This is my last response to your blog post.
Mike said the following:
Postscript - The billboard in the photo gives decidedly mixed messages. Presumably Christians can agree that Jesus is Lord—whatever that means. But as we have seen, the claim of "coming soon" is decidedly suspect. Extending the incongruity, John 3:16 has nothing to do with the lordship of Jesus, nor of his return. It succinctly explains that God's great salvific act is an act of love; it is through love that God sent his Son, so that all who believe in him can be saved. It's a nice thought, even if it's unclear why "belief" is the criterion for salvation, and even if there's no evidence that it's true.
Why isn't it true? What's your proof? Only someone who doesn't believe in God would make that statement. Just because you've made the statement doesn't mean its not true. There is plenty of evidence proving that the Bible is true. You just have to know where to find it. There is only one truth. Something cannot be true and not true at the same time. Something that is true, is true whether you like it, want it, or believe it. Your personal feelings don't make it false.
I've made the argument that Jesus Christ is who He claimed be. I've made the argument that Jesus Christ is true God and true Man. I've made the argument that He is divine and human. He makes the rules. His Church makes the rules. If He says it, then its true whether you like it, want it, or believe it.
Jesus Christ says it's true! Matthew 10:32-33
32 “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; 33 but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
Salvation is more complicated than just believing in Him. That's a good start. There's a lot more.
Scripture teaches that one’s final salvation depends on the state of the soul at death. As Jesus himself tells us, “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt. 24:13; cf. 25:31–46). One who dies in the state of friendship with God (the state of grace) will go to heaven. The one who dies in a state of enmity and rebellion against God (the state of mortal sin) will go to hell.
This article also tells us that that we can lose our salvation. Paul confirms that.
“See then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off” (Rom. 11:22; see also Heb. 10:26–29, 2 Pet. 2:20–21).
But there's more...Salvation is a life long process, not just a one time event.
“Are you saved?” asks the Fundamentalist. The Catholic should reply: “As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:18, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13).”
https://www.catholic.com/tract/assurance-of-salvation
Here's the deal. Belief is just one of many criterion. That's where it starts. The Bible tells us that there are many criterion. The Bible also tells us that the opposite is also true. The opposite is to disobey the Son. That means to obey Him is part of believing.
John 3:36
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.
Jesus Christ confirms that.
Matthew 10:32-33.
32 “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; 33 but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
Steve Ray explains salvation in this video...He tells us that there are many criterion for salvation. Nobody ever said it would be easy. We have to work on it every day of our lives.
https://youtu.be/rY0MIEsvOes
Here are the criterion for salvation.
• By believing in Christ.
John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
Acts 16:31
30 Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
• By repentance.
Acts 2:38
The First Converts
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers,[i] what should we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 3:9
8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
• By Baptism.
John 3:5
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
1 Peter 3:21
18 For Christ also died[b] for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
Titus 3:5
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water[a] of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
• By work of the Spirit
John 3:5
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:6
5 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
• By declaring with your mouth
Luke 12:8
8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God;
Romans 10:9
9 because[b] if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
• By coming to knowledge of the truth
1 Timothy 2:4
3 This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Hebrews 10:26
26 For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
• By works
Romans 2:6,7
6 For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: 7 to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
James 2:24
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
• By grace
Acts 15:11
11 On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
Ephesians 2:8
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—
• By his blood
Romans 5:9
9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.[
Hebrews 9:22
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
• By his righteousness
Romans 5:17
17 If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:1
To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:[c]
• By his Cross
Ephesians 2:16
16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body[c] through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.[d
Colossians 2:14
14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. Father Mike Schmitz keeps it simple in this short video.
https://youtu.be/TT4JAxfhgcQ
He asks the question...
Good people go to heaven when they die, right?
Well according to the Gospels, not exactly.
Fr Schmitz points to at least 4 things Christ says we need for salvation.
1. Baptism (John 3)
2. The Eucharist (John 6)
3. Faith (Romans 10:9)
4. Doing the Father's will (Matthew 25:31-46)
There you have it. That all comes straight from the Gospels. It's true because Jesus Christ says it's true. Not something like this fairy tale that you give your readers.
Nowhere, as you have stated in the past, do the Gospels say to, "be a good person" and its probably better that way because everyone has a different idea of what is good. If Jesus Christ will be judging us, what criteria will He use? But what is His definition of good? Where is that in the Gospel?
Christ has given us everything we need to achieve salvation. His life and His teachings are well documented. When we do His will, we are being good. Being a good person comes as a result of our love for God. This is all about His Love for us, and our love for Him. When we love Him, we do all that He commanded through His teaching in the Gospels. It starts with believing in Him. How do you love someone if we don't believe in them?
Get to know Him! Not by your standards, but by those of His Holy Church as professed in the Bible!
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