The question from the spirit-filled Christian brother (below) is one of the most basic importance. He’s asking Sal: are you one of those worldly people who thinks he’s going to get to Heaven based on his own goodness?
The Evangelicals’ message is an echo of Scripture: it starts with a recognition that God is holy and that man needs a savior from sin. This is the fundamental issue in evangelism: getting past the de facto Pelagian attitude — that being a morally good enough person will get you to Heaven — which is the basis of most people’s religious thinking in our culture, even that of many poorly-formed Catholics.
So if you want to bridge the communication gap when a non-Catholic Christian asks you whether you’re going to Heaven, your answer should not just express hope in an unspecific way, but indicate (as St. Paul reminded us) the reason for your hope. There is only one real reason for hope, one on which Catholics and Evangelicals agree: salvation comes as a grace, a gift from God, not something earned. For example, you could give an answer such as “Am I saved? With the mercy of God, yes.” The basis of our salvation is not in us or our good works, but in the merits of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God. Sal knows that already; Catholics just aren’t in the habit of talking about it over lunch, but we believe it.