yes
though I dont know if it took because she had to then work out her own salvation and I wasnt there 24/7 to disciple her. But she did start being interested in Jesus more, and reading the Bible.
At least we do know the One who is there 24/7.
I say whatever God tells me to say and the rest is up to Him.
with catholics it seems they believe in a very works based salvation, their church is so rigid its like they earn merit points so they can enter heaven.
That's something I've never been able to figure out as to where they get all that. The Bible doesn't teach that. Granted, there is confusion when it comes to our English versions that use the same word for different Greek meanings. You have already hit upon it, which is "works."
James said:
[Jas 2:14, 17-18] 14 What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not
works? can faith save him? ... 17 Even so faith, if it hath not
works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have
works: shew me thy faith without thy
works, and I will shew thee my faith by my
works.
Those are some of the go-to verses my RCC friends believe back up their beliefs about the sacrament works. They do Bible studies, but their studies are based upon the colored lenses in the materials they get from their religious leaders for their Bible studies, and it involves those apocryphal books. Their study materials never seem to talk about the difference between the natural outflow of good works from a heart filled with the fruits of the Spirit of God, and physical good works to earn merit with others and their religion. They don't see the distinction between works of the law, works of service to one another, and works under the merit system of their sacraments.
Perhaps your acquaintance may benefit by understanding those distinctions. If she wants to have a more firm grip on her salvation evidenced through the fruits of the spirit without the amalgam nonsense of purgatory and sacraments, which is nowhere talked about in the Bible, this may assist in her migration toward a more biblical faith as opposed to man-made traditions.
So to share that God is a gracious and loving Father instead of a massive guilt tripper out to get them and that they have an advocate in Jesus who suffered and died for their sins is really new for them.
Oh, but this is true. It will be wonderful getting to know the real Mary in eternity. She was a godly woman, and yet also a fallen human, as she demonstrated when complaining to Jesus that the wine had run out at a wedding celebration:
[John 2:4] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
He didn't address her as anything but by her gender when addressing her as her Creator. He never was anything or anyone other than the Creator. Even as a child, the religious leaders marveled at Him without realizing they were hearing words from their Creator. Oh, if only they had known Who was speaking to them, but the time for that revelation had not yet come.
catholics are used to getting absolution by lying about what they did in the confession box, the more elaborate the lie, the more rosaries they say, the more flagellation, grovelling, tithes or whatnot, the better they feel.
You know, deep within each of us is a desire the Lord placed within us to do good. The emotional benefits we get from doing good and the satisfaction derived from the rewards and earnings reaped from hard works, those are good things from which we greatly benefit. What's tragic is that the deeply embedded desire for reward from good works can also be triggered from false teachings. We are created in God's image, but our fallen nature is such that our fallen nature also allows those most deep and profound reactions to good things can be so easily fooled.
How to explain this...it's sort of like sex. The act releases hormones that satisfy the body. Sinful sex releases the same hormonal benefits as good sex within the confines of God's moral absolutes. If that were not true, then there would be no homosexuals in the world, for they would not get any benefit from immoral conduct in that part of life. Sex would only be an act for pro-creation when a couple was ready for a baby.
MM