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Explaining the Heresy of Catholicism Grace vs> works
Grace to You ^ | Feb 13,2013 | John MacArthur

Posted on 03/02/2015 11:21:42 AM PST by RnMomof7

The New Testament is clear about the nature of saving faith. “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Romans 3:28). “A man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus . . . since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5).

According to Scripture, salvation is by faith in Christ alone through God’s grace alone. When you put your trust in Jesus Christ He declares you righteous—not because you are, but because He imputes His righteousness to you, and because He paid the penalty for your sin. Christ bears our sin and we receive His righteousness. That is the indescribable glory of the doctrine of justification (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church stands in stark opposition to that biblical understanding. Rather than salvation by grace through faith, they preach a false gospel of works.

The words of the Council of Trent—convened to affirm and codify the teaching of the Catholic Church in response to the Reformation—clearly spell out the Catholic version of justification that still stands today. “Hence, to those who work well unto the end and trust in God, eternal life is to be offered, both as a grace mercifully promised to the sons of God through Christ Jesus, and as a reward promised by God himself, to be faithfully given to their good works and merits.” Salvation in the Catholic system is something you earn “by those very works which have been done in God, fully satisfied the divine law according to the state of this life and to have truly merited eternal life.”

That is an absolute and total contradiction of the Word of God. It’s a completely foreign gospel, manufactured by the Catholic Church and able only to condemn, not save. No amount of repetitious prayers, veneration of the saints and other church relics, or masses attended can redeem a sinner’s soul. No priest has the power to forgive sins, and no indulgence bought and paid for can hold back the due punishment of those sins.

At the heart of the merit-based Catholic system is the unbiblical concept of purgatory. In fact, it’s the invention of purgatory that makes Catholic dogma attractive at all—without it, Catholicism would be a very hard sell. Catholics are never really on solid spiritual ground. They can’t know for certain if they’re saved or whether they will ever make it into heaven. And even confident, pious Catholics live in perpetual fear of committing a mortal sin that will throw them out of favor with God and the church.

It’s the false doctrine of purgatory that provides Catholics their spiritual safety net, bringing false hope to people trapped in a hopeless system. It’s the one relief in their entire guilt-ridden, fear-ridden system of works righteousness. And it is complete fiction—a tragic farce that’s led countless souls to hell.

The apostle Paul could not have been clearer about the true nature of justification: “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). That gracious, glorious gospel has been rejected by the Catholic Church, and they have replaced it with a corrupt, unbiblical system of works righteousness and merit-based salvation.

Presiding over that twisted system of satanic lies is the pope. And that is where we’ll pick it up tomorrow.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Evangelical Christian; Mainline Protestant; Theology
KEYWORDS: awesomestuff; faith; frdoesnotneedthis; freepingembarrassing; moacb; salvation; truth; works
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To: RnMomof7

“For example, I listened to a message from John MacArthur which was quite negative about the Catholic Church. What I found was he had no substance or validities in his comments. What was seen though, John MacArthur was full of arrogance and hatred. I had read books he had written in the past. I took what he said as gospel. I had even quoted him. Can these negative statements he was making really be of Christ? This is what I mean, there are many who will take what MacArthur said as truth, then they come to believe what they wrongfully believe about the Catholic Church without checking it out for themselves. This may mean going to a Sunday Mass.” http://www.catholicconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/Story-2-22-15-Steve.pdf


21 posted on 03/02/2015 12:08:22 PM PST by vladimir998
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To: vladimir998
This may mean going to a Sunday Mass.

Not going to happen.

In the meantime, care to give specifics where the author is wrong, in your opinion?
22 posted on 03/02/2015 12:11:03 PM PST by Resettozero
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To: Resettozero

His stuff is so typical, so routine, it is a crashing bore to discuss it. A thousand Catholic apologists have dealt with these lies about Catholic “works-righteousness.”


23 posted on 03/02/2015 12:12:17 PM PST by Arthur McGowan
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To: Arthur McGowan
His stuff is so typical, so routine, it is a crashing bore to discuss it. A thousand Catholic apologists have dealt with these lies about Catholic “works-righteousness.”

From your previous FR posts, I imagined that might be your take on this.

About these "thousand Catholic apologists", which "lies" of John MacArthur did they address on this thread today?

Do you, as an official of the RCC, care to give examples of his "lies"?
24 posted on 03/02/2015 12:16:23 PM PST by Resettozero
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To: RnMomof7
Explaining the Heresy of Catholicism Grace vs> works

NOW you'll make their heads explode!

25 posted on 03/02/2015 12:26:25 PM PST by Elsie
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To: RnMomof7
Presiding over that twisted system of satanic lies is the pope. And that is where we’ll pick it up tomorrow.

Well, now...

Well...now.

John MacArthur, huh?
26 posted on 03/02/2015 12:39:49 PM PST by Resettozero
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To: RnMomof7
At the heart of the merit-based Catholic system is the unbiblical concept of purgatory. In fact, it’s the invention of purgatory that makes Catholic dogma attractive at all—without it, Catholicism would be a very hard sell. Catholics are never really on solid spiritual ground. They can’t know for certain if they’re saved or whether they will ever make it into heaven. And even confident, pious Catholics live in perpetual fear of committing a mortal sin that will throw them out of favor with God and the church. It’s the false doctrine of purgatory that provides Catholics their spiritual safety net, bringing false hope to people trapped in a hopeless system. It’s the one relief in their entire guilt-ridden, fear-ridden system of works righteousness.

As a former Catholic (now Evangelical Christian) I can attest to that statement being 100% true.

Once, I sincerely asked a Catholic priest how I could attain God's forgiveness and be assured that I would escape Hell and go to Heaven.

He looked at me with a puzzled and nervous expression on his face, stammered a bit, and then blurted out:

"Well, that's a Great Mystery."

27 posted on 03/02/2015 12:43:18 PM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: RnMomof7

No Catholic believes he is saved by “works of the Law.”

“The Law” means something.

Words mean things.

Pathetic.


28 posted on 03/02/2015 12:47:26 PM PST by SoothingDave
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To: Arthur McGowan
What a way to make a living: Lying about somebody else’s religion.

Aren't you also compensated by the RCC to rebut non-Catholic posters on FR?
29 posted on 03/02/2015 12:49:02 PM PST by Resettozero
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To: SkyPilot
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

No one.

No protestant, no catholic, no one.

(And...thank you.)
30 posted on 03/02/2015 12:51:30 PM PST by Resettozero
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To: Arthur McGowan

Blah blah blah. You and some others use the language of propagandists and astroturfers. It’s easy to spot the techniques used to shut down discussion. No one I know of here is against Catholic people. If we didn’t care for the souls of Catholics we wouldn’t bother telling them the truth. We are, however, strongly opposed to your system of religion because it doesn’t teach a saving gospel. Your church is an apostate body leading men into the pit.

http://sharylattkisson.com/top-10-astroturfers/

“The language of astroturfers and propagandists includes trademark inflammatory terms such as: anti, nutty, quack, crank, pseudo-science, debunking, conspiracy theory, deniers and junk science. Sometimes astroturfers claim to “debunk myths” that aren’t myths at all. They declare debates over that aren’t over. They claim that “everybody agrees” when everyone doesn’t agree. They aim to make you think you’re an outlier when you’re not.”


31 posted on 03/02/2015 12:59:57 PM PST by .45 Long Colt
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To: .45 Long Colt

Good thing “astroturfer” isn’t a “trademark inflammatory term.”


32 posted on 03/02/2015 1:01:34 PM PST by SoothingDave
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Comment #33 Removed by Moderator

To: SoothingDave
Good thing “astroturfer” isn’t a “trademark inflammatory term.”

Diversionary comment, eh?
34 posted on 03/02/2015 1:06:23 PM PST by Resettozero
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Comment #35 Removed by Moderator

To: RnMomof7
It's hilarious that MacArthur picks a passage from Trent which discusses the merits of works done AFTER justification and as a RESULT of the grace received in justification, and twists to pretend that the Church teaches that justification is received THROUGH works.

No deception, no lying here, no sirree. Pitiful.

36 posted on 03/02/2015 1:23:18 PM PST by Campion
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To: Servant of the Cross

Whatever we do are the Fruits of His Works in us.

Do you agree with the above statement?


37 posted on 03/02/2015 1:29:53 PM PST by redleghunter (He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. Lk24)
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To: Servant of the Cross
Faith and works. It is not an 'either/or' issue. It is BOTH/AND!

Uh. No.

Ephesians 2 pretty much puts that Papist pap away for good. No matter how often the Roman Catholic Church cherry-picks, and misinterprets scripture, it will NOT change the simple fact that the only work that was needed was done by Christ on the cross -- the FINISHED work.

We are saved by grace through faith in Christ.

Faith and nothing -- the works are the FRUITS of our salvation.

Hoss

38 posted on 03/02/2015 1:42:23 PM PST by HossB86 (Christ, and Him alone.)
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To: redleghunter
Whatever we do are the Fruits of His Works in us.

Absolutely. I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." ... Psalm 16: 2

39 posted on 03/02/2015 1:43:22 PM PST by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: HossB86
In light of that belief, please explain Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25: 31-46 ...

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

40 posted on 03/02/2015 1:53:10 PM PST by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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