Skip to main contentAccessibility feedback

Dear catholic.com visitors: This website from Catholic Answers, with all its many resources, is the world's largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. A fully independent, lay-run, 501(c)(3) ministry that receives no funding from the institutional Church, we rely entirely on the generosity of everyday people like you to keep this website going with trustworthy , fresh, and relevant content. If everyone visiting this month gave just $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. Do you find catholic.com helpful? Please make a gift today. SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW MONTHLY DONATIONS! Thank you and God bless.

Dear catholic.com visitors: This website from Catholic Answers, with all its many resources, is the world's largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. A fully independent, lay-run, 501(c)(3) ministry that receives no funding from the institutional Church, we rely entirely on the generosity of everyday people like you to keep this website going with trustworthy , fresh, and relevant content. If everyone visiting this month gave just $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. Do you find catholic.com helpful? Please make a gift today. SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW MONTHLY DONATIONS! Thank you and God bless.

✕
Q&A

Was it presumption for Sts. John and Paul to write they were heaven-bound?

Jim Blackburn

Question:

I have read that it is the sin of presumption to say that you know you are going to heaven, yet at the end of Paul’s life he wrote, "From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me" (2 Tim. 4:8) and John said, "I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). Were John and Paul committing sin when saying that they know they have eternal life?

Answer:

While we do not have an absolute assurance of salvation, we do have a moral assurance. That is, we are assured of salvation provided we die in a state of grace—free of unforgiven mortal sin. With this in mind we can understand the confidence with which Paul and John write.

Presumption is different. It presumes salvation may be attained either (1) through one’s own abilities, or (2) through God without one’s own cooperation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains,

There are two kinds of presumption. Either man presumes upon his own capacities, (hoping to be able to save himself without help from on high), or he presumes upon God’s almighty power or his mercy (hoping to obtain his forgiveness without conversion and glory without merit). (CCC 2092)

 

Did you like this content? Please help keep us ad-free

More from Catholic.com

 

 

 

 

 
‹›
Enjoying this content?  Please support our mission!Donatewww.catholic.com/support-us