Supposed Salvation by Sanctifying Grace Demo
Needed: Clear container with lid and source of water. (A sink works great but a pitcher of water will do.)
lst scenario: Soul is filled with sanctifying grace at baptism. Fill container.
2nd: Venial sins (lesser sins), little white lies, disobedience to parents, back-talk, you loose some s.g. (sanctifying grace). Dump some water for each venial sin mentioned. You can never loose all s.g. by venial sins.
3rd: Mortal sins - adultery, murder, denying papal infallibility, denying the bodily assumption of Mary into Heaven, missing Mass deliberately, killing 100 people, etc, you loose all s.g. Dump container. To get s.g. back one must go to confession and say their penance. Fill container. (Confession not necessary for venial sins, but one must go to confession at least once a year or be guilty of committing a mortal sin.)
4th: Fill container. Where a Catholic goes after death depends on how much s.g. they have. A full measure will get them into heaven. Varying levels of lost s.g. will determine how long their soul must suffer in purgatory. (Show various levels) No s.g. condemns one to hell for eternity. Dump water. So the Catholic is always trying to keep their cup full. Fill container. That is why one often sees the outward appearance of holiness and good works.
5th: Pope Paul VI was once asked whether he was going to heaven when he died. He ignored the question at the time but came back to it later in the conversation. He responded something like, "I can't say I am going to heaven when I die. I am encouraged, though, that 600 million Catholics will be praying for my soul!" You see, for a Catholic to say they are assured of going to heaven, means they have committed a mortal sin of presumption Dump water.
6th: Fill container. The reason it is so hard to witness to a Catholic is that they believe it is a venial sin to question their Catholic faith. (dump some water) They believe it is a greater sin to seriously question their faith. (dump more water, but not all) And according to Catholic doctrine if one denies their Catholic faith they have no hope of salvation! (empty container)
7th: [Biblical Salvation - helpful to use another person to contrast] The world does not contain enough water to demonstrate the outpouring of God's grace to a Christian. God speaks of this abounding grace in Romans 5:15 (fill container). Ephesians 1: 13 tells us we are sealed by the Holy Spirit (put lid on container). Even when we fail God in our daily lives (tilt and invert container) His grace remains.
Romans 5:15 "...the grace of God, and the gift of grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many." (KJV)
Ephesians 1:13 "...in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise"