Clement and Paul’s other fellow laborers’ names were all in the in Book of Life.  The Book of Life contains all the names of those who are born again and covered under the blood of Jesus Christ.

The catholic church, however, says it is a sin to presume that you are saved from God’s wrath and eternal damnation.  The catholic church teaches that after death, the catholic must go to purgatory to purge away any unconfessed sin before entering Heaven.   Therefore, the catholic does not have that assurance of when/if he will enter Heaven.

That’s not what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:3.  These believers’ names were already in the Book of Life.  There was no wondering with Paul.  It was stated as fact.  Dear catholic, please read your Bible.  It was given so that man could decide for himself where he will spend eternity.  The Bible was not left to the “knowledgeable and learned.”  It was left for all to read and come to the knowledge of salvation!  Don’t be one who leaves his eternal life in the Bible interpretations of another person.  Don’t have their knowledge but have your own.  God’s Word is truth – He will guide you to His truth.

~John 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

© Kate Plourde 2009

The Bible says:

~John 3:3 Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

For a devout catholic to say that he is saved, he would be commiting the sin of presumption.  The catholic catechism says:

There are two kinds of presumption. Either man presumes upon his own capacities, (hoping to be able to save himself without help from on high), or he presumes upon God’s almighty power or his mercy (hoping to obtain his forgiveness without conversion and glory without merit.” Pg. 507, #2092

What a conundrum for the poor catholic member!  As you can see, to say you are saved but are yet a catholic is like combining oil and water.  They do not mix because the born again believer is born of the Spirit while the catholic religion is based on traditions and magisterium.  The catholic magisterium state that man cannot presume that he is saved but the Bible says that you can know that you are saved.

The poor catholic is led to believe that they are born again the day they are baptized because this is what is read at the baptism.

“By the sacrament of Baptism, whenever it is properly conferred in the way the Lord determined and received with the proper dispositions of soul, man becomes truly incorporated into the crucified and glorified Christ and is reborn to a sharing of the divine life” (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism, chap. 3, II, 22, p. 427).

So the catholic sincerely believes that he is saved.  However, how can a baby repent of his sin?  How can a baby acknowledge that he is a sinner?  He cannot.  There is not one documented case in the Scriptures of a baby being baptized.  There is not even documentation that babies were ever dedicated to God in the New Testatment.

As a catholic, I knew about Christ but I did not know Him personally.  I always felt as though I was working my way to God.  But the Bible clearly states:

~Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.”

I can remember how good I felt after I did the Stations of the Cross, or went to confession and did my penance, or even gave money so I could light a candle.  All these things made me feel good but they never added one smidgen to my salvation.  Doing all these things made me feel good but I never had total peace and assurance that I was saved.  Why?  Because this assurance does not exist in catholicism – that would be guilty of the sin of presumption and, therefore, I was lost.

The catholic church did teach me about the Trinity, about Jesus’ life on earth, about His death on the cross and His resurrection.  However, I was never taught that I could be saved.  I was, however, taught that if I did all that was required of me (the sacraments, penance, the mass, etc.) I would go to purgatory and then I could enter Heaven.  In fact, not a priest could tell me how long I would remain in purgatory even if I died right after a good confession!  There is no assurance with the catholic church.  Therefore, how can a roman catholic be born-again and remain a roman catholic?

How can a catholic remain a catholic if he claims to be born again?  After all, the mass offers Christ up daily and He becomes their unbloody sacrifice.  But the Bible says in Hebrews 7:27 that Christ died once!  Hebrews 9:28 also says that He was offered once.  The catholic continues to go to confession but yet the Bible says that only God forgives sin.  The Bible says that only God can forgive sins (Mark 2:7 and Luke 5:21).  What about Mary?  1 Timothy 2:5 says that there is only one mediator between God and man and that is Christ!  The catholic church teaches that Mary is the mediatrix and they can go to her with their problems and prayers and she will petition God on our behalf.

So how can a catholic say he is saved but yet he remains in the catholic church?  He either denies the Bible because he trusts the catholic church or he will deny the catholic church because its teachings are not scriptural.  The Bible says that the born-again believer will have a new nature.  The Bible also says that we possess the Holy Spirit.  Would the Holy Spirit lie to us?  Absolutely not!  He would not teach us one thing in the Bible and then allow it to be different because the “church fathers” say so.  Jesus said,

~Matthew 12:25  And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

God’s Word would not command us one way in the Scriptures and then turn around and contradict itself through the teachings of the magisterium.  Surely you can see this!  Open your eyes, dear catholic, and trust in the Lord with all your heart.  It is He who shows us the way to salvation and provides the way.  None other!

My friend, use the brain that God gave you. Do not leave your eternal destination in the hands of man or a church. Take responsibility and search out the Scriptures! The picture above is of a petrified log – I took this at the Petrified Forest outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This wood is no longer living but is now petrified and is hard as solid rock. The catholic church is much like this petrified wood. It may have been living at its inception, but throughout the years its many compromises and heresies have caused it to become petrified. Jesus Christ brings life – a new life! Not a petrified one.

© Kate Plourde 2009

~Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ( 8 Not of works, lest any man should boast. (9)

The definition of grace is “undeserved kindness.” God shows undeserved kindness toward us by offering us the gift of His Son. We accept this Gift through faith. There is nothing I can do to earn a gift. I can earn a prize by winning a race. But I cannot earn a gift. A gift is something I do not have to earn … it is freely given to me. However, a gift cannot be given to someone unless that person receives the gift in his hands. Otherwise, the gift has not been received.

For example, it’s your birthday and I come to your party. I put your birthday gift on the table along with the others. You open all the gifts except mine and you leave mine on the table, untouched and unopened. My gift remains untouched and unopened for days. Did you truly receive my gift? Of course not. You don’t even know what it is. You have not opened it. The same goes for God’s gift of His Son to us. If we do not receive Christ by faith, you have not accepted the gift.

What is stopping you from this simple step? Are you afraid because you have to repent from your sin? You can’t ask God to forgive you of your sins and continue down the same path. That is not repentance. Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God. If you say you are saved but your mind still dwells on sin and not on God, you have not had a change of mind at all. All you did was pray a useless prayer. As we look back to our story about the birthday gift, notice how there is an action that must be taken by you in order for you to open that gift. You have to pick that gift up in your hands. The same goes with the gift of salvation. You have to be willing to repent of your sin and accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour through faith.

~Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Dear God…
Repentance is not an easy thing
It is difficult to understand
But I pray You would guide me in my quest
To understanding Your Simple Plan.

© Kate Plourde 2009

~John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Are you struggling with the gospel messages you have read thus far? You struggle dear friend because you are in darkness. Your sin has created a spiritual “film” – a darkness over your eyes. Your heart cannot see the blessed light which is shed on the Gospel because you have long lived in this darkness. Ask God to lighten your way and help you with your unbelief. As was previously written, you are not alone in your unbelief.

~Mark 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

There is no sin that has been sinned since creation of man that God cannot forgive. Jesus’ blood cleanses from ALL sin.

~1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

There is only one sin which will not be forgiven mankind and that is rejecting Christ as Saviour. The Holy Spirit’s job is to guide and direct us to the work of Jesus Christ and His shed blood on the cross.

~John 15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

If we deny the Holy Spirit’s guidance and do not accept Christ as our Saviour, this sin (blasphemy against the Holy Spirit) will not be forgiven and we bring upon ourselves condemnation and eternal life in the lake of fire.

~Matthew 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

Do not delay your decision. Today is the day you should get saved. God has led you to a point where you understand. Take heed before it is eternally too late.

~2 Corinthians 6:2b …behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Dear God…
Let not my head be darkened
With ideas and logic from friends
But let my heart seek truth and love
In Your Son’s precious nail-scarred hands.

© Kate Plourde 2009