What is the largest Church in America?

If they do, it would be in spite of the Catholic Church, not because of it. The RCC teaches no such doctrine.

 

they may think they 'know' Jesus... but does Jesus 'know' them?

Matthew 7:22-24
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

being a saved Christian is about obeying the Word of God. Jesus' sheep hear His voice and they follow Him...

catholics follow their god, which is the catholic church and they follow it... you cannot serve 2 masters... you will either love the one and hate the other...

John 10:5
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

true disciples follow Jesus and not the voice of a stranger. the pope is a stranger. the catholic priest is a stranger. the catholic church is a stranger. they are all 'strange' to the Word of God...

Romans 6:16
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

catholics obey the church and reject the Word of God. when you reject the Word of God, you reject Christ... He is the Word of God... John 1:14

prime example is calling priests (holy) father and calling the pope, Holy Father... Jesus said do NOT do this... but yall do it anyway... why. your god is the catholic church instead of the true and living God of the Bible...

 

Have you ever been Catholic? Because I've heard differently from several evangelicals who are former Catholics.

 

I believe what the Catholic Church teaches about the new birth. However, as a Baptist I trully believed in what the Baptist church teaches about the new birth. I gave my life to the Lord Jesus and was baptised. The Lord gave me a new spirit and I know I had become a Christian as a Baptist. I am deeply indebted to the Baptist church for presenting Christ to me. The Catholic Church never disputed that I was already a Christian when I converted. As a Catholic Christian I have grown a lot spiritually and I have no doubt that I made the right decision.

 

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I am solidly evangelical. I'm not a Catholic, and for very good reasons. Still, when we make claims like that, we're painting with a broad brush.

 

I was a Catholic for 20 years and never heard the gospel preached once.

 

Ah. Okay. Just wondering.

 

if a catholic gets saved.. they will come out of that church as commanded in Rev 18:4... again it goes back to obeying Christ...

 

sorry, i posted to your comment but was referring to l4d...

 

Well, I am glad you have a sense of humor. It would be a very gloom world if we lacked a sense of humor.

 

If you believe that the new birth = baptism, or baptismal regeneration, as the RCC teaches, then of a necessity you must repudiate what you believed as a Baptist. It is called apostasy. You can't believe in both at the same time.
However you did say: "I gave my life to the Lord and was baptized."
A baptist does not believe that baptism is a part of salvation or necessary to salvation. If you believed that as a Baptist, it is doubtful that you are saved even to this day. Salvation is in Christ alone. Baptism has nothing to do with it.

 

'giving your life to the Lord', is good but thats actually just a command that we are to obey.

Romans 12
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

giving your life to God would be an act of obedience after becoming justified with the Lord.

but i cant see a biblical record of where it would justify anyone. the Word says we have to believe on Him and repent and follow Him. believing also includes believing the Word of God. the demons 'believe' that He is God and they are not justified.

Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

 

No, as a Baptist I believed that baptism was an ordinance and not a sacrament (as Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Orthodox, Catholics, etc. believe) and that it had nothing to do with salvation.

 

If baptism was an ordinance only a couple years ago, how can it change into a sacrament now? How does that make sense?
If salvation was by grace through faith only a couple of years ago, how is it through baptism now? How does that make sense?
If one was justified by faith a couple of years ago, how is one justified by works today? How does that make sense? (That is the doctrine that upset Luther).
If one could go straight to Christ as a priest himself--right before the throne of God, a couple of years ago; why does he or she need a human priest in order to reach God now?

Too many contradictions.
When I trusted Christ as my Savior the Holy Spirit came and dwelt within me. It wasn't a matter of having a religion, but rather a relationship with Christ. Christ spoke to me through His Word. I could speak to him through prayer. This was no religion; it was a relationship with Christ that changed my life, and the best church that reflected best the doctrines of the Bible was the Baptist church. Once I began to study the Bible I knew I had to leave the RCC for at every page its doctrines were contradicted by the wonderful truths of God's Word. It was either the Bible or the RCC. It could not be both. I was glad to find a church that preached the Bible, and it happened to be IFB.

 

GE:
Does one's 'personal', 'reborn'-relationship with the Lord depend on 'doctrine' or run parallel with doctrine? I don't think so. I believe by far the majority of God's true children would not even KNOW about 'doctrine'. 'Doctrine' in most cases is an ugly, unchristian and un-Christ-like thing.

 

GE:
Amen! That's the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

 

Sure sounds like you are questioning my salvation again, DHK. I say I have repented of my sins and follow Jesus as Savior and Lord and you say that is impossible.

BTW, are all Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc. hell-bound as well? They believe baptism is a SACRAMENT. They believe, as we do, that it initiates a person into a covanental relationship with Christ which must be accompanied by faith. My church teaches that we are saved by grace.

Well, kids, not much new here. I think I'll continue to visit this board but continual posting here is taking up time I think could be better used by the Lord in other ways.

 

This is why I'm not one of the "all Catholics are going to hell" people. There is no reason a Catholic can't have faith in Christ and repentance of sin. I believe we are saved by faith alone, not faith alone plus believing in sola fide. And yes, DHK questioned your salvation again. I guess the rules don't apply when you're a moderator.