Those who have been raised Catholic have a mind set of
appeasing a frightening God. All their deeds are to keep God from being angry
with them and to gain more graces to be able to get closer to, perhaps getting
into heaven, while never really knowing if they make it.
Matthew 15:8 "'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME."
The sad thing is that after some Catholics become born
again, they battle with this same mentality, even though they know it is wrong,
they find themselves constantly doing things to appease God will a heart that
doesn't really want to, but fears the wrath of God.
It is true that whatever we do for the first 18 years of our
life, plagues us off and on for years after that. However with the cleansing of
the Lord Jesus Christ after we are born again, we can overcome and diminish the
affects of the indoctrination we endured. Some people have the residue of a
pagan religion to overcome and others the residue of a terrible childhood.
Everyone has something to overcome, in Christ we can overcome and subdue the
failings within us that attempt to draw us away from Christ.
When Christ makes us into a new creation we love to please
Him, we don't have to grudgingly with a plastic smile, work to do what we know
He would want. After salvation we walk in the freedom to please God out of a
heart that wants Him to be pleased with us. We don't fear wrath or punishment,
we look forward to the blessing of a clear conscience and a close relationship
with our Savior.
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new."
If someone is still attempting to appease God, walking in
fear, then they need to get on their knees and confess this to God. God can
cleanse us from this mentality of appeasement to avoid punishment, while moving
us into a restful peace that God will work in us anything need for our good and
for His glory.
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would
walk in them."
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things THROUGH HIM
(CHRIST) who strengthens me."
