If I'm catholic, am I saved?
First, I want to mention that I was catholic before being a believer in Jesus, so that's one of the reasons why I'm writing this.
Well, something you may not know is that the catholic bible is different from the Evangelical Bible.
The evangelic Bible is the original Bible. Its books were preserved intact without carnal interference, in other words, without human reason (men) change it.
Of course, the Bible was written by the hands of men, but men full of the Holy Spirit and of the revelation of God. Servants of God used by Him.
The catholic bible has books called apocryphal which are books that don't have the Holy Spirit. For that reason it is not a Holy Bible, it is not anointed by God, and we cannot hear the voice of God in it.
The catholic church is very focused on Mary and on other "saints". Some catholics don't know that Jesus rose from the dead, they think He is dead. (I was one of these people)
Well, catholics also believe that there is something called purgatory when we die, which is a place where you will be judged and it will be decided if you will go to hell or heaven. Some say that they believe it is a place where you will be purified so you can go to heaven.
The truth that you must know is that purgatory isn't in the Bible. That was invented by a pope. The truth is that Jesus died for our sins and that salvation is not through our works, but through the blood of Jesus, through Grace. Through our faith in Jesus.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3: 16
"And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."
Acts 16: 30-31
"that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10: 9
"For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26: 28 NKJV)
"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." (Romans 5: 9 NKJV)
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
(Ephesians 1: 7)
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
(1 John 1: 7)
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."
John 5: 24
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
(John 17: 3 NKJV)
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast."
(Ephesians 2: 8 NKJV)
Once we die, what will be at stake is if we believed in Jesus Christ as our Lord or not. Our faith in Him during our life here is what will bring us to heaven.
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
John 3: 36
So, we don't need to pray for people after they died because their justification came during their lives here, in case they knew Jesus. Purgatory doesn't exist.
"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3: 18 NKJV)
Us believers, believe and follow the Bible, differently from catholics who follow the pope and the doctrines of catholicism.
In the Bible, God abhors the worship of images. Here are some, among many verses where God talks against images:
"They shall be turned back,
They shall be greatly ashamed,
Who trust in carved images,
Who say to the molded images,
'You are our gods'." (Isaiah 42: 17)
"Indeed they are all worthless;
Their works are nothing;
Their molded images are wind and confusion."
(Isaiah 41: 29 NKJV)
"Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men's hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them."
(Psalm 115: 4-8 NKJV)
"Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising.
"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,"
( Acts 17: 29-30 NKJV)
I used to worship statues. It was only after I read many parts in the Bible about this subject that I finally came to myself: "Hellooo!!! Statues are empty!!! Made of wood!!!" (Besides finding out that it doesn't please God at all!!!)
God was setting me free thru His Word and it took some time.
My grandmother told me that as a catholic, she was prohibited to read the Bible. And I've met pastors that when they were catholic, they were prohibited to touch an evangelical Bible. I met one that was a priest in the catholic church, before becoming a pastor, and that when he touched an evangelical Bible and began to find out all the truth, he made a trip to Rome to talk to important catholic bishops there, and he asked them why they don't say all the truth on the pulpit.
They answered that they can't because they have to obey the catholic doctrine. Some of them did not even know what he was talking about. They blindly believed in the pope and what they've learned, that they never even checked out to see if they were following the Truth or not. They did not know Jesus personally so they were not free.
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
(John 8: 32 NKJV)
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
John 8: 36
One more thing that I must point out is that Mary didn't die virgin, she had more children after Jesus, did you now that? Yes, it's in the Bible!! So she is not "virgin Mary". Also, she was human just like me and you, and she is not the mother of God, she was the woman chosen by God to conceive the body of Jesus. She died and never rose from the dead. The only one who has ever risen from the dead and never died again is Jesus Christ.
So Mary can't answer your prayers. The only one who can answer your prayers is Jesus Christ. He is the Only God. All the other disciples were human too. They do not hear you when you pray to them. They were sinners just like you and me.
"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,"
(1 Timothy 2: 5 NKJV)
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
(John 14: 6 NKJV)
"Nor there is salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
(Acts 4: 12 NKJV)
One more important thing is that, in the Bible, God teaches us that prayer should be a conversation with Him, not a repetition that you read a paper and keep repeating it every day.
"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
"Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."
(Matthew 6: 6-8 NKJV)
So, it is necessary to make a decision. Do you want to follow Jesus and leave your old traditions and doctrines behind? Do you want to live and walk in the truth and be set free from all the lies that you once believed?
I strongly recommend that you purchase an evangelical Bible. The New King James Version is very good.
If you would like that, here is a LINK
I remember the last time I entered a catholic church. It was so dark inside and I couldn't believe there was life there. It felt like it was all dead inside that church. I was already reading the evangelical Bible and being set free by His voice, His Word. So I could already discern the difference between light and darkness. I made my choice. I chose Light.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path."
(Psalm 119: 105 NKJV)
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
(1 John 1: 7 NKJV)
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
(1 Peter 2: 9 NKJV)
Below I am sharing a video from Fred Tarsitano, and I encourage you to go to this his channel on youtube and take a look at his videos!!! (Go to his YouTube channel clicking HERE.)
Well, something you may not know is that the catholic bible is different from the Evangelical Bible.
The evangelic Bible is the original Bible. Its books were preserved intact without carnal interference, in other words, without human reason (men) change it.
Of course, the Bible was written by the hands of men, but men full of the Holy Spirit and of the revelation of God. Servants of God used by Him.
The catholic bible has books called apocryphal which are books that don't have the Holy Spirit. For that reason it is not a Holy Bible, it is not anointed by God, and we cannot hear the voice of God in it.
The catholic church is very focused on Mary and on other "saints". Some catholics don't know that Jesus rose from the dead, they think He is dead. (I was one of these people)
Well, catholics also believe that there is something called purgatory when we die, which is a place where you will be judged and it will be decided if you will go to hell or heaven. Some say that they believe it is a place where you will be purified so you can go to heaven.
The truth that you must know is that purgatory isn't in the Bible. That was invented by a pope. The truth is that Jesus died for our sins and that salvation is not through our works, but through the blood of Jesus, through Grace. Through our faith in Jesus.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3: 16
"And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."
Acts 16: 30-31
"that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10: 9
"For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26: 28 NKJV)
"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." (Romans 5: 9 NKJV)
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
(Ephesians 1: 7)
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
(1 John 1: 7)
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."
John 5: 24
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
(John 17: 3 NKJV)
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast."
(Ephesians 2: 8 NKJV)
Once we die, what will be at stake is if we believed in Jesus Christ as our Lord or not. Our faith in Him during our life here is what will bring us to heaven.
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
John 3: 36
So, we don't need to pray for people after they died because their justification came during their lives here, in case they knew Jesus. Purgatory doesn't exist.
"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3: 18 NKJV)
Us believers, believe and follow the Bible, differently from catholics who follow the pope and the doctrines of catholicism.
In the Bible, God abhors the worship of images. Here are some, among many verses where God talks against images:
"They shall be turned back,
They shall be greatly ashamed,
Who trust in carved images,
Who say to the molded images,
'You are our gods'." (Isaiah 42: 17)
"Indeed they are all worthless;
Their works are nothing;
Their molded images are wind and confusion."
(Isaiah 41: 29 NKJV)
"Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men's hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them."
(Psalm 115: 4-8 NKJV)
"Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising.
"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,"
( Acts 17: 29-30 NKJV)
I used to worship statues. It was only after I read many parts in the Bible about this subject that I finally came to myself: "Hellooo!!! Statues are empty!!! Made of wood!!!" (Besides finding out that it doesn't please God at all!!!)
God was setting me free thru His Word and it took some time.
My grandmother told me that as a catholic, she was prohibited to read the Bible. And I've met pastors that when they were catholic, they were prohibited to touch an evangelical Bible. I met one that was a priest in the catholic church, before becoming a pastor, and that when he touched an evangelical Bible and began to find out all the truth, he made a trip to Rome to talk to important catholic bishops there, and he asked them why they don't say all the truth on the pulpit.
They answered that they can't because they have to obey the catholic doctrine. Some of them did not even know what he was talking about. They blindly believed in the pope and what they've learned, that they never even checked out to see if they were following the Truth or not. They did not know Jesus personally so they were not free.
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
(John 8: 32 NKJV)
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
John 8: 36
One more thing that I must point out is that Mary didn't die virgin, she had more children after Jesus, did you now that? Yes, it's in the Bible!! So she is not "virgin Mary". Also, she was human just like me and you, and she is not the mother of God, she was the woman chosen by God to conceive the body of Jesus. She died and never rose from the dead. The only one who has ever risen from the dead and never died again is Jesus Christ.
So Mary can't answer your prayers. The only one who can answer your prayers is Jesus Christ. He is the Only God. All the other disciples were human too. They do not hear you when you pray to them. They were sinners just like you and me.
"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,"
(1 Timothy 2: 5 NKJV)
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
(John 14: 6 NKJV)
"Nor there is salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
(Acts 4: 12 NKJV)
One more important thing is that, in the Bible, God teaches us that prayer should be a conversation with Him, not a repetition that you read a paper and keep repeating it every day.
"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
"Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."
(Matthew 6: 6-8 NKJV)
So, it is necessary to make a decision. Do you want to follow Jesus and leave your old traditions and doctrines behind? Do you want to live and walk in the truth and be set free from all the lies that you once believed?
I strongly recommend that you purchase an evangelical Bible. The New King James Version is very good.
If you would like that, here is a LINK
I remember the last time I entered a catholic church. It was so dark inside and I couldn't believe there was life there. It felt like it was all dead inside that church. I was already reading the evangelical Bible and being set free by His voice, His Word. So I could already discern the difference between light and darkness. I made my choice. I chose Light.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path."
(Psalm 119: 105 NKJV)
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
(1 John 1: 7 NKJV)
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
(1 Peter 2: 9 NKJV)
Below I am sharing a video from Fred Tarsitano, and I encourage you to go to this his channel on youtube and take a look at his videos!!! (Go to his YouTube channel clicking HERE.)
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