A Catholic May Ask, "Can a Person Be Saved and Be a Criminal?"

 

Roman Catholics may ask, "Can a person be saved and be a criminal?" I remembered one article from Just for Catholics was called, "The Believing Murderer!" to talk about that. Also, I was once asked to ask my pastor on who is better between a Buddhist living a decent life and a Christian who is a rapist. Christian? Hmmm... maybe Roman Catholic though I don't want to deny that the late Jack Hyles' group was actually mired with sex scandals too. I don't want to deny the existence of the late Tony Alamo's sexual immoralities. I do believe that a murderer can be saved if he or she believes strongly enough but that person will depart from that lifestyle. The Apostle Paul was indeed a murder yet he got saved after Jesus called him to repentance on the way to Damascus. Paul put his trust in Jesus and got saved. So, yes I believe that a murderer can be saved but there will be a major change after that. A rapitst can be saved but can't remain a rapist.

So the valid objection that I'd like to address, "What if the person is a criminal by profession and claims to have Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior?" Well, that's a good question and I would like to say that James 2:14-26 says that such faith is a sham faith. 1st Corinthians 6:11 addresses the Corinthians that such were some of them (1st Corinthians 6:9-10) as people who were unrighteous. Why are people well thieves, effeminate, defilers of themselves with mankind, and all of the sins listed in 1st Corinthians 6:9-10? The answer is in Romans 3:10-19 that there's none righteous. When you think of it - nobody is righteous enough to inherit God's Kingdom. It's all by believing in Jesus that makes a person worthy of inheriting God's kingdom. If the person is such then the person is delivered from a lifestyle of sin. 

If the person says they're saved but live in such a wanton lifestyle - he or she is what Martin Luther labeled and Antinomian. Although Luther declared the Biblical truth that salvation was by faith alone - he ended up saying that it's by a salvation that's not alone or salvation that results in good works. Any person who claims to be saved but is living such a wanton profession like a drug dealer, murderer, rapist, and the like - I have every reason to consider the person to be an apostate. I'm not saying Christians are perfect or sinless. However, I'm stating that Christians may fall into a compromise with ungodliness but they will never, ever reach the level of such wicked lifestyles. It's one thing for a Christian to fall into sin - it's another for a so-called Christian whose lifestyle of wickedness and indifference to good works then I have no reason to believe the person is ever truly saved.

What's sad for me is that some Roman Catholics have failed to look at their own side. I read of Roman Catholic priests getting arrested for certain crimes (such as raping altar boys and women) yet they cover it up. It's really sickening how they still teach priests to save souls even after one "holy" scandal after the other. I see a lot of religious criminals not only in prison but also prior to arrest. Some of the biggest crooks are also very religious Roman Catholics. Some socialists are also very religious Roman Catholics. While I don't want to deny that some Protestants and Evangelicals are indeed criminals - I don't embrace them as fellow Christians. They can write "Christian" on their survey forms but it's an inaccurate statistic before God. A saved person may not be perfect but there's no way even the most immature of believer can have the lifestyle of a criminal.