Christian Denominations?

Question

I'm a Lutheran and i was wondering if as long as you believe in Jesus no matter what denomination you are, will you go to heaven? And also for Catholics even though they pray to Mary (not meaning to offend any Catholics)? Please give me reasons to your answers.

Answer 1

Just believing in Jesus without living a real faith by grace will get the mortal sinner further away from Christ and not closer. Presumption is not the same as living in faith by a lived trust in Christ's merits The Commandments of Christ are not a minor appendage to grace,but are necessary parts of the lfe in salvation. Living Christ's Grace is more important than denominational labels. We have to live in the gospel promises.
" There are no grandchildren of God-only children." We cannot rely on the emotional experience of "receiving Christ" if we choose to abandon Him through immoral and evil living and spiritual self-starvation..
Asking other members of the Body of Christ does not create a barrier to Christ's One Mediation. If the graced deceased are "absent from the body,present to the Lord", then we should ask them to join in prayer with us to Christ and since Mary is Jesus' Mother then we should ask her to be a prayer-partner with us too.
Not everyone who cries "Lord.Lord" will enter the kingdom(Mt7:21). Faith without works is dead(James2;24-26) .Those who persevere to the end will be saved(Mt 24:13)

Answer 2

Whether or not you THINK you get into heaven seems to depend more on your concept of God's nature then what denomination you are in, or even what religion you practice, or if you think you practice any religion at all. If you think God is a being who is looking to exclude people from his love, then try to follow the rules closely, if you can determine what they are, very closely. If you think God is a loving and accepting being, then try to be like him as best you can.
Catholics may pray to Mary, but they pray to her as an intermediary, not as God. They believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, has influence and can intercede for them, much as a lobbyist does in Congress, yet we never ask if people think the lobbyist is the President.

Answer 3

Just to clarify on the Mary thing, "praying" means "speaking." We don't praise/worship Mary (obviously she's not divine) -- we just speak to her, asking her to pray to God on our behalf. It's like asking someone else to pray for you if you're going through a hard time. Nothing wrong with that.

I believe that it takes more than just believing in Jesus, however. You can believe that Jesus existed and not be sent straight to Heaven with a free pass. You've gotta live your life to the fullest and do good works here on earth as well. Essentially, I think you have to be a good person, regardless of faith.

Answer 4

Denominations do not save people, nor do non-denominations. We are saved by Christ through our faith in him. It is this relationship with him we continually strive to improve even though no improvement by human hands is possible. We then determine that our worship of God should fit the mold of the earliest believers.
"I have become all things to all men so that in the end some might be saved." We carry the words of Christ to each non-believer into the place he lives. How odd it would appear to first believe and then be transported to an alien place for instruction, being taught that God is for all men at all times and in every circumstance. With the Bible as our source of knowledge of God our example should reflect harmony with those who first learned and the doctrine we teach should be in harmony with every word God has revealed.

Answer 5

Let me ask you. You own a business with several employees. One doesn't listen to you or follow your directions and is not a relative. This one does accept your checks eagerly. Do you keep him on the payroll?

What we like in all the denominations doesn't matter. What matters is pleasing God in the way He approves. There is only one way God has shown He wants to be worshipped in the Bible. It is up to us to find and do.

Matt. 7: 13-14 shows Jehovah knew of different religions would be forming and Jesus here says the way to destruction is like an interstate, able to handle large crowds, but the path to God and his ways is small and only a few find and travel that path. So yes, it does matter what and how you believe.

Answer 6

The best way to get to heaven is to bring your actions in line with what your conscience says is right. That approach will lead you step by step to greater amounts of truth and greater faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. To speed up the process, faithfully study the teachings of Christ.

This approach will ultimately lead you to understand a great deal more than most denominations can, such as why we're on this earth.

Answer 7

God didn't have a denomination. As long as you believe that Jesus was the sun of God that died on the cross for our sins and you ask him to forgive you your sins and you try to live by the Bible then no matter what your denomination you will go to Heaven.

Answer 8

It depends. Like, if you are a Lutheran, but you are inactive extremely and do drugs and have merdered a couple people, does that mean you can go to heaven (I don't mean to judge any murderers) but odds are, no. Yet, you can be a Lutheran who is intent and his studies. But if you are a religious person, whether you be LDS, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, or anything, you probably will go to heaven, but it depends what degree of heaven. Everyone has a chance though, I bet some Atheists will go to heaven... I hope I haven't offended any one, and I don't mean to judge or anything, just answering a question...

Answer 9

The important thing is are you are christian? Are you a follower of Christ.

My definition of Christian is a follower of Christ. Jesus Christ, who is God, became the one and only sacrifice for the salvation of mankind. - Jesus is God and there is one, not many paths that lead to God - Jn.3; Jn.14:5-6; Acts 2:21; Acts 4:12; Rom.10:10; Cols.1:20-22; Cols.2:13-15 After we die we go to our eternal reward of heaven or hell. - Salvation is not thru reincarnation or in living a pretty good life. - Whether we put our faith in Jesus while we lived on earth determines our eternal destiny. - No second chance after we die. No purgatory. When we die our destiny is sealed for ever. - Matt.3:12; Matt.25:41; Heb.9:27; Rev.20; Rev.21:27

According to Matthew 7, there will be those who stand before God and call themselves Christian but God will say "depart from me I never knew you". They were not building their lives on a Christian foundation or worldview. They were only Christian in name.

I can not pick and choose which parts of the Bible I will obey if I want to be a follower of Jesus!

A new generation of Christians are buying into the lie that you can be a Christian and pick and choose your values based on your own preferences instead of the absolutes of scripture.

Biblical absolutes, logic and reason are out of style and tolerance, choice and preferences are in.

This shift of worldviews has a great impact on our lives and church.

At one time the word "intolerance" was used for things such as racism but today it is being used against anyone who questions another person's values or belief system.

In the new worldview everything is relative. There is no right and wrong beliefs. There is no objective set of absolutes other then what the individual of community chooses.

The new measure of morality is "If it doesn't hurt anyone it is ok"

Of course this is all based on a lie. All sin hurts not only the individual but those around them and the very fabric of a society.

Anyone who claims to have absolutes is viewed as the new radical fundamentalists of society.

The scriptures, not the preferences of man are the basis for truth and so we have both authority and responsibility to speak and share our faith.

Ezek 3:18 When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.

The universal truth for all cultures and peoples is written in the Bible:

John 14:5-6 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

What have you decided about Jesus?

Have you embraced not only Jesus but his teachings? Are you living a biblical worldview?

Are you walking in obedience to the absolutes of His word as the authority in your life for the decisions you make?

If not, according to the Bible, you really don't love Jesus. Jesus said in John 14:15: "If you love me you will obey what I command". In other words if you love Jesus you will live by a Biblical worldview.

Answer 10

First, its not our decision as to who goes to heaven and who doesnt.

What I will say is that God see's the heart. I personally believe there are those in all denominations that truely love the Lord.