Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 4/30/2010

Question
I was raised in a missionary baptist church. I was saved at the age of twelve and then was baptized at age 45. My understanding of the baptist church was that baptism was only a public announcement for my believe, but was not necessary because I had already accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.
My husband was a non-practicing catholic when I married him. We occasionally attended baptist churches during those years; we moved a lot because of his job. After 40 years of him not being catholic and 20 years of marriage, my husband wants to return to the catholic church.
In the catholic catechism class we are taking because I was not baptized, being saved does not mean anything to them. This makes me feel I have been damned all these past years and that my marriage in not valid in the eyes of God only valid in the civil concept. What is the Baptist's believe on being saved and being baptized? Is there a difference? Was I missed lead in my religion teaching and was I a loss soul during those years and is my marriage blessed or not? Please help I feel I am dying inside and I feel I may be loosing faith because of all the different interperations of bible. Thank you for your help?

Answer
I am sorry that this is causing you so much distress.  You are correct and they are not.  Yes, they will say that I am wrong and they are right. You need to read your Bible and compare what they say to what it says.  Find a Baptist preacher in your town and counsel with him as well. He will be better able to help you in a face-to-face situation then someone on the Net. You may also be able to get your husband to discuss the situation with him.

There was a long delay between your salvation and baptism.  Then your church attendance was very spotty so you do not seem to have had a lot of discipleship. As you read your Bible you are going to find a lot of things they say that do not match with what the Word says.  Start with John.  Read it through slowly 3 times and then move on to 1, 2, 3 John. Pray for wisdom and insight as you read.

If you were ever truly born-again then you are saved and you have been and always will be a child of God. You were baptized by immersion as a believer as the Bible teaches. Salvation is not dependent upon baptism. It is an act of obedience and a public witness. The Catholics are very, very wrong on this issue as they are on very many others.  They put the writings of their Fathers and the traditions of the church above the Bible and there is where they get into so much trouble.

The Word says that we are not to be unequally yoked and had either of you gone for counseling both the Baptist preacher and the Priest woud have advised against your marriage unless someone converted.  While there are so many traditions and ceremonies that man has added over the years they are actually unneeded for God saw it as a marriage the first time you had intimacy or "became one flesh."  Thus, while it was not the best of circumstances, God still saw it as a valid marriage even if you would have never gone to the civil authorities for their license. God makes things very simple. Man causes the complexities and confusion. The Bible says that your husband was actually sanctified by you as a saved woman even though he was a lost/unsaved man.

I am not sure why after 40 years your husband wants to go back to the Catholics but he does have a lot of catching up to do since he has not had a general confession in 40 years nor said his rosaries, received grace via the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, etc, etc.  Had he died, the Catholics would have considered him in a bad way especially if he had not been give the last rites. If he had committed any mortal sin he would have went to Hell even though he was a Catholic or if he only committed venial sins he would have spent thousands or more years in purgatory, which is something like Hell lite, since he would be getting his sins purged so that he could one day enter Heaven.  None of that is true, but they believe it.

Possibly since they teach that no man can have God as His Father if he does not have the Church as his Mother he is heading back as he is concerned about his soul as he ages.  He went through a lot of intense training as a child so he naturally reverted to that. Is he ill or worried about dying? That could have been a big motivator.

Just love your husband and get out your Bible. Depending on how intent he is on being Catholic this may cause some discord between the two of you if you start pointing out things that are not right with the Catholic doctrine.  Be very cautious how you approach such things.  Would he be content if you went to the Baptist church and he to Mass?  If so, then do that. Read and pray and then live the life as Christ grows you and conforms you to His image.  That may lead your husband to rethink.

I have recently taken a new pastorate but for ten years I was an Associate Pastor where the bulk of our members were ex-Catholic. One lady was a catechism teacher and a very devout Catholic.  Her parents, also devout Catholics, both accepted Christ as their Saviour and had the assurance of salvation that they never had in Catholicism. Be at peace and allow Christ and the Holy Spirit to change your life in such a way that you will have assurance, not conflict about your spiritual state.  

Father, I ask that you grant peace to this child of Yours. Draw her near, fill her with Your Spirit and allow the Word of God to dwell in her richly so that she might know what doctrines are of You and those that are of man!  Place a hedge of proctection around her and keep evil from her as she grows.  Thank You for loving and saving her soul!  Amen!!!