I am today a Presbyterian however I was a Roman catholic most of my life. I left that church in 2006 because I was very disillusioned with the papacy of Joe Ratzinger. I believed he was turning the church back 50 years to a pre Vatican II mentality. I did not leave to become a protestant but I began exploring other Christian churches. In 2010 I began exploring the Reformed churches and I started to read about Calvin and Knox and I liked the Presbyterian church I am now a member. I started attending services in the summer of 2010 and I joined an inquirers class and I was received into my Presbyterian church by public affirmation of faith on October 24th 2010.
I said I did not leave to become a protestant but I now know the truth of the Gospel as it is taught in the Reformed faith and I would never return to Rome. Today I am Protestant in conviction and Reformed in doctrine.
Sola Scriptura—The Scriptures alone for matters of faith and practice
Sola Fide—justification by faith alone
Sola Gratia—by grace alone
Solo Christo—in Christ alone
Soli Deo Gloria—all to the glory of God alone
My Confessional Subscription Westminster Standards and the Reformed Book of Confessions.
I am very active in my Presbyterian church and I have been attending the bible class for 3 years every Thursday night. My conversion to Protestantism, keeps growing and I will share a letter I wrote to my associate pastor earlier this evening who is also my bible teacher.
David ,
I was caught in my own words last night when I said to you “I know now I will be saved” and you corrected me and said “no, I know I am saved.” I had to think about that. I had thought that my thinking had changed as a result of my Protestant Christian faith and my understanding and belief that the true Gospel is found in the Reformed faith and not in the Gospel as it is preached in the Roman catholic church.
I'm personally convicted by Scripture that true belief must flow from the gospel. ( Romans 1:16 )
I also now believe that the way that I understand the Gospel is that we are saved by faith alone apart from any works. I think that is the way that the Gospel needs to be preached and understood. If it is not, then it is a false Gospel and therefore anyone putting their faith in their own righteousness is believing in a false Gospel; which is what I now think the Roman catholic Gospel is, a false Gospel.
I realize now as an ex Roman catholic that I was brainwashed with teachings which were not biblical and defied the true message of salvation. I realized that today when I thought about my statement ‘I will be saved”! I thought I was free of the RC thinking and false theology that we are saved by faith and works. It is obvious by even this brief glimpse which I made back today in examining why I said that as I looked into the doctrines of mortal and venial sins, confession, penance, and purgatory, which I was taught as a catholic. I realized that the Roman Catholic Church has constructed one of the most unbiblical doctrinal systems that has ever been considered “Christian”. The fear, anguish, and religious bondage that such a system of “reward and punishment” creates, has tormented millions of lives for centuries, and continues to prey on those who are ignorant of the biblical way of salvation. It tormented me and it is one of the reasons I left the RCC in 2006 and began exploring other Christian churches.
I found tonight the following list of verses about being saved by faith. I took note that faith and works are contrasted. In other words, we are saved by faith "not by works" and "apart from works", etc. The point is that there are only two options. We are saved by faith alone or we are not. Since we have faith and works (both conceptually and in practice), then we are either saved by faith alone or by faith and works. There is no other option.
If we see that the scriptures exclude works in any form as a means of our salvation, then logically, we are saved by faith alone. I took a look at what the Bible says about faith and works. Then, afterwards, I looked again at James' statement about "faith alone" which was always used by the RCC a an argument against the Protestant doctrine of Justification by faith alone.
Rom. 3:28-30, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one."
Rom. 4:5, "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,"
Rom. 5:1, "therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
Rom. 9:30, "What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith."
Rom. 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
Rom. 11:6, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace."
Gal. 2:16, "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified."
Gal. 2:21, I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.
Gal. 3:5-6, "Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
Gal. 3:24, "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith."
Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. 9Not by works, lest any man should boast."
Phil. 3:9, "and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith."
Again, works/Law is contrasted with faith repeatedly and we are told that we are not justified by works in any way. Therefore, we are made right with God by faith, not by faith and our works; hence, faith alone.
James 2:24, not by faith alone
The scriptures clearly teach that we are saved (justified) by faith in Christ and what He has done on the cross. This faith alone saves us. However, we cannot stop here without addressing what James says in James 2:24, "You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone."
There is no contradiction. All you need to do is look at the context. James chapter 2 has 26 verses: Verses 1-7 instruct us not to show favoritism. Verses 8-13 are comments on the Law. Verses 14-26 are about the relationship between faith and works.
James begins this section by using the example of someone who says he has faith but has no works, "What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" (James 2:14). In other words, James is addressing the issue of a dead faith, a faith that is nothing more than a verbal pronouncement, a public confession of the mind, and is not heart-felt. It is empty of life and action. He begins with the negative and demonstrates what an empty faith is (verses 15-17, words without actions). Then he shows that type of faith isn't any different from the faith of demons (verse 19). Finally, he gives examples of living faith that has words followed by actions. Works follow true faith and demonstrate that faith to our fellow man, but not to God. In brief, James is examining two kinds of faith: one that leads to godly works and one that does not. One is true, and the other is false. One is dead, the other alive; hence, "Faith without works is dead," (James 2:20). But, he is not contradicting the verses above that says salvation/justification is by faith alone.
The Roman catholic church so grossly distorts the true message of salvation. I will practice saying now ‘I am saved” I pray that my sons and their families will someday see what I have seen. I bought them, each family, a bible, a catholic bible. (I did not want them to think I was trying to convert them.) I also bring them ‘Our daily Bread“” and I encourage them to read the bible. I told them we are now studying Romans in our bible class and suggested they read Roman’s also.
I can now say David as John says: “I confess that through my faith in Jesus Christ I have full assurance of salvation” (1 John 5:11-13).
I know now “I am saved” not that I will be saved. I think I am beginning to shed some of the last false teachings of Roman Catholicism which had lead me to loosing faith altogether. It was in finding the Reformed faith, reading Calvin and Knox and becoming a Presbyterian and attending your bible class that I have discovered the true Christian faith and the true message of salvation as it is in the scriptures.
I remember you saying one class session ‘it is awesome and great to be Protestant” I am now beginning to understand even better what you meant by that. I am thankful that I am now a Protestant. I am happy I am a member of the First Presbyterian church of Manasquan. I am thankful you are a friend , a teacher and a pastor to me.
Thank you David for helping me find and understand our Christian faith, I never really did before.
Dudley
PS I will stat being an usher at the 11 AM family service this Sunday. Bruce called me the other day. I want to become more actively involved in the church. So I will be an usher now , I hope in the future to be able to serve the FPCOM in other ways also.
Well said brother!
