Why works-based faiths like the Catholic religion will not save you

My posts on the resignation of the Pope and the resulting discussion that the Roman Catholic Church is a false church has received more views than any post I’ve ever done, by at least double. Not only is it huge news that the Pope resigned, but it is news to many when someone declares flatly that the RCC is a false church and it promotes doctrines of demons.

(Left, Pope Pius IX, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal infallibility. He also defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, meaning that Mary was conceived without original sin. Previously, those doctrines were not an official part of Catholic dogma.)

Here are the three posts I’ve written about the RCC Pope, and the Prophecy of the Popes:

1. December 2011, Pope Benedict's health failing, St. Malachy's prophecy comes up again
2. February 2013, Pope Benedict resigned- will the next pope validate Malachy's prophecy?
3. February 2013, Catholicism is not a Christian religion

The comments have been respectful for the most part. I have only had to delete a few out of hand for profanity or for not adding anything to the discussion (i.e. ‘You’re all nuts!” kinds of comments get deleted. At least tell us WHY you think we’re nuts…lol). Thank you all for reading and commenting.

In the comment section yesterday, someone had asked about how to witness to Catholics. It was a good question, and I responded. I thought I’d make my response be a post by itself. This is that post.

Any religion besides Christianity, which is to say, every other religion, promotes some form of works toward a person's salvation. I say again, all other religions in some form or fashion are a works-based religion. How do I know this? Because there is grace, and works. Christianity is a grace based religion. Salvation comes because of the grace bestowed on penitents who believe in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and His resurrection. He is the only God who can and who does bestow grace, absolve sins, and resurrect the dead. No other religious figure can do that because no other figure has risen from the dead. Therefore in the false religions, lacking the one thing that can actually save a person, the proponents of these false religions add works to their schema to cover the deficit.

In attempting to attain heaven by his own efforts, man forgets how holy God is and how lowly and polluted with sin we are. Attempting offer works to Jesus as an entry validation is like offering Jesus a filthy rag as your best effort. Isaiah 64:6a says-

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

Not to get too graphic, but the word for polluted garment is actually Hebrew for used menstrual rag. Believing we can get to heaven on our own works means when you stand before Holy God, and we all will, you will in effect hold out a used and crusty Tampax, and say "Here is a gift for you, Jesus, these are my works. Now I can go into heaven, right?"

Unappealing, right? God hates sin and cannot even look at sin or the sinner. He is angry over sin. He is personally angry with you by name, over your sin. (Exodus 4:14; 15:7; Leviticus 26:27-33; Numbers 11:1; 12:9; 22:22; 25:3; Deuteronomy 3:17; 29:24-29; Joshua 7:1; Judges 2:14; 2 Samuel 24:1; 1 Kings 14:15; 15:30; 16:2; 25:53; 2 Kings 13:3; 17:11; 23:19; 1 Chronicles 13:10; 2 Chronicles 28:25; Psalm 7:11; 11:4-7; Hebrews 10:27). (Right, Monstrance, a vessel used to show the consecrated Eucharistic host; Utrecht Museum, by Johan)

Get the idea? There is only His grace, and our works. His grace is pure and holy, and our works are a used tampon.

Buddhism, though seemingly altruistic in their promotion of good deeds toward others, is really at root a works based religion because one must work on one’s self before one can attain a state of nirvana. A Buddhist must work on their attitude toward worldly attachments, and once releasing all attachment to any self-desires, can then turn around and help others. Buddhism is an inward works based religion. I know I'm generalizing here, but you get the idea in broad strokes. A Buddhist must work on himself before attaining happiness and being able to help others.

Islam is the same but different. Allah's grace descends upon the believer but the person must perform good works toward others. The entry into paradise for the Muslim is dependent upon a combination of grace and works. If the Muslim has performed more good works than bad, he's in. However, the believer never quite knows where he stands...so the tension inside their heart is very heavy. To make matters worse, the Koran states that both good and evil come from Allah, and he is capricious. When you get to Allah's Paradise gate good deeds may indeed outweigh the bad, but Allah may say "begone with you" anyway. The only sure way to please Allah for sure and make it into an Islamic paradise is to be a suicide martyr. And now you know why they line up for the job...


In Catholicism, works also figures in. God's grace is upon the believer, but that grace is only an enabling function. It enables one to do good works and it is that which they will be judged as worthy or not for heaven.

In Christianity, we receive a free gift when God says, 'you believe on the Son, therefore I declare you innocent of your sins, justified in My eyes." (Titus 3:7). In the RCC, justification is denied.
  • If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema" (Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 9)
  • "If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema." (Canon 14).

Anathema means excommunicated from the body of believers or it means cursed, usually both. The RCC does not come right out and say 'you must work for salvation' but that is what they teach. You can read here an essay outlining the key differences between Catholic and Christian doctrines.

One of the biggest burdens in all works-related salvation schemes, Catholicism included, is a secret, nagging fear and burden in the person that they may not be 'doing enough.' Mormons are particularly burdened with these secret thoughts, which they rarely verbalize, but are there. Catholics have these interior fears as well, because they are taught that they must maintain their salvation. As any sinner knows, even those who are thoroughly saved and rest on Jesus's grace alone, we stagger with our conscience in knowing how desperately wicked we are. So any person depending on works in any way for their salvation will always fear they are missing the mark. Catholics are always worried. They have to be, they have no assurance of their salvation!

"If you could lose your salvation, you would."
As John MacArthur replied once when asked about salvation, "if you could lose your salvation, you would." That simple truth cuts right to the heart of works-based religions. Imagine the fear and burden of a Catholic wondering if they have recovered from their last sin enough. If they said enough hail Marys. If they will go to purgatory or heaven...

In witnessing to a Catholic, I think that focusing on the simplicity and perfection of grace alone will go a long way toward penetrating a Catholic's mind and heart, because that is where the anxiety is, in my opinion. Humans simply do not have the perseverance to live a sinless life. Humans are not capable of accumulating enough resources to reach heaven. Only Jesus did that. People in works-based religions are always wondering, "Have I done enough?"

photo credit: John Steven Fernandez via photopin cc
In the faith that Jesus delivered to the saints once for all, HE is the one who did enough! We can have assurance of the perfection and completion of His work because God accepted Jesus as the sacrifice, raising Him from the dead. His grace is sufficient for all believers, no more works are needed, because as Jesus said,

"It is finished."
John 19:30 records the last words of Jesus in His earthly ministry. It is finished means "As if he had said: "I have executed the great designs of the Almighty - I have satisfied the demands of his justice - I have accomplished all that was written in the prophets, and suffered the utmost malice of my enemies; and now the way to the holy of holies is made manifest through my blood." An awful, yet a glorious finish. Through this tragical death God is reconciled to man, and the kingdom of heaven opened to every believing soul." (Clarke's Commentary on the Bible)

It is awful, as Clarke said, but it is simple. We only need to believe on the work of Jesus through the cross to be saved. It sounds so uncomplicated, doesn't it? It is. The layers of works and tradition that the RCC has overlaid on this simple and awful-beautiful truth is the monstrous thing. Laying our works on His work is grotesque. Believe on the Son and be saved, beloved. How can one be saved? I will say again, using the words of the Holy Spirit,

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).



cross photo credit: Christopher JL via photopin cc
rosary photo credit: Lawrence OP via photopin cc

Comments

  1. We have neighbors and dear friends who are catholic. On several occasions we have witnessed to one or the other. One particular time I shared with my dear friend who said to me "I 'hope' I am good enough to go to heaven. I told her she was not and explained to her about our LORD' grace, mercy and forgiveness. I shared much of what you have written. When I finished, her response was "well, I really hope I am good enough."

    25,30, 40 years of RCC teaching are ingrained in these precious ones and it will take much prayer to break through the walls of lies and deception they have been taught by their church to allow the truth of His Word to pierce their hearts.

    Some plant, others water, but it is God who will bring the increase. It is a daunting task, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  2. This a an extremely well done and extensively documented video describing Catholicism from the beginning to present and how it is Not Biblical Christianity.

    A Woman Rides the Beast - Dave Hunt - official version from The Berean Call.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUFhGQ4Do9s

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  3. Elizabeth,

    I feel much better equipped to talk on this subject.

    Thank you and God bless!!

    Jennifer

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  4. Can you do a similar post concerning mormonism?

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    1. Hi Anonymous,

      Thank you for asking :) I posted some stuff before, I'll point you to them

      http://the-end-time.blogspot.com/2012/11/mormonism-polygamy-nephi-moroni.html

      http://the-end-time.blogspot.com/2011/08/is-glenn-beck-false-prophet.html

      And I can point you to some others' work which is very thorough:

      http://carm.org/mormonism

      http://www.gotquestions.org/book-of-Mormon.html

      http://www.compellingtruth.org/Mormonism-Mormons-believe.html

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    2. I have also posted several series on Mormonism, from all their specific doctrines to issues with the Book of Mormon, to Smith's false prophecies, etc. I am also an ex-Mormon, so I've got them pretty well nailed down.

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    3. Thank you very much for the links. Of all of the "religions" that have a basis in the Bible (with the obvious fact that they have added to, subtracted from or twisted scripture) mormonism confuses me the most as to how so many could claim relationship with and belief in Christ yet be so firmly rooted in the book of mormon that in itself goes directly against scripture. I just met a mormon the other day and have been trying to understand why she believes what she does when in the same breath she talks about her relationship with Christ. Today she told me that the book of mormon sold her on mormonism and it is the "the most correct of all faiths" yet most religions through a belief in God and good works will allow us to be accepted by God after death when He will proceed to set all non-mormons straight on their incorrect beliefs. All I can say is that Satan's lies and deceptions are so devastating. I feel the same way as the person that wrote one of the above comments in that it is very frustrating and confusing in how to approach and witness to people that are Catholics and Mormons even moreso than even a muslim or buddhist seeing as they are Bible based yet laced with deceptions at the same time and are so firmly rooted in these lies.

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  5. Posts such as this twist the Catholic Canon and misrepresent the Church's teachings. It is Christ's sacrifice that ensures our salvation, and our faith that secures it - what the Church is saying, and what Catholics believe, is that faith without works is no faith at all. Our works do not save us, but faith is not, and cannot be true if we do not live a Christian life - if our actions, our 'works', run contrary to Christ's teachings, how is that faith? It's as in James - "even the demons believe and shudder". Just believing is not enough. My works alone will not save me, but they certainly can prevent my salvation if I live a life of unrepentant sin. When Christ says "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." As Catholics, we believe that to be more than simply saying "I believe", that statement must be followed by a life lived in Christ. If works didn't matter, then Christ would have never instructed us to love one another, or to ask for forgiveness when we've sinned - never did he say "Believe in me and then go do whatever you want. Everything's cool." It's not enough to just say "I believe", you have to live it.

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    1. I agree, what you described is a vibrant faith and one that I would agree with. And what you write is in the bible. Unfortunately that is NOT what the RCC teaches. The RCC sets aside the bible as the sole authority and adds man’s tradition and schemes to God’s plan. Further, the RCC teaches that all other Christians are going to hell, especially if they believe in justification alone.

      They write,

      "For it is through Christ's Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. CCC 816.

      And here is where they write that anyone who believes in justification alone is cursed and outside the bounds of (their version of) Christianity:

      "Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ. It is granted us through Baptism. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who justifies us. It has for its goal the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life. It is the most excellent work of God's mercy," (CCC, par. 2020).

      "If any one saith, that it is an imposture to celebrate masses in honour of the saints, and for obtaining their intercession with God, as the Church intends; let him be anathema. (Council of Trent , Canons on Justification, Canon 5)

      "If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema" (Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 9).

      The RCC teaches that works combined with grace (and they make a ridiculous distinction between actual grace and habitual grace??) is necessary for salvation. Thee doctrines are found in the CCC, par. 2010, CCC 2080, CCC 2068

      I’m sorry, but there is no misrepresentation here. The words showing the RCC is devastatingly distant from the true faith of Jesus and His Gospel come from Catholic canon itself.

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    2. Anonymous,
      Rather than make an unsubstantiated charge that the RCC teaching is misrepresented, why don't you be specific? Point out the specific paragraph where an error is made and demonstrate why it is in error.

      The problem is, you won't be able to because everything said is 100% accurate and can be demonstrated with RCC doctrinal statements and proclamations.

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    3. Glenn - The author makes the assertion that salvation cannot be obtained through the RCC because of her interpretation of the Trent justifcation Canon. I say Canon, singular, because this conclusion is based on a selective reading of Catholic doctrine. That said, I'll do my best to substantiate. The author asserts that Catholicism is a works-based religion. I'll offer Canon I from the Council of Trent:

      "If any one saith, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether
      done through the teaching of human nature, or that of the law, without the grace
      of God through Jesus Christ; let him be anathema."

      If Canon V can be held up as proof that this is a works-based religion, what happens if I only hold up Canon I?

      The author then responded to my post insisting that the RCC believes that non-Catholics will go to hell. The evidence used is CCC 816. I draw a distinction between "salvation" and "the fullness of salvation". Please refer to the Catholic Cathechism, sections 836-848, for further reading on this.

      In Matthew 16, Christ establishes the Church on Earth with Peter, "You are Rock". The Aramaic "Kepha". And the RCC traces its roots to this establishment. Christ entrusted Peter with the "keys to the kingdom". This is not insignificant, and if we use the Old Testament as a reference, we understand that in doing so Christ is effectively making Peter his representative here on Earth. "Whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven." Considering how we draw our history, our tradition, our faith as Catholics from this exchange, naturally we consider the teachings and tradition of the Church of great import. I'm often told as a Catholic that I'm not following the Bible, I'm following something man-made, something that isn't scripturally based. Well, there it is, right there, in Matthew, chapter 16. How am I not drawing on scripture?

      The author is correct that works combined with grace are requirements per the RCC. I have a hard time seeing how that is controversial. I will point to the author's own page on 'How do I know if I'm saved?' and simply ask - does your walk bear fruit? If this question is relevant, then so are our works.

      I understand the point of these posts, and the concerns, and I know that in your heart what you want is to bring people to a life in Christ, a life filled with and marked by incalculable love. We want the same thing. I would just caution against judging my faith (and the faith of millions) through selective reading of doctrine. At the end of the day, we will probably have to agree to disagree, but regardless of disagreement I enjoy the discussion and I think you have a beautiful faith that is (obviously) a light to many others.

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    4. Anonymous, one does not need to research and read much of the Catholic Canon to determine that it is at odds with the bible and at odds with the faith Jesus delivered to us. The additions to the faith by the RCC such as the priesthood, Marian sinlessness, purgatory, Marian intercession, and works; plus the deletions, such as the second commandment and justification alone, plus abominations such as transubstantiation and alter Christus, tell us that the RCC is a false and demonic church and people who believe in these doctrines will not please Jesus and are not bound for the kingdom. Yet the Pope today in his outgoing message says the opposite:

      Pope says Catholic Church only true church:
      http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2007/07/10/vatican-church.html

      BTW, Alter Christus: Catholic teaching says that a priest is an alter Christus. To say that the priest is an alter Christus (''another Christ'')

      Pope Benedict Pope Benedict said, "The Mass is the sum and substance of our faith." And as anyone knows who has been to a RCC mass, it is full of pagan ritutal.

      Sermon excerpt about the heresy of the Catholic Mass: "At heart, [Catholic Mass] is a denial of the singular sacrifice of Christ on the cross because the Mass is an offering of Christ repeatedly by an illegitimate priesthood on an illegitimate altar for a useless and ungodly purpose. As in so many points, as I've been saying, Roman Catholicism is a mix. It is mostly paganism with a little Christianity sprinkled into it and with a lot of Christian terminology in order to deceive and delude souls. It is a demonic religion that does not bring salvation...cannot. The Faith of Millions, The Credentials of the Catholic Religion. It is a classic work. This is what he writes, John O'Brien, a very popular work. "When the priest announces the tremendous words of consecration...this is the Mass...he reaches up into the heavens, brings Christ down from His throne and places Him upon our altar to be offered up again as the victim for the sins of man. It is a power exercised by the priest greater than that of saints and angels, greater than that of seraphim and cherubim. Indeed, it is a power greater even than the power of the Virgin Mary. While the Blessed Virgin was the human agency by which Christ became incarnate a single time, the priest brings Christ down from heaven and renders Him present on our altar as the eternal victim." You wonder why you always see a crucifix and not an empty cross?

      explaining the heresy of the Catholic mass
      http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-318/explaining-the-heresy-of-the-catholic-mass-part-1

      Agreeing to disagree may sound genteel, but what it means is that your heart and mind is closed to the truth, despite the links and proofs offered here. This will impact your eternal destiny.

      However it is the last word. I think we have met the end of the road for discussion between us on this topic...

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  6. It's hard for a Catholic who has worked so hard and invested his/her whole life or a large part of his or her life in this religion. I'm sure when someone looses their whole identity in what seems like a righteousness God accepts that the blindness is so great. Only God can remove those blinders and we must not only share but share with gentleness and grace along with a little salt. I'm afraid that I have shared with too much salt at times and it has burned rather than promote healing. Sometimes I've become so zealous for them to know the truth that I've gotten in the way.

    They need to know their true condition.
    They need to know that the ONLY righteousness God accepts is Christ's righteousness APART from any and everything we do. That THIS righteousness is by FAITH apart from works~Romans 4:6;Romans 1:17, Romans 3:21, Romans 3:28.

    They need to know that God ALONE is Just and the one who justifies us at the CROSS.-(Romans 3:26)

    They need to know that the evidence of genuine FAITH has been granted to them -(the) faith by God and not (a) faith that they've manufactured. There' only ONE FAITH-(Ephesians 4:5)and that THIS faith is a GIFT-(Ephesians 2:8) They need to know that they can be SURE of the hope-(things not received yet) and CERTAIN of what they cannot see.(Hebrews 11:1)-

    accepting the free GIFT of Salvation is NOT doing good deeds and trying to muster up and maintain the graces.If a person continues to WORK and strive to please God and notices he is trying to work to EARN God's favor then this is evidence that they have NOT received the PARDON and certainty of eternal life.


    A person will no longer (work for) trying to earn salvation but will (work FROM) God's GRACE because he already has been given eternal life and the MOST wonderful GIFT of God-Jesus.

    The evidence is that we have STOPPED and are resting in the finished person and work of Jesus Christ-that we have actually received a Person in our lives-(John 1:12-13). Once one has not only repented and received the free GIFT -THEN they will KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are SAVED and no longer strive to keep or earn or let the Catholic system continue to enslave them in their lies. Then they will RUN far far away from this false religion that is so empty and void of the Person of Jesus Christ...

    May God open eyes and draw people out of this works bases religion

    Thanks for letting me share on your wonderful blog Elizabeth and may the Lord be glorified IN and THROUGH you

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  7. Hi Elizabeth, Thank you for having the courage to stand up for the truth. I wasn´t going to post one more comment to spare you:)
    Since this comment is too long to fit I will post 2 parts.

    It seems that so many people who disagreed with your analysis and commentary do not know the teaching of their "church" the sound doctrine of the "Christian Church" or have only a vague idea of the history of Christianity.

    I was born in a Catholic family in Algeria where the joke is that Algerian Catholics are more catholic than the Pope. After all, we boast of it being the birth place of Augustine. By the time I was 7 years old, I knew the Mass in Latin and sang in the choir. I loved Jesus and the stories of first century Christian martyrs. Every year for 8 years, I went to pilgrimage shrines and went up the high cathedral stairs on my knees.

    At nine years of age, I serve as an altar boy at 6:30 AM before our study day began. I went to confession, did penance, fasted, ate fish on Friday, took the Eucharist on Sunday, and went to monastery retreat with my mother. I did penance and followed everything in the catechism. None of that prevented me from falling back into the same sins on Monday morning. Simply put there was no Holy Spirit power over my sin nature.

    The all-boys Catholic boarding schools I attended were a place of perverts, sadistic priests who delighted in severe even cruel punishments that would land them in jail for years nowadays. Without going into more details, I was able to forgive only by the power of the love of our Lord Jesus.

    Because of the teachings, I grew up being fearful of everything. I was scared to death of the God the Father, of the devil, of having committed the unpardonable sin without even knowing what it meant. They really beat the love of Jesus out of me, literally and figuratively. I became a first class rebel, hating authority, religion, and the hypocrisy and by the time I was 13 I told my mother, I was done with the Catholic Church. Fast forward after 9 more years of a troubled adolescence that lead me to live a life filled with sins, hatred, violence, rebellion and a downward spiral of desperation.

    Just to illustrate one incident: when I was 14 tired of life and ready to end it all, I got my father´s gun and with a bullet in the chamber, I was ready to shoot my brains out when I heard this small voice inside telling me: Jean-Louis, put the gun down. As long as there is life, there is hope. The Lord has saved my life so many times since then.

    At 22, in response to a prayer asking God to rescue me from the pit of hell I found myself in, he answered and supernaturally, he allowed me to immigrate to the US where I was sponsored by a sweet Christian lady who led me to Christ. On March 18 1965, I was born again. The Holy Spirit opened my understanding and I realized that the Lord had protected me all my life from the time I was born till that day.

    Why do I take the time to tell you all that? Because I lived the formative years of my life as a Catholic, but I didn´t stop studying and keeping up with all the changes even till now.

    To be continued.

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  8. I will leave your readers with 2 thoughts. The Catholic Church teachings doesn´t leave room for disagreement with the Catholic doctrine. In order to be a Catholic in good standing, you have to believe the teaching of the Magisterium, perform faithfully the Sacraments and submit to the Pope and the authority of the Ecclesiastical hierarchy.

    Let´s assume, I want to live in the US. There is a long questionnaire that determines if I am fit to be allowed as an immigrant the most important of which is respect for the laws of the country. If I refuse to obey the laws or break them once I have been accepted, you know what happens.

    I have noticed that in the US Catholics pick and choose which part Catholiscism they like and which part they will comply with no regard for their due allegiance and obedient submission to the doctrine and the Pope which determine their status as a Catholic. From reading some of the comments, you can really notice the lack of true knowledge of their own teachings and even less of the Scriptures.

    So are they really Catholics after all? And if not, if they truly are seeking the truth, we have to keep praying and bringing them to Jesus and the empty cross of the death and resurrection.

    The second point that gives weight to the observation cited above is found in II Timothy 2: 5 which declares: Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes ACCORDING TO THE RULES.

    So in order to be accepted in the race, we have to qualify and then in order to finish the race well, we have to obey the rules.

    We know these things because we have to be born again to see and enter the Kingdom of God – John 3:3, 5 and once in the Kingdom, obedience follows in order to submit to and please our Savior and Lord Jesus-Christ out of gratitude and because he is the King. Romans 1:5 tells us that “Through him (Christ) and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the OBEDIENCE that comes from faith”.

    Sadly and unfortunately we live in a time similar to the era of the judges of Israel when "in those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes“. Judges 21:25.

    May the Lord keep your heart and mind in the grace and peace of Jesus.
    Jean-Louis.http://thelightseedblogspot.com




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    1. Jean-Louis,,, thanks for sharing your wonderful Testimony.. Love it and praise the Lord Jesus Christ

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    2. Thanks to you Linda for your very well written and appropriate comment and thank you to Elizabeth for letting us share. J-L.

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  9. Ahh, Jean-Louis! What a beautiful testimony!

    When anyone truly understands the huge love of Jesus Christ for them, and receives revelation that Jesus died to save them from a real and eternal Hell, then only obedience will be the natural desire to flow out of them, stemming from huge love and thankfulness in return to God for His mercy and grace.

    But since so many of today's preachers and today's 'christians' seem so bent on proclaiming that by grace alone are we saved and so we can therefore live in any manner we choose, this shows that they may not even be truly saved. For how can anyone really have had their blind eyes opened to the enormous and saving love of Christ and then live so contentedly in the world/as the world and as enemies of the Cross (James 4:4, 1 John 3:6-10, Phil 3:17-19).

    As you have said, Jean-Louis:
    Sadly and unfortunately we live in a time similar to the era of the judges of Israel when "in those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes“. Judges 21:25.

    It is a great joy to hear of your salvation brother!
    Lee,
    IsChristSoonToReturn

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    1. Thank you, Brother Lee. I visited your blog and It looks great. I joined your readership. I had a quick look around and found it worth coming back later to give it the attention it deserves. You are welcome to come and visit me. Looking forward to read you. Jean-Louis.

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  10. Elizabeth this is a good, and well-written post. I am the only Christian in my family. But I never cease to be amazed at how religious my pagan friends and family are. Though they reject Christianity, they have in fact built a self-made prison of works righteousness around them. They think they are free, but become slaves to the rules of their own religion. The younger folks are mostly a sort of neo-Gnostic. They are very focused on the body and believe that they can be very strong and very healthy by mistreatment and harsh treatment of the body. They fast, they purge, they watch what they eat, they exercise to the point of pain and exhaustion. The one atheist that I know is also very legalistic. She of course refuses biblical morality, but has set up her own. Her morality allows illegal drug use and immorality, but excludes anyone speaking rudely to her. she has very strict rules about cleanliness and sees germs everywhere. She has very few people left who interact with her as a result. Then there are the out and out kooks and I hate to be so unkind but when you throw out truth, it isn't that you quit believing, its that you'll believe anything. Many in our society live in fear of inanimate objects, believing they have power, in and of themselves, to do harm. I got an email yesterday telling me that frozen lemons grated over food can prevent cancer. Last time it was onions. Some of them believe that crystals and plain old rocks have power to do harm or good. My neighbor believes that she "hears" her deceased aunt calling to her to come over to the other side. And on and on it goes. It is heartbreaking and scary. I share the gospel as often as I get a chance and pray. that's all we can do.

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  11. As a former Roman Catholic, born and bred, and educated, when God regenerated me, then I saw the Truth. Then I ran as far away from the Roman Catholic religion as I could get. Everything that Elizabeth has discussed here is true. I never longed to return to try and save myself once I heard the Good News that Jesus did it all. And to prove that Catholics believe that He didn't do it all just ask them about Purgatory. It's a place where dead people go to make reparation or have other people pray them out so they can go to heaven. Reparation for what?? Remember, Jesus did it all!! If He didn't do it all, He did nothing at all.
    There is an evangelist out here right now who is saying that he thinks he will see C.S. Lewis in heaven even though he believed in Purgatory. Like I said, if Jesus didn't do it all....
    And Elizabeth, I'm with you on the destination of the Popes.
    I once read something about their coffins. It said that, first, the body goes into a pine box marked with the symbol for poison, then it is sealed and placed in a fancier one. When asked about that, it was said that the symbol meant that anyone who opened it was poison. I think that it means that what's inside is poison. I don't know if that story is true. It came about when the last pope died.
    And on the whole Peter is the Rock thing and the RC thinks that means he was the first pope, well, Peter was Jewish and he never really resided in Rome. I think he went there once. And I really think that Jesus may have been calling Himself the Rock, which aligns more with the Scriptural description of Him.
    So anyway, I could go on and from childhood relate many things about this but that would take up a lot of space.
    All I can say, is thank you Lord for rescuing me out of darkness and bringing me into the Light. It is God who saves! And but for the GRACE of God, there go I. It is by GRACE we are saved. No works. God even gives us the faith to believe as a gift. If He didn't we would never believe.
    I just pray for my Roman Catholic family members and friends and try to tell them the Truth. But it is God who does the saving and so I will trust in Him. He knows His sheep and they know Him and when the call goes out, they WILL respond.

    Pam

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    1. Pam, I praise the Holy Spirit for delivering you out of the darkness and futility of the Catholic church into the Light of true faith!

      Here is a short summary of papal burial rituals, the link provides more information as to what happens when a pope dies--

      Burial and Mourning

      The pope's internment takes place between the fourth and sixth day after his death. This begins a nine-day period of mourning -- novemdiales in Latin. The burial follows a funeral Mass, presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals.

      The pope is entombed in three caskets:

      A cypress coffin -- A copy of the eulogy from the funeral Mass is placed in the innermost coffin, made of cypress, as are bags of silver, gold, and copper coins. The number of coins in each bag equals the number of years of the papacy. The coffin is sealed and wrapped with three silk ribbons before being placed in a lead casket.

      A lead casket -- The lead casket, which is soldered shut, is engraved with the pope's name and dates of his papacy, as well as a skull and crossbones.

      An elm casket -- Finally, the lead casket is placed in an elm coffin which is nailed shut with golden nails.

      http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/churchandministry/popeburialrituals.aspx

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  12. Kind of strange how you cut off any further comments on you posting about Catholicism. When proof was sent to you, you closed the post. As for the Rosary, Mother Theresa always carried one. Now I see in this blog page you are going after Mormons. I think you are sham and disgrace just trying to get people riled up and bad-mouthing every religion 1 at a time.

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    1. Not strange at all. Quite the contrary. First, there is no "proof" that Catholicism is biblical. Second, comments were turning pointless because no matter how often the bible is referred to, the people supporting the false Catholic system refuted it illogically and extra-biblically. Third, there have been numerous comments that never even made it past the moderation stage, which were ad hominem attacks on personalities. I get tired of moderating those. The comments that are simply "you're a bid stoopid poopiehead" or "you are a sham and a disgrace" are a waste of everyone's time and are certainly not Christ-like. They are personal and not doctrinal and comments like those edify no one, except perhaps, satan.

      Enough ink has been spilled on each side for people to have expressed their position, and to illuminate any reader who comes along. As an editor I decide that at a certain point, there is no point in going further. Discussions have been fleshed out and the argument (an intellectual process whereby a collective series of statements to establish a proposition is laid out) turns into contradiction (an automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says). So when the intellectual portion of the discussion ends and the conversation turns into "(RCC is false. No it isn't. Yes it is. No it isn't...)" I choose to end it.

      I will likely close comments on the other essays that discuss the false and satanic Catholic system, too, for the same reason. Even if you personally have not had a chance to comment, likely your thought in some form is already reflected in the comment stream and would be a repeat. That means it's time to close comments. Good day to you all.

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