I see that your position is that someone can believe there are other sinless persons that have existed throughout human history, and still be born again through faith alone in Jesus. I am wondering if you think a person can pray to Mary and to the various saints and also be a born-again Christian? Does praying to others besides Jesus, indicate a lack of faith in and understanding of who Jesus He is and what He has uniquely done through His death and resurrection on our behalf? Does praying to others also a indicate a denial of Him as the only possible mediator between the sinner and God the Father because of His unique sinlessness and deity?
I am having a hard time imagining an indwelt believer, not grasping the basic understanding of the unique sinlessness of Jesus and why only He is able to mediate between sinners and God. That’s almost like saying the Holy Spirit isn’t doing His job.
You’ve expanded on my answer. I was only referring to the incorrect belief that Mary was also sinless. As for praying to saints, the Bible is clear that there’s only one mediator between man and God, and that’s Jesus. (1 Tim 2:5). To me, that means prayers to anyone else are pointless and fruitless.
In the seven letters of Rev. 2-3, I believe that the Letter to the Church in Thyatira was written to the Catholics. In that letter, Jesus promised in effect that those who rely solely on His death as payment for their sins would be saved. (He made the same promise to the Church in Sardis, which I believe represents the mainline protestants.) On the strength of that promise, I believe that my answer was correct.
The Bible clearly says that our salvation is guaranteed by God and can’t be lost, yet some dispute that. It says that Israel and the Church are not one and the same, yet some believe they are. It says that supernatural healing is available to anyone with enough faith, yet some say it’s not. It says that there’s no difference between Saturday and Sunday as far as the Sabbath is concerned, yet some believe there is a difference. I could go on and on, but you get the point. Many of the people on both sides of these issues are born again believers with the indwelt Holy Spirit as their guide to understanding, and yet they disagree passionately. Is the Holy Spirit not doing His job in these cases as well?
The only thing God requires of us for salvation is to believe that Jesus and Jesus alone paid the entire price to redeem us from our sins. I believe there are people in every denomination and sub-group of Christianity who cling to that truth alone as the basis for their salvation, regardless of the official position of the group with which they identify. I believe that when the Lord comes for His Church, they will be among the called.