We know there are atheists who strive to do better and they are not saved. I am in agreement, with you we should as humans try to do our best. The only way to achieve our real best is to be saved by faith through grace, without which the striving, the works are meaningless. So your post is correct.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
"If you love me, keep my commandments"
- Thread starter Stella1000
- Start date
Stella1000
Well-known member
Even though Paul himself speaks of hope as one of the three greatest of all theological virtues with faith and love, nonCC's seem very deprecating of it. Reducing it to much less than it is and abandoning all sense of Gods supreme judgment who by His own whim could even save a humble pagan and reject a haughty, arrogant self professed Christian.So an RC can hope, and hope, and hope, doing all the RCC demands, only to find out, "Sorry, Charlie, yer outta luck! To the inferno with you!"
With that kind of "hope" (which is the flip side of eternal security), why not just "eat, drink, and be merry"? Any assurance you may think you have is merely the sin of presumption!
--Rich
"Esse quam videri"
Stella1000
Well-known member
Is it wrong to strive to imitate Mary, Peter, the Saints gone before us? That's the point of communing with the Saints in heaven. So that we can be more Christlike like them.Whom do you pray to, for "help in doing better"? Mary? St. Peter? Who?
Are nonCC's born again into full blown mature Christians in one instant? We don't believe in that. We recognise that we grow and that the impulse to be more Christlike is not a fruitless desire but a fitting desire. To that end the Church helps us in that way by the experience of the Saints gone before us.Not necessarily, but it should be more than a mere impulse. It should be a part of our being. We should always stive to do our best and we can, by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Are those who strived to keep God's commandments under the Mosaic law any different? If so, how? They didn't become full blown mature perfect keepers of God's law in one instant either. Thus your New Covenant is no better than the Old.Are nonCC's born again into full blown mature Christians in one instant?
Again, this is no different than those living under the Old Testament.We don't believe in that. We recognise that we grow and that the impulse to be more Christlike is not a fruitless desire but a fitting desire. To that end the Church helps us in that way by the experience of the Saints gone before us.