If you're Catholic and a Protestant or Evangelical street preacher asks, “If you were to die today and stood before a holy and righteous God who asked why He should let you into Heaven, what would be your answer?”—how should you respond?
This is a common tactic they use. They often follow it up with their version of the Gospel, which they believe is the whole truth: “Just have faith in Christ, say the sinner’s prayer, and accept Him into your heart—then you’re guaranteed Heaven, now and forever.”
But as Catholics, we know that this is an incomplete and oversimplified version of salvation. Faith in Christ is essential, but salvation is more than just a one-time decision—it’s a lifelong journey of faith, repentance, and obedience.
So, how should you answer?
A good Catholic response would be:
"I trust in God’s mercy and love, and I have great hope in my salvation. If I were to die today, my eternal destiny would ultimately rest in God’s just and merciful hands. If I am aware of mortal sin, I know I need Confession, but I also trust that if I die before I can go, God knows the sincerity of my repentance. And if I need purification, I trust in the mercy of Purgatory rather than assuming I would be condemned to Hell."
At this point, the preacher would likely argue that Purgatory doesn’t exist and that we don’t need to confess our sins to a priest. But that’s because he doesn’t fully understand Scripture or the true, complete Gospel.
Purgatory in Scripture and Jewish Tradition
The concept of purification after death is deeply rooted in both Scripture and Jewish tradition, which Christianity inherits. Before Christ, the Jewish people already believed in a process of purification for the dead.
📖 2 Maccabees 12:44-46 – "For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead... Thus he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be absolved from their sin."
This passage shows that Jewish belief included prayers and sacrifices for the dead, implying a state where purification was possible. Though Protestants reject Maccabees, it was part of the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament used by Jesus and the Apostles.
Jesus also alludes to a temporary state of punishment and purification in the afterlife:
📖 Matthew 12:32 – “Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
This implies that some sins can be forgiven after death, which makes sense only if a temporary purification exists—Purgatory.
📖 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 – “Each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it... If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
This describes a purification process after death, where a person is saved, but not without suffering through a refining fire. This fits the Catholic understanding of Purgatory.
📖 Revelation 21:27 – “Nothing unclean shall enter [Heaven], but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Since no impurity can enter Heaven, there must be some process of purification for those who die in God’s grace but still have venial sins or attachments to sin.
📖 Matthew 5:25-26 – “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
Many Church Fathers interpreted this as an allusion to a temporary state of punishment before entering Heaven.
Confession to a Priest in the Bible
Many Protestants claim that we should confess our sins directly to God, but Jesus Himself established the Sacrament of Confession and gave authority to His Apostles to forgive sins in His name.
📖 John 20:21-23 – “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’”
Here, Jesus directly gives His Apostles the authority to forgive sins. If Christians were only supposed to confess directly to God, why would Jesus establish this special authority?
📖 James 5:16 – “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
This verse supports verbal confession of sins, not just private prayer. In the early Church, confession was often public, but over time, the practice became private through a priest as Christ’s representative.
📖 2 Corinthians 5:18 – “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
This passage speaks of a ministry of reconciliation, which refers to the priesthood continuing Christ’s work of forgiving sins.
📖 Leviticus 5:5-6 – “When a man is guilty in any of these, he shall confess the sin he has committed, and he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord for the sin he has committed.”
In the Old Testament, confession of sins was not only personal but also involved a priest who made atonement through sacrifice. Jesus, fulfilling the law, gave His priests authority to reconcile sinners to God.
📖 Acts 19:18 – “Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.”
The early Christians practiced public confession of sins, showing that confession was a normal part of Christian life.
The Full Gospel of Salvation
Accepting Jesus as Lord and believing in His sacrifice is only the beginning. The full Gospel includes:
✔️ Faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16)
✔️ Repentance of sins (Luke 13:3, Acts 3:19)
✔️ Baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38)
✔️ Living a life of good works and obedience (James 2:24, Matthew 7:21)
✔️ Receiving the Sacraments, including Confession (John 20:22-23, 2 Corinthians 5:18)
✔️ Persevering in faith until the end (Matthew 24:13, Revelation 2:10)
Yes, I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Yes, I believe in what He did on the cross. But I also recognize my human weakness. I don’t always live as Christ calls me to. That’s why Jesus provided a way for us to be reconciled whenever we fall—through Confession (John 20:22-23).
That’s the Catholic answer to the street preacher’s question:
"If I sincerely repent of my sins, go to Confession, and strive to follow Christ, I trust in His mercy and the promise of Heaven."
Even after Confession, I may still struggle with sin—but thank God that His mercy is limitless, and He allows us to seek forgiveness as often as we need.
That is the hope, peace, and assurance of the Catholic faith—not false confidence in a one-time moment, but a living relationship with Christ, strengthened through faith, repentance, and the sacraments.
Even demons—fallen angels—believe in Christ and know exactly what He did on the cross. But belief alone does not save them because, despite their full knowledge of God, they knowingly and permanently rejected Him. Unlike them, we as humans are given the gift of free will and the opportunity for redemption.
No matter how many times we sin, fall, or turn away from God, His mercy is always available to us—if we sincerely repent and seek His forgiveness. Simply believing in Jesus is just the beginning of salvation; living a faithful life, persevering in grace, and continually seeking holiness is what fulfills it.
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