The Assurance Question

I was reading a post by a friend and fellow blogger tilted "You can know that you are saved"
I was simply going to leave a comment but the issue is so in depth that I thought I would address it here. I encourage all of you to read Mark's article first.

While I see Mark's understanding based on the Scripture he presented, it's important not to exclude relevant Scripture.

Before addressing more directly the doctrine of "assurance of salvation", I need to first make a few clarifications that may remove or limit confusion. The Catholic position is not that God would arbitrarily withhold salvation. Nor is the Catholic position that one earns salvation. Salvation cannot be earned, however we are free at any time to renounce our inheritance.

Reformed Protestants say that if I am regenerated and have saving faith, I have infallible assurance of salvation. Not even serious sin has any effect on this assurance. I could tell a white lie or murder someone and it does not impact my salvation. The out of course, is the claim that "real saving faith" is followed by good works and the process of sanctification.

Here is where it get sticky. In order to verify my elect state, I need to do good works. The more good works I do, the more my elect status is confirmed. It boils down to this: how do we know if we are really saved or not? Often it's anyone who agrees with my interpretation is of the elect. Anyone who does not, isn’t.

The Catholic position is not based on subjective feelings of being regenerated without tangible evidence; the human heart is deceitful. We know we are sons and daughters through baptism. But sons and daughters can and do rebel and some do not return repentant. It's not impossible for a one time professing believer to decide they wish to abandon their faith.

We did not get free will on our own; it is God's gift. If man has no free will, and is saved apart from any cooperation with grace, then the reprobate is also damned apart from any free will.

Mark writes: "All of my Catholic friends express that you can’t know until the end. However none of them can bolster that belief without going to extra-biblical sources which at that point disagree with Scripture"

While I won't cite any extra-biblical sources, I have deliberately avoided reference to scriptural passages because those who oppose my position have read their Bible’s too and have certain ways of interpreting away any passage I may use. Any reference to, or warning against falling away is simply passed off as referring only to those who outwardly appear Christian but are not really in the elect.

But this is reading one's own theology into the text. The Catholic can simply read the text for what it says. For example: Romans 11:22: " … provided you continue in His kindness, otherwise you too will be cut off." I simply believe this means if you do not continue in His kindness you will be cut off. But if one wishes to say it really means that one was not really in His kindness to begin with etc., it still gives the same net result, it just takes more words to get there.

Don't forget Lucifer (Satan) - abided in Heaven, knew God Himself, lived with God Himself yet he was not "saved"

Judas was one of the 12 chosen apostles. He looked into the eyes of Jesus. He followed Jesus. Was he saved?

How can we be assured of our own salvation if St. Paul wasn't (1 Corinthians 9:27)?

Salvation is not a "one time" event, but an ongoing process until "the end" (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13).

For those who require more Scriptural proof, here are a few of the passages that warn against falling away:

Matthew 6:12-15
Matthew 18:21-35
Luke 8:13
Luke 12:42-46
Luke 15:11-32
John 6:66-71
John 15:1-10
John 17:12
Romans 8:13
Romans 14:15-23
1 Corinthians 9:23-27
1 Corinthians 15:1-2
1 Corinthians 10:12
2 Corinthians 11:2-3
2 Corinthians 12:5
Galatians 5:1-4
Galatians 6:7-9
Colossians 1:21-23
1 Timothy 5:21
1 Timothy 1:5-6
1 Timothy 1:19-20
1 Timothy 4:1
1 Timothy 6:10
Hebrews 3:12
Hebrews 6:4-6
Hebrews 10:23-29
Hebrews 2:1
2 Peter 2:20-22
Revelation 22:19