tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379975589471525252.post515543676974509843..comments2024-03-04T12:08:04.758-06:00Comments on Just a Catholic: Do You Have to Read the Bible to Get to Heaven?Shane Kaplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153846651783354285noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379975589471525252.post-79471969246317740112012-12-19T08:41:31.161-06:002012-12-19T08:41:31.161-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Shane Kaplerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00153846651783354285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379975589471525252.post-2982823204038450992012-12-19T07:53:40.359-06:002012-12-19T07:53:40.359-06:00JOHN 14:23-24 'If anyone loves me he will cher...JOHN 14:23-24 'If anyone loves me he will cherish my word...He that does not love me neglects my words.<br /><br />I personally believe that I cannot profess to love God and spend more time being entertained by worldly things than seeking Him. To be able to love God with all my heart, I think it is important that I know Him well. I mean, how can we truly love someone we don't know? And one of the best ways to know about God is through His Holy Scriptures. <br /><br />Of course, God will not love you less if you do not read the Bible or love you more if you do. Bible-reading is not a requirement, it is a gift that we can choose to take or neglect. Take it and you will grow spiritually. Ignore it and you will be easily deceived by the devil.Erin Pascalhttp://www.mycatholicblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379975589471525252.post-8140267679965059952012-12-18T21:32:26.686-06:002012-12-18T21:32:26.686-06:00Thank you for the comment. At one time I would ha...Thank you for the comment. At one time I would have explained the process of salvation and the place of works in the Christian life EXACTLY as you have above. The closer I read the N.T. though, I was forced to make adjustments. If you are interested I'll point you toward a September post titled, "Salvation, Catholic Style." I was coming to the view long before committing myself to Catholicism, but the Scriptural insights of the Church's saints and teachers have really helped me formulate it much more clearly. That post is an excerpt from Chp. 6 of my "The God Who is Love: Explaining Christianity From Its Center." It explains what is meant by terms such as "merit," and "grace," and looks at a ton of Scripture. Thank you again for stopping by. Shane Kaplerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00153846651783354285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379975589471525252.post-69996397406061662612012-12-18T20:43:39.167-06:002012-12-18T20:43:39.167-06:00Some very good thoughts, Shane! Christ is my Savi...Some very good thoughts, Shane! Christ is my Savior because I believe that He sacrificed Himself for my sins. And so I do as much good as I can as a thank-you response to Him. I do not do good to earn favor or merit, in fact, I think it is impossible to do so. My works are simply a response to what Jesus has done for me and in me. So..... I think I am in agreement with the priest who said that we must be godly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com