Can a orthodox or catholic be a born again Christian?

[JosephK]

Oh, you guys...

[Mortimer]

Do Catholics read the Holy Bible or do they have a different Bible? I have to say that I view Catholicism as somewhat cult like. I know that many Catholics believe all Protestants are going to hell because they are the real church and Protestantism if a false church . This is a problem if they put more of their faith in church rather than God. The church is the bride of Christ. On the other hand, I have met some Catholics who I can tell are definitely born-again Christian. One must be born again to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

I think the New Testament is identical but I was told that Catholics incorporate some texts in the Old Testament which Protestants removed or dont. I use the German Einheitsübersetzung. That is translated by a group of both catholics and protestants for the german speakers.

[Joso]

Justification by works is predicated on imputation of righteousness, which is in Christ alone (Hebrews 10:1-14), and regeneration (Titus 3:5). The wicked--i.e., those in the flesh, those without Christ--cannot please God (Matthew 7:18, Romans 8:7-8).

The Bible does teach some believers will be saved without good works; those works will be burned up in judgment (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).

What about the law(Things like the ten comandments)?

[Loki]

Do Catholics read the Holy Bible or do they have a different Bible?

Their Bible is the same essentially, but they have more books -- a handful that were not included in the Protestant canon, but exist separately as the Apocrypha or Deutero-Canonical books. These books don't make much of a difference in theology actually between Catholics and Protestants. They are from the Old Testament.

[Loki]

Absurd statement.

There's nothing absurd about what he said. It's the truth. One must be born again to enter the kingdom of God, not be a member of a certain church. That is superficial.

[Loki]

The apostles received "the keys to heaven" from Jesus Christ. Not all christians did. Jesus picked only a handful of Apostles. Right? So they are saints, why is it wrong that someone is a saint or that there are no saints?

No, actually Jesus made this universal to all who would come to faith in him -- he made those promises to all believers. It would have not been very effective it was only for those apostles he knew... they didn't live very long! But no, Jesus saves people in every generation and he raises up saints in many places to do the works of God and spread the gospel. When the New Testament speaks of "saints", it is referring to Christians; believers in Jesus. All those Christians who live for God and will go to heaven one day are God's saints.

[JosephK]

I know that many Catholics believe all Protestants are going to hell because they are the real church and Protestantism if a false church

I have never heard such a thing in my life. It's always the other way around. I cannot imagine a Catholic believing anything like that, it's a particularly Protestant viewpoint.

Catholics don't go around trying to convert or 'save' people.

[Richmondbread]

I have never heard such a thing in my life. It's always the other way around. I cannot imagine a Catholic believing anything like that, it's a particularly Protestant viewpoint.

Catholics don't go around trying to convert or 'save' people.

I have heard a Priest say this in an interview on the radio. Perhaps not all Catholics believe this way, but some see Protestants are "rebellious Christians". However, it was a righteous rebellion. Martin Luther was right, even though he was a little bit harsh on the Jews, but he was definitely based.

[Wanderer]

Justification by works is predicated on imputation of righteousness, which is in Christ alone (Hebrews 10:1-14), and regeneration (Titus 3:5). The wicked--i.e., those in the flesh, those without Christ--cannot please God (Matthew 7:18, Romans 8:7-8).

The Bible does teach some believers will be saved without good works; those works will be burned up in judgment (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).

I think you can be saved without good works generally but it is not the rule. If you are a wrong doer, you should be scared of God. It is called "Fear of God" for some reason.

Unfortunately, I think the way I worded it in my previous post was not ideal. You are NOT saved by anything you do. Salvation is plainly "not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9). Salvation is based on what Jesus Christ did for His elect (John 5:21, 25; 10:11). Man cannot contribute to his salvation, just like dead men cannot raise themselves (John 11).

The Bible speaks of justification by works (James 2, which is a very contested portion of Scripture; Luther at one point wanted James removed from the Bible but eventually accepted it) but legal justification is not in view, as legal justification is established in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Good works can only justify to the conscience that one is a born again child of God. The book of 1 John also has a lot to do with assurance of salvation.

[Mortimer]

Unfortunately, I think the way I worded it in my previous post was not ideal. You are NOT saved by anything you do. Salvation is plainly "not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9). Salvation is based on what Jesus Christ did for His elect (John 5:21, 25; 10:11). Man cannot contribute to his salvation, just like dead men cannot raise themselves (John 11).

The Bible speaks of justification by works (James 2, which is a very contested portion of Scripture; Luther at one point wanted James removed from the Bible but eventually accepted it) but legal justification is not in view, as legal justification is established in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Good works can only justify to the conscience that one is a born again child of God. The book of 1 John also has a lot to do with assurance of salvation.

I think you cannot be saved by works if you do not believe in jesus christ. True. But if you believe but you are a wrong doer you will not be saved either usually. As the new testament often says "murderers, homosexuals, liers, false witnesses" will burn in hell. I think the catholic church doesnt teach that you can be saved by works alone like the jews do.