But the man Christ can be but in one place, and he is now at the right hand of the Majesty on high. It is absurd, it is horrible, both to faith and to reason, to say that Christ’s body is eaten, and that his blood is drunk in tens of thousands of places wherever priests choose to offer what they call “the mass.” A “Mass” of profanity, indeed, it is!
– Charles Spurgeon
1834 – 1892
All idolatries, in whatever age or country they have existed, are to be viewed but as successive developments of the one grand apostacy. That apostacy was commenced in Eden, and consummated at Rome. It had its rise in the plucking of the forbidden fruit; and it attained its acme in the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome,–Christ’s Vicar on earth. The hope that he would “be as God,” led man to commit the first sin; and that sin was perfected when the Pope “exalted himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” Popery is but the natural development of this great original transgression. It is just the early idolatries ripened and perfected … on earth, in the Mystery of Iniquity which came to be seated on the Seven Hills; for therein man deified himself, became God, nay, arrogated powers which lifted him high above God. Popery is the last, the most matured, the most subtle, the most skilfully contriven, and the most essentially diabolical form of idolatry which the world ever saw, or which, there is reason to believe, it ever will see. It is the ne plus ultra of man’s wickedness, and the chef d’oeuvre of Satan’s cunning and malignity.
– J. A. Wylie
1808-1890
THE PAPACY, Its History, Dogmas, Genius and Prospects
Catholicism, with all her damnable dogmas and creeds, cannot change that God-given impulse that was planted in the bosom of man, when Adam was created in the Garden of Eden, and the more Roman Catholicism endeavors to eradicate that feeling, the greater her sins become, for it is a most damnable sin to try to force man to eradicate from his bosom this everlasting and godly craving for the love of the opposite sex, and as long as “man is born of woman,” just so long that inspiration will live in the bosom of mankind, and just so long as Roman Catholicism endeavors to force humanity to purge itself of this blessed longing, just so long the mark of deception, depravity and ungodliness will be left upon the brow of this Romish demon.
Ex-Priest, Bernard Fresenborg
Thirty Years in Hell – From Darkness to Light
We are unveiling a new feature on DefCon: Answering Common Errors.
This will be a quick reference apologetics page that answers many of the falsehoods and errors levied against the Christian faith.
It features a common error with a link to a previous DefCon post with the answer.
New entries will be added regularly so check back often. If you know of any past posts featured on DefCon that you think should be included in this list, let us know.
You can check out the new A.C.E. page by clicking here, or access it later from the tab above the header of the DefCon blog between About Us and Rules of Engagement.
I was reading recently the address from Pope Benedict XVI given August 12 at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. The message is wonderful in that in very few words, the Pope clearly defines the God, or more properly, god, of Roman Catholicism. This god not being one who is Sovereign that does as he wills, when he wills, with whomever he wills. Rather, this god is one who needs man’s help, is dependent upon him, and is unable do anything without his approval.
Below we will find how deeply rooted this doctrine is in Catholicism where even the incarnation of Jesus Christ was not something that would happen because God decreed it, rather it was an act dependent on man, or in this case woman. We read,
When God decided to become man in his Son, he needed the freely-spoken “yes” of one of his creatures. God does not act against our freedom. And something truly extraordinary happens: God makes himself dependent on the free decision, the “yes” of one of his creatures; he waits for this “yes”.
St Bernard of Clairvaux explained dramatically in one of his homilies this crucial moment in universal history when Heaven, earth and God himself wait for what this creature will say.1
This is truly astonishing and as we will see below, total contrary to the clear words of Scripture. Astonishing because in just a few sentences the Pope has begun the process of crafting an idol2 with his tongue not unlike how the artisans of Catholicism do with their hands as they fashion their statues and paint their canvases. I stress an idol because after Benedict lays this unscriptural foundation he will quickly build upon it and point his priests and followers not unto the Lord Jesus as the apostles did, but rather unto the Mary of Catholicism.
Continuing with the address, the Pope states that:
Mary’s “yes” is therefore the door through which God was able to enter the world, to become man. So it is that Mary is truly and profoundly involved in the Mystery of the Incarnation, of our salvation. And the Incarnation, the Son’s becoming man, was the beginning that prepared the ground for the gift of himself; for giving himself with great love on the Cross to become Bread for the life of the world. Hence sacrifice, priesthood and Incarnation go together and Mary is at the heart of this mystery.3
And so we see that the Roman Catholic Mary preached by the Pope is “the door through which God was able to enter the world.” Likewise, she is, because of the Incarnation, said to be “…profoundly involved in … salvation.” All because she said “yes” and graciously granted the Lord permission to enter the world which, according to Catholicism, placed Mary at the heart of “…sacrifice, priesthood and Incarnation.”
If the Pope ended here, things would be bad enough, yet he does not. Rather, he follows in the footsteps of his predecessor Pope John Paul II and points his clergy not unto the Lord Jesus as the “chief Shepherd”, but rather unto the Catholic Mary where they are told to invoke her as “Mother of the supreme and eternal Priest, as Queen of Apostles, and as Protectress of their ministry.”4 All with the intent for priests to “…always venerate and love her, with a filial devotion and worship.”5
All because, according to the Pontiff, Mary said “yes” and graciously granted God permission to act. But is this teaching in accordance with the Scriptures? Most assuredly it is not as we will see next.
To test the words of the Pope against what is recorded in God’s word, let us turn to the gospel of Luke where we read about Gabriel’s visitation to Mary and what transpired.
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. (Luke 1:26-32 – Bold added)
What should immediately jump out at us when we read these words is that we do not find a question put forth to Mary by Gabriel as he delivers his glad tidings from God. That is, we do not find Gabriel saying unto Mary something like,
Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou may conceive in thy womb if thou sayest yes, and bring forth a son, and you may call his name JESUS if you agree. He may be great if you allow him to be born, and he may be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God may give unto him the throne of his father David, but only if you say yes. So now Mary Heaven, earth and even God himself wait for what you will say.
As preposterous as I hope these words sound unto the reader this is exactly the heart of what the Pope is saying. Yet his words are in total contradiction to the Word of God that records Gabriel coming forth and issuing a declaration to Mary not about what may be but rather what shall be. What shall be because Mary was already chosen by God to be the blessed vessel to bring forth the promised Messiah with Gabriel delivering “glad tidings” and not a multiple choice test.
These “glad tidings” of course being a fulfillment of prophecies recorded throughout the Old Testament including one of the more familiar from Isaiah.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
A fact not lost on the early church where we have Matthew citing this very prophecy when he writes his gospel account and speaks specifically to the birth of the Lord.
Now all this [pregnancy of Mary by Holy Spirit and birth of Jesus] was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:22-23)
Mary of course recognized God’s Sovereignty and bent her knee in humble submission to the LORD’s decree much as an obedient child would unto his or her parent.6 Her reply, after her valid concern about not knowing a man was answered by Gabriel, was, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) That is, do unto me Lord as you have declared by thy word for you are the potter I am the clay, you are the master I am your handmaid.7
But the Pope would have us believe that God was in fact servant unto Mary’s word as he sat on the edge of his heavenly throne waiting patiently for what her answer would be. This dear readers is not the God of the Bible and whether it be Mary or John, Peter or James, or anyone else, God is Sovereign and does as he wills where none can stay his hand. His actions are not dependent on man giving him approval and contrary to the Pope’s word, God does in fact act against man’s so-called freedom. For we are all his creatures subject to his supreme will as he acts in accordance with his heavenly will; a will that is always perfect, always right, always holy.
Likewise, be it known that a god who is dependent on man is no God at all. A god who waits for man to give him approval to act is not Sovereign. A god who does as man wills is not a God who does as he wills. This is why the god the Pope is preaching unto his followers and the world is not the God of the Bible who is declared as one who, “…doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:37)
And so I close with a plea unto the Roman Catholic and those who hold the doctrine of what might be called the sovereignty of man, or free will, to repent and believe on the God as declared in the Scriptures. A God who is Sovereign over all things where not even a sparrow falls to the ground and dies apart from his will. A God who is beholden to no man who from the same lump of clay will create one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor (see Romans 9:21). All so that he might show forth his power where “…his name might be declared throughout all the earth” (Romans 9:17) as “…he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.” (Romans 9:21)
– End –
Endnotes:
1. Pope Benedict IX. On Mary, Mother of Priests “The Perfect Model for Their Existence.” Zenit.Org August 27, 2009. <http://www.zenit.org/article-26696?l=english> Bold added for emphasis.
2. idol – Any thing on which we set our affections; that to which we indulge an excessive and sinful attachment. An idol is any thing which usurps the place of God in the hearts of his rational creatures. Def. 4a., 4b. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.
3. On Mary, Mother of Priests “The Perfect Model for Their Existence.”
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
5. It is beyond the scope of this paper to address the elevation of Mary to the heavenly heights the Pope is raising her unto for “filial devotion and worship”, but suffice to say this Mary is not the humble, servant of the Lord found in the Scriptures. Rather, she is a creation of the Roman Catholic religion who is often referred to as the Queen of Heaven. For more information on the Roman Catholic Mary please see this paper here.
6. Compare Mary’s humble submission unto God’s will verses that of Zacharias found in Luke 1:18 (see Luke 1:5-25). Yet note in this situation that even though Zacharias did not submit as Mary did, everything still happened exactly as God decreed down to the very naming of the child!
7. handmaid – The word in Greek is doulē which is defined as female slave.
The world’s false religions and cults have many similarities, and one common thread among them all is their disbelief / distrust / disdain for the Bible.
And among these groups, five stand out as surprising when you consider that they believe themselves to be Christian, and as everybody knows, “Christians” believe the Bible . . . don’t they?
Whether it’s the Jehovah’s Witnesses who discourage individual understanding of the Scriptures . . .
Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible. For this reason the Bible cannot be properly understood without Jehovah’s visible organization in mind.
The Watchtower / October 1, 1967 / Page 587
. . . even going so far as to employ scare tactics that you’ll become apostate for reading the Bible on your own or in a small group:
They say that it is sufficient to read the bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such ‘Bible reading,’ they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom’s clergy were teaching 100 years ago…
The Watchtower / August 15, 1981/Pages 28-29
Or whether it’s the Mormons spreading their seeds of doubt . . .
It was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of men, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled.
Joseph Smith /Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith /Page 10
. . . and blatantly attacking the Word of God:
This congregation heard brother O. Pratt scan the validity of the Bible, and I thought by the time he got through, that you would scarcely think a Bible worth picking up and carrying home, should you find one in the streets.
Brigham Young / Journal of Discourses / Volume 3 Page 116
Or whether it’s the liberal churches who “take the Bible seriously but not literally.”
Or whether it’s the Emergents whose greatest “virtue” is ambiguity, and whose mantra is “did God really say that?” all the while dismissing the importance of the very Bible they claim to believe:
This is part of the problem with continually insisting that one of the absolutes of the Christian faith must be a belief that “Scripture alone” is our guide. It sounds nice, but it is not true. In reaction to abuses by the church, a group of believers during a time called the Reformation claimed that we only need the authority of the Bible. But the problem is that we got the Bible from the church voting on what the Bible even is… When people say that all we need is the Bible, it is simply not true.
Rob Bell / Velvet Elvis / Pages 67-68
I grew up thinking that we’ve figured out the Bible, that we knew what it means. Now I have no idea what most of it means. And yet I feel like life is big again—like life used to be black and white, and now it’s in color.
Kristen Bell (Rob Bell’s wife) / Christianity Today / November 2004
Or whether it’s the Roman Catholic Church who in times past would burn you at the stake for merely possessing the Scriptures in your native tongue, but who now settle for pompously looking down their noses at you for daring to hold God’s inspired, infallible Word above that of their fallible, uninspired popes, priests, and man-made traditions.
So, whether you’re discouraged from reading your Bible, or the Bible is impugned so that you conclude it can’t be trusted, the desired result is always the same: Once you put down the word of God, or place some other “authority” above it, heresy will always follow.
As Gary Gilley aptly said in his book This Little Church Went to Market:
Today, virtually every heresy found in the Christian ranks can be traced back to some form of rejection of the Bible as God’s final authority. It may be pragmatism (which adds success to the Bible); mysticism (which adds experience); tradition (which adds the past): legalism (which adds man’s rules); or philosophy such as psychology (which adds man’s wisdom). The end result is all the same: the Word of God takes a back seat to the inventions and imaginations of men.
Essentially, all these false religions and cults have one goal in mind: To get you to stop trusting the words of the living God and instead, put your trust in their organization. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord and we will trust His word over the lies, rumors, heresies, doubts, and traditions of these false organizations. But what about you? When the question of the authority of Scripture comes up are you going to believe the empty words of false prophets, teachers, popes, and organizations, or the words of God Himself?
For the most part these counterfeit groups would agree that God created the heavens and the earth and that He is the architect of everything from the vastness of the galaxies yet to be discovered by man, to the tiniest microorganisms that are more complex than any supercomputers that we could ever build. And with few exceptions I’m confident that these groups also believe that God sustains His creation and that He’s omnipotent, omniscient, and all powerful.
Yet ironically they do not believe He had or has the power to sustain and preserve His word from generation to generation. How convenient for them that the God of all creation has this one weakness (that their popes, prophets, and programs can help God out with).
God was very clear about the tenacity of His Word: It is forever settled in Heaven (Psalm 119:89), it endures forever (Isaiah 40:8, 1 Peter 1:25), the smallest letter or stroke of the law shall not pass (Matthew 5:18), and Heaven and earth will pass away before His word does (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 16:17, Luke 21:33).
Yet the false prophets will have you believe that the sovereign God who created and sustains the universe simply could not ensure the preservation of His own Word, but their “new revelation” on the other hand, is accurate and can be trusted in spite of the fact that their doctrines keep being added to, subtracted from, and changing from prophet to prophet, from leader to leader, and from pope to pope.
The Scriptures are for our instruction and to provide hope (Romans 15:4), for teaching (Deuteronomy 11:9, 2 Chronicles 17:9), for equipping Christians for good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and it gives us assurance of salvation (1 John 5:13).
Furthermore, God’s Word is more precious than silver and gold (Psalm 119:72), it’s a lamp, a light, and the way of life (Proverbs 6:23), it’s a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119:105), it teaches us to fear the Lord (Deuteronomy 17:19), it purifies (Psalm 119:9), it gives understanding to the simple (Psalm 119:130), it teaches us so that we can walk in His paths (Isaiah 2:3), it sanctifies (John 17:17, Ephesians 5:26), it testifies to Jesus Christ (John 5:39), it leads us to Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24), and it judges our thoughts and attitudes (Hebrews 4:12).
When you consider what God’s Word does, you can see why false religions and cults wish to separate you from it! If they can drive a wedge between you and the word of God, then they will have successfully separated you from the only source by which to measure truth. Then you are easy prey for their new revelations, their other gospels (Galatians 1:6-9), and their false christs.
So, I have three questions:
1. The Bereans were commended for searching the Scriptures to assure that what the Apostle Paul was teaching was accurate (Acts 17:11). Why are these false religions and cults advising you not to take up the Scriptures to see if what they’re teaching is true?
2.The Apostle Paul told us that our struggle is against spiritual powers and forces of wickedness (Ephesians 6:11-12) and in this fight he tells us to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:13), in which one of these is the sword of the Spirit–the very word of God. Why would false religions and cults want to disarm you from one of the best offensive and defensive weapons God has provided the Believer and instructed him to wield?
3. Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and the Disciples read the Scriptures and quoted from them regularly. In fact, when Satan tried to thwart Jesus’ mission on earth by twisting Scripture, Jesus quoted from the Scripture each time in rebuttal, effectively disarming the father of lies with the words of truth (Matthew 4:1-11). If the Scriptures were good enough and valuable enough for Jesus Christ and the Apostles, why do the false religions and cults say that they’re not good enough for you?
For all the reasons above it is apparent why false religions and cults reject the Bible and the idea of Sola Scriptura. When those groups claiming to be “Christian” are compared to the Light of the Scriptures they always come up short and their errors, falsehoods, heresies, and soul-damning doctrines of demons are exposed. If they can get you to doubt the Bible, they will quickly fill that void with their own “authority.”
Remember, we were never told that man shall live on the Church, the prophets, or popes, but we are told that man shall live on “every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” – John 8:31-32
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For more on the Bible see : Bible Reference Notes – The Holy Scriptures
Brother Michael responded to a comment on this post that I thought was worthy of reprinting here.
In reading Joanna’s comments and perusing the fodder titled, “Sola Scriptura – A Blueprint for Anarchy”, I must digress and say how thankful I am that I was raised in the religion of Rome. Raised by a multi-generational Catholic family from a babe on upwards to nearly 25 years of age. Here, I consider myself most blessed to have sat under the feet of nuns and priests being educated by them from grammar school through high school, to have served as a faithful alter boy, to have been baptized, catechized, confirmed and even married as a RC. I am thankful that I was deemed a faithful follower of Mother Rome and was looked upon highly by large and small in her community.
I am thankful that I had my Marian statue and faithfully prayed many a night my decades on the rosaries. My homemade cross (from my 1st “holy” communion) I hung with pride in my bedroom where every Palm Sunday I would take the new palm branches and drape them over it for another year.
So too am I thankful that I use to look down with disdain on those “born again” Jesus wackos (the way I sadly felt at the time) since I “knew” that ONLY Catholics were going to heaven. And of course for no other reason but that we were faithful, card-carrying Catholics. This party line I parroted like a well trained student of my Jesuit and Franciscan pedagogues.
Why am I so thankful? I am thankful because I KNOW the truth about mother Rome. I know the truth whereby the outrageous claims made by RC apologists, the lies, distortions and incredible falsehoods are laid bare before my eyes. 33,000 or 330,000 denominations doesn’t really matter as it is pure straw-man blather. The so-called unity of Mother Rome is a smoke screen; it is like an old Hollywood western movie set where once you walk into the apparent salon or hotel, you realize all you have is a thin facade with nothing behind it but empty space. This is Rome’s unity, a paper thin facade.
Here, I challenge anyone to take a poll of their local RC parish, a poll not in paper alone but by looking at life choices and you will find discord and disharmony that will begin to show the heart of the RC religion. People divided about sex before marriage (and most partaking), divided about birth control, divided about woman being priests, divided about divorce/remarriage/annulments, divided about priests marrying, divided about girls being alter boys eh I mean alter people, divided about homosexuality, divided about the liturgy, divided about Vatican II, divided about purgatory, divided about people of other “faiths” going to heaven, divided about evolution, divided about Mary, divided about the current pope, divided about abortionists (e.g. Nancy Pelosi and others) receiving the holy wafer, divided about tithing, divided about praise and worship, divided about fund raising, divided about …. fill in the blanks.
Oh – but we have unity because all these people for one hour (hopefully less as a priest is always commended if he can get you out in less than an hour) who gather in a building and like trained puppets on cue sit down, stand up, cross themselves, kneel, recite words back and forth, shake hands, walk an aisle, sing a song, and walk back out the door being elated the ordeal is over for another week.
I am also thankful that I know the heart of those cute Catholic boys and girls who look so prim and proper in their uniforms where it is hard to think they could do anything wrong. Oh what a lie! Thankful because I was there where the sin that me and my faithful heaven bound (eh – well probably purgatory bound first) Catholic friends partook in was no different than that of our agnostic/atheist cohorts; possibly even worse in many respects. Mocking the nuns, swilling beer like it was water, drugs (even on our HS bus), stealing, cheating, sex, mouths like sailors and more bore ample witness to the fact that we were dead in trespasses and sins regardless of the lies the priests fed us with.
Oh- wait, but we were Catholics and on our way to heaven because we said our five “our father’s” and ten “hail mary’s” so as merit our forgiveness after our 5 minute penance. Lies damnable lies!!!
I could go on and on how I witness the same today being surrounded by DEAD Catholic families and friends who HATE the gospel and Lord of Glory and LOVE their sin. And what incenses me the most is that in Rome Jesus Christ is NEVER enough for it is the organization, the 501c-3 den of iniquity that is always preached as the way of salvation. This is the heart of every RC apologist for if they preach Jesus alone the gig will be up and the power over men’s souls will be vanquished. And so it will be…
“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication”
How much more do you think he would have squirmed in his chair and changed the topic if this had been the question:
How can you continue to represent the Roman Catholic religion in light of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews (just to name three books of the Bible) that all contradict Roman Catholicism and prove it’s nothing more than falsehoods and traditions of men?
HT: Pastor Aaron
So why do Catholics think we are bashing them when we are demonstrating a compelling love to show them how to escape the eternal lake of fire? It appears to be a pathetically weak defensive ploy to hide their lack of biblical understanding. By calling someone a name, they are released from any obligation to consider Scripture and evaluate truth. In this way, they can proudly dismiss any further confrontation or correction.
– Mike Gendron
Your sermon of the week is Exposing the Idolatry of Mary Worship: Catholic Dogma by John MacArthur. This is a great examination of the unholy worship of a false goddess advanced by the Romish religious system. You can download both parts below.
Exposing the Idolatry of Mary Worship (Part One)
Exposing the Idolatry of Mary Worship (Part Two)
If you want more information, I recommend listening to anohter of John MacArthur’s sermons on Roman Catholicism found on this post. I also suggest checking out the post It’s All About Mary where I answer the fifteen most commonly heard justifications for the veneration (worship) or Mary.
Most Catholics would disagree with the title of this post. They would cite their veneration of the cross in images, sculptures, and jewelry as proof positive that they not only adore the cross, but in fact even idolize it.
However, the issue I wish to address is not in regards to the Catholics’ adoration of the physical symbol of the cross itself, nor their devotion to that physical symbol. The issue at hand—where the cross is an offense to Roman Catholics—is in its preaching.
The Romish religion has long been antithetical not to the symbol, but to the meaning and purpose of the cross. The Biblical view of the cross is that this was where the Father caused all of our iniquity to fall upon Him, and it was where the the perfect, spotless, unblemished, Lamb of God stood in our place taking the very punishment and wrath of God that we so rightly and justly deserve, and where it pleased the Father to crush His Son and put him to grief.
Paramount to the true preaching of the cross is the fact that Christ uttered “it is finished.” But paramount to Roman Catholicism (and necessary for its continued existence), is the heretical idea that “it is not finished.” This keeps its people in subjection to the organization (and with that subjection of course comes money and power).
Roman Catholicism teaches that you must do some part on your own to merit God’s favor, that your redemption was not purchased complete and in-full on the cross. Not only is this in stark opposition to the Scriptures, but it renders the Savior’s sacrifice as being insufficient. It is because of this that Romanism rejects the true Gospel of the cross of Christ; exchanging the once-and-for-all perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:18, Hebrews 7:27, 9:12, 9:24-28, 10:10-12) for a false doctrine of an imagined (and wholly unattainable) righteousness based on man’s efforts. This is why the preaching of the cross is foolishness to Roman Catholics.
Would God be a just and righteous judge if He can be bribed with our measly works? What self-righteous works can fallen man possibly offer to a holy and righteous God anyway?
Your effort to offer God what you think are righteous enough works is equivalent to standing before a judge facing the charge of murder and telling the judge, “I gave money to a charity once, I haven’t shoplifted since high school, I helped my neighbor pull weeds in his yard, and I always leave my waitress a big tip.” None of these niceties will satisfy the required punishment for your guilt of murder anymore than your church attendance, reciting of a rosary, the lighting of a candle, being baptized, or even wearing a crucifix will satisfy God’s requirement for the punishment that you and I deserve for sinning against an infinitely holy God. All of your “righteous” works are filthy rags!
What do you possibly think you can offer God that was not already provided in the death of His only begotten Son upon the cross?
The Vatican’s continued proclamation of such things as the necessity of the sacraments for salvation is simply another gospel and thus is anathema.
The Apostle Paul dealt with this matter already when he wrote to the Church in Galatia rebuking the Judaizers who sought to preach another gospel. They said salvation came from Christ and circumcision. Beware of the one who says it’s Christ and anything else that saves. If something–anything–other than Christ’s shed blood is necessary to save you, then the death of Christ was insufficient and God’s own blood was not enough.
Yet the Romish system today not only says salvation comes from Christ and something else, but that the “and” consists of numerous conditions and requirements added to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ–far beyond what the Judaizers ever proposed!
How in the world, if the Judaizers were wrong for adding just one work to Christ’s sacrifice, can Rome justify adding numerous works to Christ’s sacrifice? Because the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing; foolishness because they believe redemption can’t be that simple.
Let’s look at just one example of why I say that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to the Romish religious system: Purgatory.
The following two quotes come from a FoxNews report from January. You can read the whole article here.
By lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding the tribunal’s work, the Vatican hopes to emphasize the fundamental role the sacrament plays in saving souls, the Vatican’s No. 2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said in a paper delivered at the conference.
“We cannot hide that the sacrament of penance is threatened in this time of secularization,” Girotti said. But he stressed that it remained “fundamental for salvation and the sanctification of souls.”
But what saith the Scripture?
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Catholics who believe in Purgatory need to be asked: “Who is in charge of releasing souls from the purging fire?” It cannot be God because of His promise to believers. “Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more” (Heb. 10:17). After conversion, God no longer counts sins against His children (2 Cor. 5:19).
– Mike Gendron
John MacArthur completely obliterates the erroneous doctrine of infant baptism in this week’s sermon of the week: A Scriptural Critique of Infant Baptism. This can be considered a follow-up to Coram Deo’s original posting (the transcript of this sermon) found here.
If you are curious about the doctrine of infant baptism: why it’s practiced in so many churches (even in Reformed Churches), and why many others don’t practice it at all, then you must listen to this sermon.
Yet another fine book from the Lamplighter Series of Rare Books. Written in 1887 by Charlotte Maria Tucker under the alias of A.L.O.E. (A Lady of England), The Robber’s Cave is a good read for all ages. It is suspenseful, reflective, and entertaining. Furthermore, Tucker is not afraid to show Roman Catholicism (the religion practiced by the book’s antagonists) as the idol-dependent false religion that it is.
The hills of Calabria, Italy are home to bands of nefarious thieves, but a single light can shine so brilliant in the darkest places. Why would a talented, skilled, and very innocent believer dwell purposefully with the cruelest villains? Perhaps you will learn the answer as you get to know Rafael, the Improvisatore. Ungrateful Horace Cleveland gains the answer to this question under the harshest of circumstances. The unfortunate opportunity is given to young Horace to learn the true value of things lost that he had taken so much for granted.
You can purchase this book at Family Faith Books.
Catholic bishops have condemned us as heretics and have cursed us over 100 times with anathemas pronounced by the Council of Trent and the 2nd Vatican Council. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “Every heretic is to have part with the Devil and his angels in the flames of eternal fire, unless before the end of his life, he be restored to the Catholic Church.” What a paradox! Christians, who embrace God’s infallible truth, are eternally condemned by this apostate religion, and then called Catholic-bashers for trying to rescue Catholics who are enslaved by doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1).
– Mike Gendron
To say that reunion with Rome would be an insult to our martyred Reformers is a very light thing; it is far more than this: it would be sin and an offense against God!
– J.C. Ryle
1816 – 1900
Ingrid Schlueter has given three cheers to the Catholics for their valiant fight against the billion dollar baby butcher business (while evangelicals are becoming increasingly silent on the issue of abortion).
I too would like to chime in on this issue: I wholeheartedly disagree with the soul-damning false gospel of the Roman Catholic institution, but I have to ask why they continue to fight for the unborn while evangelicals have fallen silent? I believe part of it is that Roman Catholicism is a works-based false religion and thus, its adherents must strive to win God’s favor by their works and what’s more “favorable” to God than protecting the unborn? I believe that the problem on the other side of the coin is that many evangelicals have become so relevant and accommodating to the world that they’ve absorbed the world’s standards, morals, wisdom, and ways and can no longer be distinguished from the world.
As the Catholics continue to take a stand against this murderous rampage perpetrated upon the most defenseless class in our society, many evangelicals have begun to support the shedding of innocent blood by their collective silence and some even voted for our current pro-abortion commander in chief. By abandoning the fight for life, evangelicals actually lend support to the heinous act of abortion.
The church that remains silent on the issue is no better than those whose murderous ways are furthered by such silence.
The Roman Catholic Church did not exist when the canon was closed in the first century. How do we know? You cannot find any of the following Catholic traditions in the church of the apostles: priests offering sacrifices for sin, purgatory, indulgences, infallible popes, Mary as a sinless mediatrix, etc.
– Mike Gendron
We know the Judaizers were condemned by God’s Word when they added one extra requirement to the Gospel. This same curse is placed on the Catholic clergy for adding six additional requirements to God’s Gospel. Like the Judaizers, the Catholic clergy teaches that obedience to the law is necessary for salvation (CCC, 2608). But Rome has perverted the Gospel even more outrageously with these requirements: the sacraments (1129), the sacrifice of the Mass (1405), baptism (1256), purgatory (1030), indulgences (1471), and good works (1477).
– Mike Gendron
Christ Alone Wyoming 