Can we persist in sin and still get to heaven?

Protestant: The epistles are addressed to people WHO HAVE ACCEPTED THIS GIFT. That explains why in most of his epistles, Paul addressed the recipients as SAINTS, CHURCH, BELIEVERS, SANCTIFIED, JUSTIFIED, CHILDREN OF GOD. Are these people perfect? NO. Look at Ephesians, Galatians, etc. These books tell us the admonitions of Paul to his readers to live a life of Holiness and Obedience. This is so simply because even if these people ACCEPTED THE GIFT by putting their Faith in Jesus, nowhere in the scriptures that they are described as PERFECT, SINLESS PEOPLE.

Catholic: Maybe, except that Is 43:25 Acts 3:19, and Is 44:22 seem to me as clearly describing a blotting out, a wiping away, a taking away of sins, not a mere declaration that sin’s no longer there when in fact it is. Please help me see your view.

Yet again Is 1:16 and Luke in “Acts 22:16 speak of a washing away of sins, not merely a covering up. Heb 1:3 speaks of a cleansing of sins. 1 John 1:7 is even more emphatic: “Cleanse us from ALL sins.” Paul says “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified. . .” in 1 Cor 6:11.

There’s just too many of them that I'd be surprised if there's even one passage in the Bible which says heaven admits sin and all. IN fact, NOWHERE in Sacred Scripture that it even HINTS that we DON’T have to be sinless to get to heaven.

Oh I see, I think I got it. Since you’re saying that being perfect is NOT NEEDED for one to be a saint, to be a member of the Church, to be justified, to be called a believer, to be sanctified; and since I’m saying that one has to be perfect to get to heaven, we must be talking of two different things: you’re talking of the journey, I’m talking of the final destination.

Protestant: NOW TELL ME ABOUT ACTS 13:38. What do you mean of the statement "THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS PROCLAIMED TO YOU. Then continue reading and understand of verse 39.

Catholic: First, you're hanging your argument on the word "PROCLAIMED," with all its implications of absoluteness, finality, and infallibility. Yet look at other Bibles- some use "proclaimed," others use "preached," while one uses "announced."

In one version, the word is not even found (International Standard version: " And that everyone who believes in him is justified and freed from everything that kept you from being justified by the law of Moses.")!

Second, you can't be telling me that of all the passages in the Bible that pertain, you will believe as the truth only one- this particular one, which also happens to agree with you.

Finally I thought we've condemned proof-texting.

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