Of course, you're right, Bob ... but when I talk about a person's fruits I'm not just talking about the "good things" they do. I have personally led several Catholics to repentance at least one of whom has decided to stay WITHIN the Catholic church to be better able to witness to her family members (since if she left the church they would automatically tune out anything she said.) Even though she has remained in the church she regularly seeks out fellowship with other Christians and two of her extended family members have been asking her what is "different" about her. Another of my "good Catholics" came to repentance and is SLOWLY working her way out of the Catholic church because of the heavy indoctrination Catholics are given that to leave the (Catholic) church is the same as leaving God. She is now attending two church services a week ... one Catholic and one Independent Baptist.
So ... I'll see your two cents and raise you two more! Hee Hee!
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"I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to His holy people." Jude 3 Joyce
"I know several good Catholics and, if the Scriptures are true and "by their fruits ye shall know them" then these folks are Christian to the core."
I interpet this verse as meaning just as it says. "by their fruits ye shall know them". Knowing someones fruit even if their fruit is good does not automatically qualify them as a Christian. The world is full of people who do good things, good works, live a good life, give to charities, help their neighbors, etc., etc., etc. But, if they have not repented of their sins, and as the Lord Jesus to be their Savior, they are not saved, they are just good people. That in my estimation is the biggest problem with some of the denominations today. As for example, the Methodist church teaches and lives by the belief that they can just all get along and do good towards their fellow man/woman and they are being Christian and will get to Heaven. Unfortunately they are "dead" wrong.
Just my 2 pennies worth
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A preacher in those days, when he felt God called him to preach, didn't hunt up a college or seminary, he hunted up a good horse, took off across the country and began crying "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world"!
I've just finished reading the new article on the site questioning whether the Catholic Church is truly Christian. I've been torn about this for quite some time now but I guess I've come to this conclusion: The Catholic Church is NOT Christian. Some Catholic PEOPLE are. Here's how I reach this conclusion: All the things said about the doctrines and dogmas of the Catholic Church published in the article are true, therefore the Church is not Christian. That said, there are many Catholic people who really don't understand what their church teaches. Every week they hear a teaching from the OT and one from the NT and that teaching usually is about some aspect of Jesus' life. They aren't theologians and (until 50 years ago) were actively DISCOURAGED from reading and studying the Scriptures for themselves. They simply listen and love Jesus, not understanding the ins and outs of doctrine or even the catechism they were taught to parrot back as children. Even if they can STILL say the words, those words were learned by rote and have little meaning until they stop and LISTEN to what they're saying (and the catechism itself isn't bad ... it's the teachings and traditions that have grown up around it!) I know several good Catholics and, if the Scriptures are true and "by their fruits ye shall know them" then these folks are Christian to the core. One thing I think we all need to take into consideration when asking whether the Catholic Church is Christian is ... many of our OWN basic traditions come from things the Catholic Church introduced in the early centuries of Christianity ... so, if the Catholic Church is NOT Christian, how many of OUR traditions are ALSO not Christian? More on another post.
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"I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to His holy people." Jude 3 Joyce
