Someone could think they are saved and not really be?
Yes, someone could think they are saved and not really be.
No one should doubt God's mercy!
No one should doubt Christ's merits!
Every person, when considering their own weaknesses and shortcomings, may have fear and apprehension.
Salvation is to be worked out "with fear and trembling"
While a believer may be certain that God intends their salvation, they cannot have an absolute, infallible certainty of their own salvation.
It is a relationship not a legal status. The relationship aspect is crucial, as faith itself is a personal relationship with the Trinitarian God, a response to His grace and revelation. This relationship is dynamic; it can grow stronger or weaken and even be lost.
The inability to know with absolute certainty is because the fullness of this relationship and its ultimate perseverance are gifts that depend on God's grace and our continued cooperation until the end.
Salvation is fundamentally a gift of God's mercy, which no human effort can merit.
God draws us to Himself by His sheer grace, transforming us and enabling us to respond to His love.
While grace respects freedom and is not imposed without consent, our acceptance of this gift depends on our cooperation.
This cooperation involves a serious interior effort to remove anything that might hinder the nutritive effect of grace in our souls.
The process of salvation begins with God's grace touching the sinner's heart and calling them to repentance, and man truly cooperates in his personal salvation.
While the faithful can rely on God's mercy and promises and be sure of His grace in Word and Sacrament, they may still be concerned about their salvation when they look upon their own weaknesses and shortcomings.
In summary, the lack of absolute certainty stems from the reality that while God's grace is always available and efficacious, human freedom allows for the possibility of rejecting that grace through sin, and the gift of final perseverance is not guaranteed without ongoing cooperation and vigilance.
To Receive Grace:
You can sure of His grace in Word and Sacrament. That means if I am concerned I can get grace from God by reading his word or the mass?
Yes, you can certainly receive grace from God by reading His Word and participating in the Mass. These are indeed privileged means through which God communicates His grace to us.
The Word of God, particularly as found in Sacred Scripture, is a living and effective word.
Both the Word of God and the Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, are vital channels of grace. They are not merely symbolic but are real encounters with Christ, who is present and active in them, bestowing His divine life and strengthening our faith.
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