Studying God's Word

4. Penance – This sacrament of the Roman Catholic church is supposedly necessary for salvation and it requires Catholics to do good works to make amends for their sins and to restore themselves to full spiritual health. According to this man-made tradition of the church Jesus’ dying on the cross for our sins was not enough to completely remove the sins of men. The Bible clearly says Jesus’ work on the cross was complete. The Bible goes on to say good works cannot remove sins or gain anyone salvation. The Catholic church’s position is just the opposite of God’s Word and furthermore it degrades the work Christ did on the cross and steals the honor and glory from Jesus for His atoning death on the cross.

Hebrews 10:17-18 – (God speaking) – “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Psalm 86:5 – For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon you.

Galatians 2:16 – Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Galatians 2:21 – I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.

Romans 3:28 – Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

The Catholic church specifies good works as prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbors, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices and patient acceptance of the cross we all bear. The catechism even suggests penance can help the dead by almsgiving, indulgences and works of Penance on behalf of the dead. The church never passes on the opportunity to play on people’s emotions in order to keep the church coffers full by using spiritual blackmail.

Hebrews 9:27:27 – And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

The Bible is clear that the “testing time” for man ends upon death and whatever they have sown they will reap. That is a spiritual law and nothing we do in this physical world will move the needle one way or the other. To say otherwise is to keep people in spiritual bondage based on false hopes. The Bible clearly says good works cannot save you when you’re alive so it stands to reason good works done on your behalf also cannot save you after you die. Will you believe what God says or will you believe in the traditions of evil men established for their own vested interest which in this case is to maintain the wealth, influence and power of the Catholic church.

3. Eucharist – This is the best known tradition of the Roman Catholic church where members during mass eat a piece of bread (i.e. wafer, cracker or cookie) and take a sip of wine. According to the church doctrine of transubstantiation the priest supernaturally turns the bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ. So during the Catholic church mass Christ is crucified over and over again. Members of the Catholic church become cannibals and devour the body of Jesus and drink his blood like some sort of vampire. By this ritual the Catholic church refutes the work of Christ on the cross as being complete which is the clear message of God’s Word. The Catholic church by their actions are saying God is not sovereign over his creation and is a liar and the Bible is not the truth. Nothing about the Eucharist is biblical. At the Last Supper Jesus dined with His disciples and broke bread and drank wine while making the following statements:

1 Corinthians 11:24-25 – (Jesus speaking) – Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you, do this in REMEMBRANCE of me. This is the cup of the new covenant in My blood, this do, as often as you drink it, in REMEMBRANCE of me.

The authority for the Eucharist is based on these Scriptures but it’s obvious Jesus was using bread and wine as a metaphor for his body and blood. This ceremony was to be kept as a memorial to the sacrificial death Jesus was about to make on the cross for the sins of all men. The key is the word remembrance used in both verses. Nowhere else in Scripture is the Catholic view of the Eucharist corroborated. I find it ominous that in a subsequent verse God metaphorically says he who partakes of this ceremony in an unworthy manner drinks judgment to himself. God knew the Catholic church would corrupt this ceremony for their own sinful reasons and in this verse God is passing judgement on them before it happens.

Leviticus 17:12 – Therefore I said to the children of Israel, “No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.”

Genesis 9:4 – But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.

James 4:17 – Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

The Bible forbids men to drink blood so if Catholics were literally drinking the blood of Christ during the Eucharist it would be in contradiction to Scripture. We know God’s Word is perfect and without error therefore the premise on which the Eucharist is based is false. This is just another false sacrament established by men to keep the members of the church in spiritual bondage to maintain the power and wealth of the church.

2. Confirmation – This is another of the Roman Catholic sacraments necessary for salvation. This sacrament supposedly incorporates Catholics more firmly into Christ but the Bible teaches no such doctrine. According to God’s Word, you are either in Christ or you are not. Christ’s work on the cross is complete. Let’s think about this. The Catholic church is saying Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, is not capable of saving our souls completely on His own and needs a hand from the church to make sure people get to heaven. This is blasphemy! The Bible teaches us nothing is impossible for the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Ephesians 2:13 – But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Another supposed benefit of benefit of Confirmation is it imprints a spiritual mark or indelible character on the Christian soul similar to Baptism. Nowhere in the Bible will you read about the imprinting of spiritual marks on a Christian’s soul or character by a man-made tradition of men. Man from the physical world cannot affect the spiritual world which is God’s domain. The Bible clearly teaches when we are saved God himself seals our spirit as his possession through His Holy Spirit. The church is intimating when God seals our souls as His possession it’s not good enough on its own to save us so the church has to also step in and spiritually mark us in order for us to be saved. That’s one of the reasons the Roman Catholic church says you can only be saved if you’re a Catholic. The Roman Catholic church s is disrespecting all Protestants and God by declaring this.

Romans 8:38-39 – For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angel or principalities nor powers. nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galatians 5:1 – Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

The church catechism admits Confirmation is a tradition that originated in the church. Confirmation by church members is required to be performed often and even at the moment of death so that believers are perfected by the Holy Spirit with Christ’s fullness. The church is attempting to steal God’s glory and the Bible says God will not give his glory to another. The catechism freely admits this ritual more perfectly binds members to the church since it’s a requirement for salvation. The church teaches members if they want to go to heaven they must obey whatever the church commands them to do because the sacraments take precedence over God’s Word which says Confirmation isn’t necessary. Every church sacrament was crafted by the clergy solely to keep people in spiritual bondage by threatening to take away their salvation if they don’t toe the line. Every church sacrament was established to keep the clergy in firm control of the membership and keep the money rolling in so they can maintain their power and lavish lifestyles to the detriment of the church membership. Who will you believe, God or man?

Matthew 15:9 – (Jesus speaking) – And in vain they worship Me. teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

John 8:36 – (Jesus speaking) – Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

It’s time to examine the Roman Catholic church sacraments and explanation in the 1994 catechism of the church.

1. Baptism – The Catholic church contends that the Lord himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation. The church also states that it’s baptism that seals the believer into God’s kingdom while at the same time making the person an official member of the Catholic church. The catechism goes on to say the Catholic church knows of no other means of ensuring entry into heaven other than baptism. The Catholic catechism states when a believer is baptized it’s Jesus himself doing the baptizing.

Nowhere in Scripture does the Lord say baptism is required for salvation or that the Lord himself baptizes all believers. There are many instances where people were saved first and then afterwards were baptized as a public profession of their faith and salvation. The Catholic clergy established this tradition of men on their own to bind their members to the church through baptism. By tying baptism to church membership the people were kept in spiritual bondage because the Catholic church contends anyone who is not a member of the church cannot be saved and only the Catholic church can say who will or will not enter heaven.

To maintain their salvation the members of the Catholic church had to keep coming to church regularly, working for the church and pouring their money into the church. This all cemented the wealth and power of the church and its clergy, who lived in luxury, while most of the people struggled to survive. In the Bible it’s clear the believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit and not by the act of baptism. The Catholic church is ignoring the truth of the Scriptures and establishing their own traditions to serve their own sinful interests. Now you know the truth so you have a decision to make. Will you believe God or man?

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 – (Paul speaking) – For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

John 1:12 – But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those whom believe in His name.

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Ephesians 4:30 – And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

The Roman Catholic church has seven sacraments and according to the official catechism of the church every one of the sacraments are necessary for salvation. The sacraments are: baptism, confirmation, eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders and matrimony. These seven sacraments are nothing more than a series of good works. The Bible states repeatedly that good works will never save anybody yet the church says just the opposite. Will you believe God or man?

Romans 3:20 – Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Isaiah 64:6 – But we are all like unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

If the sacraments of the Roman Catholic church are supposedly necessary for salvation and the sacraments are only available through the Catholic church then that means you must be a faithful member of the Catholic church to be saved. This is the official stance of the Catholic church as stated in their catechism but you’ll never hear any Catholic admit it. The sacraments of the church are manmade rules, the traditions established by men, that are not required for salvation according to God’s Word. Will you believe God or man?

Acts 5:29 – But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

The clergy of the Catholic church are trying to keep their members in bondage to the church by setting up fake sacraments that threaten them with eternity in hell if they don’t comply. It’s clear in the Scriptures that only God can save your eternal soul and that precious gift is free to anyone simply for the asking. You don’t have to belong to a certain church or perform certain rituals or do good works or anything else. The Roman Catholic church can’t save you or prevent you from being saved. That is all nonsense. Men with vested interests in keeping their power over people’s lives and the money flowing into church coffers have decided these things. It’s contrary to God’s Word. Will you believe God or man?

John 8:47 – (Jesus speaking) – He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.

John 20:30-31 – And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

In their 1994 catechism the Roman Catholic church clearly claims that the Pope is the head of the church and not Jesus Christ. The catechism says only the Pope can interpret the truth of the holy Scriptures and establishes that all Roman Catholic church rituals and traditions take precedence over anything said in God’s Word. I will list some of the Scriptures in the Bible that declare Jesus Christ is the head of the church but which the Roman Catholic church says are null and void:

Colossians 1:18 – And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence.

Ephesians 1:22 – And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church.

Ephesians 4:15 – But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ.

Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.

Ephesians 5:2 – And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

In the New Testament Jesus reviled the Pharisees as a, “brood of vipers!” because those Jewish religious leaders exalted the traditions of men above the worship of God. The modern day Roman Catholic church clergy is equivalent to the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. If Jesus were walking the earth today he would excoriate the Roman Catholic clergy in the same manner.

Matthew 15:3 – (Jesus speaking) – Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?

Matthew 15:8-9 – (Jesus speaking) – These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Don’t bother to look for additional Bible verses that confirm Peter as the sole arbiter of the earthly church established by Jesus Christ. There aren’t any. However, there are numerous Bible verses that establish Jesus Christ as the Rock upon which the Christian church is to be built. That means the Roman Catholic church has no right to claim their church is the only way to heaven. The Roman Catholic church doesn’t have the right to usurp Jesus as the head of the church and arbitrarily declare the Pope is now the head of the church. Catholicism has no spiritual right to say who is and who isn’t a Christian. That is for God alone to decide because only God knows the hearts of men. You can either believe the church of God was built by Peter and those Popes who came after him, all sinful men, or you can choose to believe Jesus himself built his church on the eternal truth that the Son of God came to die on the cross in our place for our sins.

Psalm 118:22, 1 Peter 2:7, Acts 4:11 – The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

Psalm 18:31 – For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?

Psalm 62:1-2 – Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation; He is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

Psalm 94:22 – But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge.

1 Corinthians 10:4 – And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

Ephesians 2:20 – Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 – For I proclaim the name of the Lord: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.

The latest catechism of the Roman Catholic church (1994) contains the doctrines of the church which all Catholics are to believe and follow. Catholicism teaches that the Roman Catholic church is the one true church of God and salvation is only granted to those who are members of the Catholic church. Catholics believe Jesus Christ set up his church on earth through the Apostle Peter based on the Scriptures in Matthew 16:15-19. Since the Catholic church claims Peter as their first Pope they claim the divine mandate falls to the Roman Catholic church alone as the way to eternal life.

When I previously discussed Bible interpretation I stated it’s not a good idea to pull out a verse or verses of Scripture and use that as the basis for establishing doctrine. Even more so when those verses are ambiguous and the exact meaning is not clear. I also mentioned that Bible doctrine is usually very clear and repeated many times to make sure we get it. You should always use Scripture to interpret Scripture because God will invariably explain himself in other parts of the Bible which will then help interpret the ambiguous verse. The Catholic church didn’t do that here. They found the verse that fit their narrative and locked onto it without verifying it with other Scriptures. In the verses referenced above Jesus is speaking to his disciple Peter and Jesus asked him who he thought he was. Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Catholics base their authority as the only church of God solely on Jesus’ response in Matthew 16:18.

Matthew 16:18 – (Jesus speaking) – And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.

It’s unclear in this verse if the rock Jesus is referring to is Peter or the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ and Son of the living God. Nowhere else in the Bible is Peter identified as the sole conduit through which Jesus will establish his church on earth. However, there are numerous Bible verses that establish Jesus as the eternal rock of our salvation as Christ, the Son of God. When you use Scripture to interpret Scripture it’s easy to see Jesus was referring to the belief in him as the Son of God as the key to eternal life and overcoming the forces of darkness.

The message of the entire Bible is about the coming of Jesus Christ to redeem mankind from their sins through faith in him. The Bible is not about a church set up by human beings who will then decide who gets to go to heaven while God is placed in a supporting role. That’s absurd! When you have the choice of going to heaven through the devices of a human being (Peter and all the Popes who follow him) or by listening to and following the commands of God himself the wise man should choose God. Choosing God will lead you to heaven while following man will lead you to straight to hell.

As a Southern Baptist I understand that different Protestant denominations came about because of minor differences of opinion about doctrine that caused them to break away. The Protestant denominations all held onto the core belief in the gospel of Christ which ensures the salvation of all believing Protestants. Being unfamiliar with what Catholics believe I just assumed the 1.5 billion Catholics were similar to the 1.0 billion Protestants since we’re all called Christians. I thought our differences must be minor doctrinal issues. It wasn’t until I started studying the Catholic faith that I realized Catholicism and Protestantism are totally different. It’s wrong to lump both groups together as Christians. Christianity is Christ. Protestants worship Jesus Christ as the author and finisher of our faith and head of the church. Protestants accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and pray directly to Father God in Jesus’ name. Protestants believe the Bible is the unerring Word of God and look to the Bible as the supreme authority in their lives.

Virtually every tenet of the Catholic church is just the opposite of what Protestants believe. In Catholicism Jesus is given lip service and then relegated to being a cookie during communion. In Catholicism the Pope is head of the church and his views take precedence over Jesus and what the Bible says. The Catholic faithful are taught to pray to to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and to totally bypass Jesus. Catholics are not taught to obey the commands of God or Jesus and are instead instructed to obey the traditions of the church. Jesus is called Lord in name only and his honor and glory are usurped at every turn. Jesus is not truly worshipped as God. The Catholic faithful don’t believe the work of Jesus on the cross was sufficient for the forgiveness of sins. Instead they confess their sins to not to God or Jesus but to another human being, a Catholic priest sitting in a box who is himself full of sin and has no power to forgive sin.

Only God is divine and only God can forgive forgive sin. In Catholicism what the Pope says takes precedence over what God says in His Word and the Pope is the supreme authority in the lives of all Catholics. When you have virtually every tenet of the Catholic faith just the opposite to what God commands in His Word it can’t be by chance. It has to be by design and since it’s in opposition to what God says it can only be coming from Satan. There is no other logical answer. The fruit produced by the Catholic church is evil. That’s how I know the Roman Catholic church is controlled by Satan. If you don’t believe me look at the evidence yourself and you’ll come to the same conclusion. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck!

In the ancient world polytheism was commonplace. Most people worshipped many gods and bowed down to idols made of wood, metal and stone. Ornate pagan shrines and temples were everywhere, especially in Rome which was the largest city in the world. Pagan priests usually wore fancy costumes and conducted solemn rituals called sacraments. All this pomp and circumstance was meant to convince worshippers they were being favored by the gods and it covered up the fact their religions were fake and lifeless. If you can sell the sizzle you don’t need the steak.

In Old Testament times only the Jews were monotheistic. The Jews worshipped Jehovah, the one true God. In the first century the expected Messiah, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven, took on flesh, and died on the cross for our sins. Jesus was buried and on the third day rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven where he sits at the right hand of God as our Advocate and Mediator. The Christian church was born on Pentecost in 33 AD when God sent His Holy Spirit to indwell all believers. The followers (disciples ) of Jesus became known as Christians. Christianity means “Christ’s men.” Christians were persecuted for several hundred years until the Roman emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire in 313 AD.

The pagan priests in Rome were in the business of religion and any religion would do. When Christianity became the official religion of Rome they had no problem converting to Christianity and changing their temples into houses of Christian worship. Unfortunately the pagans brought their style of worship with them to include fanciful dress and pagan sacraments like holy water and goddess worship. Pagan temples were ornate for show and that was passed on to the Catholic church. Pagan temples were full of statues, sculptures and graven images and this also found its way into the Catholic church even though God’s word forbids it.

Within a few hundred years the Christian church in Rome became totally corrupted and all honor and glory was stripped from Jesus Christ within the church. The leader of the church became the bishop of Rome, who would later be called the Pope when his influence and power extended worldwide. Instead of following the Word of God the leaders of the church chose to establish traditions and rituals (sacraments) that were unscriptural. The Pope shifted authority in the church away from God and to himself as the sole source of salvation. Satan was responsible for the corruption of the Roman Catholic church and satanic forces have ruled the Catholic church for the last 1500 years.