The Roman Catholic religion has over a billion believers, which is a huge percentage of mankind. The Roman Catholic church have the Pope whom they believe is supreme. They believe that they are the one true church but it is a system of sacraments plus faith in Christ. Grace and works cannot mix.
And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work – Romans 11:6
who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, – 2 Timothy 1:9
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; – Titus 3:5-6
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 not of works, lest any man should boast – Ephesians 2:8-9
Boast of Jesus Christ and His amazing sacrificial work that has obtained you eternal life. Praise Him. Thank Him every day for His amazing grace toward us guilty sinners.
Preachers that that teach discipleship salvation may appear holy, but whom are they trusting in as the means of their salvation? Christ and his one time sacrifice as the sinless lamb of God or their own lifetime of works before men? What about what God says. The will of God is for us to trust in the Son, Jesus Christ.
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day – John 6:39-40
The true church are the believers sealed in Christ. Born again and sealed with the Holy Spirit through simple faith in the finished work of Christ, that he died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the grave on the third day.
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit – John 3:1-8
The Roman Catholic mass is performed daily. The Church of England perform the eucharist, but again it’s just a system of traditions that cannot pay for sin. There is no hope in these traditions or systems of men. They have no saving power. The gospel of Christ and His amazing sacrificial finished work to lead sinners to Almighty God for everlasting life is not given in the Church of England Eucharistic ceremony. It teaches vain repetition.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking – Matthew 6:7
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People confess their sins to the priest, and believe that a human being can absolve their sins. Only God can forgive sin. We confess our sins to Him, which restores fellowship with Him.
7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us – 1 John 1:7-10
We all fail with sin daily in word, thought and deed. Mankind looks upon sin as a meritous scale so long as we have not killed or raped someone, we are not as bad as someone else, but this is not the mindset of God. God is gracious to us while we were yet sinners, and Christ died of us while we were all guilty.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us – Romans 5:8
God is not a respecter of persons. All are guilty before Him. As offensive as this is to the reader, it is what God says.
for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23
Only Jesus kept the law perfectly, and we are made righteous by putting our faith in His perfect finished work.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him – 2 Corinthians 5:21
Purgatory is a place where the Roman Catholic religion teach that a person goes to purge their sins, because they didn’t live a perfect enough life in this one. No such place exists.
Keyword search term for purgatory in the Authorized King James Bible.
0 Bible results for “purgatory.”
However, there is scripture that says that Jesus purged our sins, and is sat at the right hand of Father God.
who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; – Hebrews 1:3
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission – Hebrews 9:22
A human priest cannot absolve sin. Neither can daily mass take away sins.
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: – Hebrews 10:11
However, taking God at his Word in Hebrews 10:12, says that Jesus paid for all sin. why trust in the traditions of man and religion, and why not take God at His word through faith.
but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; – Hebrews 10:12
These are the traditions of man, added onto the perfect sacrificial work of Christ, and can anyone following these manmade traditions really know that they have eternal life, until they die, if they are trusting in works and sacraments to get them to heaven?
The catechisms of the Roman Catholic religion are man made traditions. They are not the Holy Bible. They may be based on the Holy Bible, but God has given us everything we need in His supernatural book which brings peace.
The Holy Bible says that you can know that you have eternal life if you put your trust in Christ, many times over.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God – John 3:16-18
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him – John 3:36
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand – John 10:27-29
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 6:23
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life – John 5:24
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day – John 6:40
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life – John 6:47
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us – 1 John 5:12-14
The main problem with humankind not coming to see their need for a Saviour in Christ is pride.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world – 1 John 2:16
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged – John 16:7-11
Notice that it is unbelief on Jesus Christ that is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
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Human works cannot pay for sin, and human works will never earn merit with God, because the perfect nature that one must uphold to is Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.
because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead – Acts 17:31
We actually want to believe that we have an inherent seed of goodness inside of us. We believe that a lifetime of good works will be enough to earn us heaven. This is how Hollywood shows it in the movies and TV shows. Salvation by works is what all the religions of the world teach, but Christianity is uniquely different because we put our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, who is God in the flesh (John 1:14). Upon faith in Christ, we are born again into the family of God. We receive God’s gift of salvation by putting our faith (as small as a mustard seed) in Jesus Christ.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen – Hebrews 11:1
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting – Matthew 17:19-21
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him – Hebrews 11:6
